Hi there!
Lillian Josephine Simons
As an Environmental Educator at New York State Parks for almost two years, I have enjoyed the opportunity to teach all ages about the Long Island ecosystem. Through program creation and management, I have practiced my passions in storytelling and visual learning alongside students. The environment at the Jones Beach Energy & Nature Center has taught me much about the world I grew up in, with an emphasis on how we may protect the coast and its inhabitants moving forward.
Graduating from the New York State University of Geneseo with a Bachelor's in English, writing has been a major form of communication that I enjoy and would like to continue through literature and practice within my career. A look into my personal reading would display a range of history, poetry, and multifaceted mindset authors.
Previously working with organizations such as National Public Radio, TEDx, Jackson Hole Outdoor Leadership Institute, Sea Grant, Cornell Cooperative, and New York State Parks, I am committed to goal-oriented campaigns that allow for learning opportunities for myself and others. My ambition comes from witnessing a team reach the top of a mountain rather than just an individual. I enjoy seeing projects move forward with interpreted methods, constantly building to perfect an idea.
Aside from my career, I am also pursuing personal goals such as coordinating a circumnavigational kayaking trip around Long Island prior to turning 30, as well as participating in multiple hiking competitions. I have just recently accomplished the 2025 DEC Firetower Challenge before the new year. I find ambition in a great sunrise and enjoy photographing wildlife as well as people.
Help me tell the story…
Much of my practice consists of practice in editing the English language, communications, professional portrait and land photography, and interpersonal relations. While at Geneseo, I participated in the university's sustainability leadership program as a communications representative and a curator for TEDx. I correspondingly have experience in National Public Radio and multiple other journals and poetry publications.
At the age of thirteen, I began writing after being introduced to the works of Patti Smith. I became passionate about biographical content and what others have to tell through their experiences. I have found similar inspirations, such as Chuck Klosterman, Claudia Rankine, Sally Mann, and Roxane Gay, but I have also begun to discover personalized storytelling techniques. My love for writing comes from the ability to provide for others. I share a passion for visual storytelling through film and photography and use this passion to fulfill a full circle in my work.
