Anne Townsend is Natural Resources, Environment, and Energy Extension Program Coordinator in the southernmost five counties - Alexander, Johnson, Massac, Pulaski and Union. She coordinates, leads, and trains volunteers in the Master Gardener and Master Naturalist programs. Along with managing two food donation gardens, the Plant a Row, Watch COPE Grow Food Donation Garden in Metropolis and The Pilot Garden: Cairo’s Food Donation Garden in Cairo.

Anne also serves as the southern regional director for the Environmental Education Association of Illinois. Where she helps support, connect, and provide trainings for formal and non-formal environmental educators in southern Illinois. 

Prior to her time with Extension, Anne worked as the Outdoor Program Manager for the Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois.  She helped inspire women of all ages and walks of life to get outdoors, discover, connect and take action to make the world a better place. During her time with Girls Scouts, Anne was an instructor in orienteering, knots, canoeing, archery, sailing, backpacking and outdoor cooking.

Anne earned her bachelor’s degree in science, outdoor recreation and leisure service management, from Southern Illinois University in 2014.  While there she did fieldwork with Trails of Awareness focusing on primitive skills and aquatic interpretation on the Cache River, USDA Forest Service Shawnee National Forest focusing on service learning and helping with Shawnee Volunteer Corps and completed an internship with the USDA Forest Service Shawnee National Forest focusing on environmental education and stewardship. During her time at SIUC she served at the Student Recreation Society President, where she was named Outstand Student of the Year and became a Leave No Trace Master Educator. In 2013, Anne worked for the USDA Forest Service Shawnee National Forest to aid in completion of the National Visitor Monitoring program.  Anne also spent a year of service as an AmeriCorps *VISTA for the Illinois Coalition for Community Services, where she assisted with the development and sustainability of Nego Youth and Community Center in 2008.