Biology alumnus shares love of nature through career in parks

As a naturalist and the program manager at Wood County Parks in northwestern Ohio, biology alumnus Jim Witter ’07 works to shed light on the significance of Ohio’s cultural and natural heritage. Sharing his passion for nature, Witter draws on knowledge and experience he gained at The College of Wooster to build a community of people who seek to have a positive impact on the world around them. 

When searching for colleges, Witter looked for a place with smaller class sizes where he could develop personal relationships with professors, and he found that at Wooster. He appreciated how Wooster’s liberal arts curriculum allowed him to explore a variety of interests, and further embrace the liberal arts spirit through his extracurricular activities. Ranging from a cappella groups to campus ministry and even a breakdancing club, Witter took advantage of many opportunities to explore his diverse interests. “A liberal arts education is especially important, as it teaches students to think critically and to engage with a broad range of studies, issues, and viewpoints that they might not otherwise have engaged with,” Witter said. 

His interest in learning followed Witter into his life after Wooster, as he seeks to inspire a similar passion in others through his work with Wood County Parks. On any given day, Witter may lead programming for groups ranging from preschool to assisted living groups, entering data and tracking program participation, preparing board reports, or brainstorming interpretive displays for our nature centers with program staff. “I’m sharing something that I’m really excited about with others,” Witter explained. “It is not only connecting people with natural resources and their importance, but building a group of people including staff, volunteers and park visitors who seek to have a positive impact on their community.” 

Many of the skills Witter learned as an undergraduate at Wooster continue to influence him today. While planning programs for Wood County Parks, for example, he draws on the skills he took away from his Independent Study project, where he studied the calls of a species of frog known as cricket frogs. Although he doesn’t research cricket frogs in his job today like he did for his I.S., Witter said, “I took away study and research skills, critical thinking skills, learning to deal with adversity, managing challenges during field research, and perseverance to achieve a significant academic milestone!” 

Witter’s personal life, too, remains shaped by his time at Wooster. His experiences as a member of the Wooster Chorus nurtured a life-long love of music, and Witter continues to sing in community choruses to share this love with other choir members and members of the audience. He even joined a United Church of Christ congregation with his wife, Britton Eichenauer Witter ’07, after volunteering with a congregation as part of an assignment for a sociology class he took with Charles Hurst, professor emeritus of sociology.  

“Places like Wooster can hone the ability of students to become significant contributors to their communities,” Witter said. “Wooster builds thinking and learning skills that add to the richness of a person’s life, that they will carry with them through their lives.” 

Posted in Alumni on March 19, 2025.