Renée grew up in Grand Rapids, Ohio and spending summers on Middle Bass Island. She studied Psychology at NYU and received a Master’s in Clinical Psychology from the University of Indianapolis before changing her career focus to the field of conservation. She earned a Master’s in Biology with a focus in conservation and education from Miami University where she travelled with the program to Baja Mexico, Namibia, and Mongolia to learn about conservation work in those countries. She has also often travelled internationally doing conservation work and research. Renée assisted in the startup of a zoo in southern Ohio where she cared for various animals and helped with educational programming. She enjoys hiking, kayaking, woodworking, and being involved in citizen science projects. She now lives full-time on Put-in-Bay with her husband and young daughter and enjoys bringing all of these experiences to her role as Director of the Lake Erie Islands Nature and Wildlife Center. Her main goals are to grow the educational programming, increase involvement in conservation efforts, and expand the Center’s contributions to and support of the communities of the Lake Erie Islands.

TSN Conference 2026

January 22nd, 2026 (Thursday) // 10:15 am – 11:15 am // Room 103 // Mission in Motion: Growing Events That Matter // What if your small program could become a highlight of your community calendar? Join Renee Fultz, Director of the Lake Erie Islands Nature & Wildlife Center, as she shares the inspiring journey of transforming a small monarch tagging program into Put-in-Bay’s vibrant Monarch Fest—scaling from just 20 attendees to 400, and hopefully more in the future! Now in its second year, Monarch Fest has already become a community favorite, despite a few bumps along the way. In this session, you’ll explore the wins, lessons learned, and the next steps for Monarch Fest, while building a roadmap to elevate your own outreach efforts. Renee will guide you through a hands-on worksheet designed to spark ideas and help you scale a small program into a larger, more impactful event. You’ll leave with a personalized to-do list and a clear plan to grow your event in ways that benefit both your audience and your organization.