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In this episode of Bend Don’t Break, host Aaron Switzer sits down with Katie Chipko, Executive Director of NatureConnect Central Oregon.

Since joining the organization in 2012, Katie has been a champion for outdoor access, working to build partnerships and create inclusive nature-based programs for youth and families. She and Aaron discuss the vital role nature plays in childhood development, the expansion of NatureConnect’s community collaborations—like those with Vámonos Outside—and the exciting recent acquisition of Skyliners Lodge, a historic outdoor retreat cherished by generations of Central Oregonians. Tune in to hear how Katie is helping shape the future of outdoor education in the region.

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This article appears in Source Weekly July 10, 2025.

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LISTEN: Bend Don’t Break: Katie Chipko 🎧

by The Source Staff, The Source - Bend, Oregon
July 10, 2025

<h1>LISTEN: Bend Don’t Break: Katie Chipko 🎧</h1> <p class="byline">by The Source Staff, The Source - Bend, Oregon <br />July 10, 2025</p> <p>In this episode of <em data-start="112" data-end="130">Bend Don’t Break</em>, host Aaron Switzer sits down with Katie Chipko, Executive Director of NatureConnect Central Oregon. </p> <figure class="wp-block-image size-full alignright alignright"><a href="https://www.bendsource.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/2025_new_buildsdigital_82_.webp"><img src="https://www.bendsource.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/2025_new_buildsdigital_82_.webp" alt="" class="wp-image-56835" /></a></figure> <p> Since joining the organization in 2012, Katie has been a champion for outdoor access, working to build partnerships and create inclusive nature-based programs for youth and families. She and Aaron discuss the vital role nature plays in childhood development, the expansion of NatureConnect’s community collaborations—like those with Vámonos Outside—and the exciting recent acquisition of Skyliners Lodge, a historic outdoor retreat cherished by generations of Central Oregonians. Tune in to hear how Katie is helping shape the future of outdoor education in the region.</p> <p> LISTEN NOW </p> <div class="wp-block-group newspack-embed-container align"> </div> </p> <p>WATCH NOW</p> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"> <div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://www.youtube.com/embed/dux9tilfp3g </div> </figure> <p>This &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;https://www.bendsource.com/news/listen-bend-dont-break-katie-chipko-23459529/&quot;&gt;article&lt;/a&gt; first appeared on &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;https://www.bendsource.com&quot;&gt;The Source - Bend, Oregon&lt;/a&gt; and is republished here under a &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/&quot;&gt;Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;img src=&quot;https://i0.wp.com/www.bendsource.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/cropped-Untitled-design-4.png?resize=150%2C150&amp;amp;ssl=1&quot; style=&quot;width:1em;height:1em;margin-left:10px;&quot;&gt;</p> &lt;img id=&quot;republication-tracker-tool-source&quot; src=&quot;https://www.bendsource.com/?republication-pixel=true&amp;post=56834&quot; style=&quot;width:1px;height:1px;&quot;&gt;&lt;script&gt; PARSELY = { autotrack: false, onload: function() { PARSELY.beacon.trackPageView({ url: &quot;https://www.bendsource.com/news/listen-bend-dont-break-katie-chipko-23459529/&quot;, urlref: window.location.href }); } } &lt;/script&gt; &lt;script id=&quot;parsely-cfg&quot; src=&quot;//cdn.parsely.com/keys/bendsource.com/p.js&quot;&gt;&lt;/script&gt;

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