Brannon has worked for the Nature Center since 2004, working to develop a wide variety of public programming and in 2014 seeing his position modified to concentrate on outreach exclusively as the station’s outreach coordinator. Since this transition, the Nature Center’s outreach programming has increased by 140 percent. 

Brannon began his career with N.C. 4H in 1990 as an environmental educator. He is also a naturalist with expertise in herpetology and mammalogy and has authored many research publications with his students over the years. 

Highlands Nature Center currently offers more than 50 STEM outreach programs for students in grades K to 12 in a multi-county area. Over the past school year the program served nearly 9,800 students in 250 programs presented at 54 schools.