: outdoor education center staff directory :
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Permanent Staff
Outdoor Education Center Director: Beth Krisko
Beth has a B.A. in Communication and M. En. in Environmental Science from Miami University of Ohio. Beth also earned her Ohio science teacher credential from Antioch University. She began as an environmental educator in 1999 conducting campfire programs on a National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska. Since then, she has continued teaching children in outdoor and classroom settings. Beth considers her role as Director Glen Helen Outdoor Education Center her dream job, and looks forward to her work in the woods every day. Beth especially enjoys sharing her knowledge and experiences with the Naturalist intern staff through training and mentorship. Beth continues her growth as an environmental educator and administrator by staying active as a member of the North American Association for Environmental Educators (NAAEE) and Association for Nature Center Administrators (ANCA). In her free time, Beth enjoys long-distance running, yoga, gardening, traveling, and backpacking.
Outdoor Education Center Assistant Director: Rebecca Jaramillo
Rebecca has been working at the Outdoor Education Center since October 2006. She has a B.A. from the University of San Diego in Marine Science, and a M.A. from the University of New Mexico in Recreation – Outdoor Environmental Education. She has worked as an environmental educator since 2002, and has taught environmental education to every age range in a variety of formal and informal settings. In 2004-2006 she was the education coordinator for a non-profit avian research and education organization, responsible for developing and maintaining educational programs throughout the state. Rebecca values her involvement in teaching and motivating the new environmental educators that come through the Glen Helen program every year. Through her involvement in the National Association for Interpretation, Rebecca maintains up to date education methods enjoys creating new activities to further enhance the student experience at Glen Helen.
Outdoor Education Center Business Manager: Whitney Reinhard
Whitney came to Glen Helen as a Naturalist Intern in 2006. She continued as Program Coordinator for the Outdoor School and Antioch Honors Institute in 2007, before beginning her current role as Assistant Business Manager of Glen Helen in 2008. She is glad to be able to contribute to both the Yellow Springs and surrounding communities, and to spend her days in the forest.
Intern Staff
Administrative Intern (Program Coordinator): Stephanie Zanati
Stephanie is from Queens, New York. She has a degree from the University of Rhode Island and was living there before coming to Ohio. She has been working in the Environmental Education field for about two years. Her hobbies are cooking, reading, biking and listening to music. She also loves to travel and she has been to Europe, Asia and Central America as well as other parts of the U.S. and Canada. She has been through the Naturalist program in Glen Helen and has been serving as the Program Coordinator since January 2010.
Administrative Intern (Extension Naturalist): Hannah Brewster
Hannah is from Plymouth, MA and graduated from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. She was a rower in college and loves being outdoors. In the summer of 2009, she walked from Mexico to Canada on the Pacific Crest Trail. She loves birding, hiking, photography, biking, cross country skiing, and cooking. She was a Naturalist at Glen Helen previously and has returned for the 2010-11 term to serve as the Extension Naturalist.
Administrative Intern (Raptor Center Assistant): Jesse Varga
Jesse is a biology major with specific interest in birds, paleontology, and reptiles and amphibians. He has studied biology and ecology on five continents and is very excited by biological diversity wherever he is! Jesse has volunteered and interned for seven summers at a natural area in northern Michigan and worked for four years at his college's Natural History Museum in Indiana. He was a Naturalist at Glen Helen in Spring of 2009 and has been the Raptor Center Assistant since then.
Naturalist Intern: Rebekah Barnes
Rebekah is from Maryland, in the suburbs of the national capital. She just graduated this past summer from Brigham Young University with a B.A. in Philosophy. Growing up with a 3rd grade teacher as her Mom, she has spent most of her life helping out in her Mother's classroom. She has training in fine arts and crafts, and has shared those skills with children and youth on multiple occasions. She comes to the Glen full of excitement, ready to expand her knowledge of the environment. She hopes to be able to instill this same enthusiasm into the children she will work with.
Naturalist Intern: Ingrid Brofman
Ingrid is from New York State and graduated from the University of New Hampshire with a wildlife ecology degree. Post-graduation, Ingrid has spent her time backpacking Europe, organic farming in Hawaii, and working for USFWS on the Gulf Coast. She is super excited to be at Glen Helen to share her passion and knowledge for the environment. Ingrid enjoys hiking, traveling, music and chocolate-chip banana pancakes.
Naturalist Intern: Susan Delfs
Susan graduated in 2009 from Augustana College with a BA in biology. During college, she spent a summer at a biological station, which sparked her interest in environmental education. She is excited to share her knowledge and love of nature as a Glen Helen Intern! Susan also spent a year after college as an Americorps VISTA with a recycling program in Eastern Montana. She enjoys baking, adventures by bicycle, gardening and knitting in her free time.
Naturalist Intern: Stephanie Falzone
Stephanie grew up in the San Fransisco Bay Area and graduated from UCLA with a BS in Environmental Science and a Minor in Conservation Biology. She especially likes frogs and birds, and is excited to see all the birds at the Glen and to take care of birds at the raptor center. She also enjoys crafting, knitting, photography and dancing.
Naturalist Intern: Shawn Garver
Shawn graduated from the Ohio Northern University in 2009 with a degree in Biology. The three most significant experiences in Shawn's life are surviving cancer as a kid, traveling to Florida, Ecuador, the Galapagos Islands and South Africa in 2009, and taking a mission trip to Colorado this past June chaperoning a group of Jr. High and Freshman. Shawn has an interest in photography, animal care and environmental education.
Naturalist Intern: Matthew Herron
Matthew is from Baton Rouge, LA and holds a BA in English and German from LSU. After graduation Matthew worked in public schools and the local nature center while volunteering as a child mentor and in various wetland restoration projects. His cultural endeavors over the years have range from painting, writing poetry and songs to editing a literary magazine and living in German and Quebec. Matthew has a great love for natural history and biodiversity and hopes to pursue his masters in place-based, experiential education following this internship.
Naturalist Intern: Linda Homer
Linda is a graduate of Wittenberg University and a licensed teacher. While traveling with the Air Force she has wonderful opportunities such as working with sharks and stingrays at Sea World and completing graduate field work on the Gulf Cost. Once of her passions is volunteering with the Boy Scouts of America, especially with our neighbor Camp Hugh Taylor Birch. She is the mother of three fantastic children who share her love for the out-of-doors. She looks forward to sharing this passion with students and children throughout the school year!
Naturalist Intern: Margaret Kane
Margaret is from Illinois and graduated from Illinois Wesleyan University with a degree in Environmental Studies. This past year she served in an Americorps program in Cape Cod, Massachusetts which focused on environmental conservation and education. Margaret enjoys hiking, biking, cooking, vegetable gardening, and playing guitar. Margaret has had a previous summer internship at a nature center and is excited about this opportunity to increase her naturalist skills at Glen Helen.
Naturalist Intern: Peter Moorhouse
Before arriving at Glen Helen, Peter spent nine months rehabbing Desert Tortoise habitat in Southern California. Peter is thrilled to return to his home state to witness the beauty of the seasons and share his passion for nature. When he is not exploring the out-of-doors, Peter enjoys playing basketball, mountain biking, and photography. He studied geography as an undergraduate and following this program he will continue that pursuit in Montreal Ontario.
Naturalist Intern: Kathleen Soler
Kathleen Soler was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois and hopes to return someday to the "City in a Garden" to work in one of the many surrounding nature preserves. After studying for a brief time at Wittenberg University, Kathleen majored in Environmental Studies at De Paul University with a focus on Restoration Ecology. She led a conservation crew in the summer of 2010 in the marshlands of Calvmet on the south side of Chicago where many unique wetland species are found. Kathleen's favorite trailside adventures include turning over rocks and logs to see who lives underneath and climbing trees. She is a fan of the three B's: Baseball, books, and biking - even in the winter!
