Blog and News

The first time Karin Tilberg came to Maine’s North Woods, she felt like she was home. Following a childhood in Pennsylvania and northern New Jersey, Karin attended the University of…

Forester David Govatski’s three-decade career with the U.S. Forest Service included assignments in Colorado, Vermont, Michigan, Oregon, and New Hampshire. In 2005, he retired from his…

Jillian Bell grew up in the suburbs of Birmingham, Alabama, and has been fascinated with the natural world since she was a child and noticed flowers growing through the cracks of a sidewalk.…

Since 1995, Mark Isselhardt has been immersed in maple sugaring research with University of Vermont Extension and the Proctor Maple Research Center. He is currently the Maple Specialist with…

Todd Spire says he has been something of a fishing addict since he was a kid, but only relatively recently did he turn that passion into a way to make a living. After studying at various art…

Given her early introduction to nature-based education, it’s hardly a surprise that Dylan Kinsella Alden has pursued a career that puts her outside and includes educating others about…

Lonnie Jandreau grew up in St. Francis, Maine, on the St. Johns River, close enough to Canada that he could – and did – swim across the river from Maine to Canada as a kid. He has…

In 1976, when Francie Von Mertens was on the hunt for a place “with room to roam for wildlife and children,” she landed in Peterborough, New Hampshire. In the years since, Francie…

With parents who are involved in land stewardship and foster a keen appreciation for working and playing outside, it’s no wonder that Siler Russ is growing up with a strong understanding…

Christi Holmes rarely shies away from a challenge. She thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail – by herself – after graduating from the University of Maine. And when she became…

Chris Crowe grew up in Littleton, New Hampshire, just across the street from where he lives now. As a boy, he spent every moment he could tagging along with his father, Luther, who owned LR…

As a child growing up in Baltimore, Maryland, Clifton Harcum’s outside recreation was limited to the playgrounds and ballfields of youth sports. It wasn’t until his first job after…

When John McNerney moved from Ohio to Vermont about 20 years ago, he didn’t know much about forest management, processing firewood, or tackling invasive species. An economics major in…

After her own two children transitioned from preschool to kindergarten, Nicole MacKay became a teacher at Gale River Cooperative Preschool (GRCP) in Franconia, New Hampshire. Two years ago,…

Growing up in suburban Washington, D.C, during the 1960s, Susan Hayward considered herself a “serious science kid.” During college at the University of Maine, she turned her…

When he was about 6 years old, Brad Johnson drew a stick figure holding an axe and a saw and titled it “The Tree Cutter.” Still, it was a surprise – to Brad, his wife, and…

Harvey Brotman’s career experience has spanned work as a blacksmith, an inn manager, a writer of software manuals, and an IT business owner. For the past 40 or so years, he’s also…

With a degree in biology from Colgate University, Kelly French embarked on a career in clinical diagnostics and experimental medicinal research. After four years of working in a lab and…

Steve Hagenbuch began working with Audubon Vermont soon after moving to Vermont in 1998, and he’s remained with the organization for 23 years and counting. A conservation biologist and…

Linda Gibbs is the community programs director for the Tug Hill Tomorrow Land Trust and has worked as an environmental educator and natural resources specialist since the 1980s. She grew up…