Ser grew up exploring the natural areas in and around Missoula—from Bancroft Pond and Lewis & Clark Elementary School’s Outdoor Classroom to Mt. Sentinel, Pattee Canyon, and the Rattlesnake—and spending time at their family’s cabin on Flathead Lake. Always fond of native plants and birds, they honed their naturalist skills while earning a B.A. in Environmental Studies at the University of Montana. They have continued to develop and share their naturalist skills in a variety of seasonal positions with MNHC, Montana Conservation Corps, Flathead Lake State Park, and Ecology Project International’s Yellowstone Program. They are passionate about citizen science and have participated in monitoring projects with Montana Audubon, Glacier National Park, and Wolverine Watchers. They enjoy bird watching, identifying plants, ultimate frisbee, writing, reading, hiking, cross-country skiing, photography, swimming and rowing at Flathead Lake, berry picking, and cooking.

Kellen grew up in the Northwoods of Bemidji, Minnesota, where she cultivated her love of the outdoors, fishing, camping, and hiking among the beautiful paper birch trees and melodic love songs of the Common Loon. She moved to Missoula thirteen years ago and completed her B.A. in Print Journalism at the University of Montana. Over her years in Missoula, Kellen has worked in the service industry, wearing many hats, most recently working at Conflux Brewing Company as a manager and the event coordinator. Always passionate about conservation work, Kellen began as a field volunteer with the Owl Research Institute three years ago. Her volunteering involved catching and banding countless owls throughout western Montana. After years of persistence and dedication, she was hired on as ORI’s social media coordinator. In Kellen’s spare time she can be found hiking through the mountains with her two dogs, Sage and Theo, and her husband, Dean. She loves reading, writing, birding, and, above all, gardening.

Allison spent her childhood in Iowa, where she climbed trees, splashed in streams and puddles, and explored the wildish green spaces scattered throughout her hometown. In between outdoor explorations, she spent most of her time reading and writing, which eventually led to a B.A. in English Literature and Creative Writing from Dordt College. Allison has always been passionate about volunteering and doing work that gives back, spending several summers in high school and college volunteering for service projects in both the U.S. and abroad. After college, she spent a year as an AmeriCorps VISTA in Chicago, then canvassed for environmental issues with North Carolina PIRG, which inspired her to pursue an M.S. in Environmental Writing at the University of Montana. Living in Missoula has given her an even deeper appreciation for the natural world, and she and her husband, Greg, and son, Rowan, get out into Montana’s beautiful wild places as often as they can. Allison has been with MNHC since 2009, thrilled to work at an organization whose mission is to connect people of all ages with their place, and to get to combine her love of nature with her love of writing.

Thurston spent 20 years developing digital experiences for the Montana Office of Tourism prior to joining the team at the Montana Natural History Center in 2015. Thurston grew up in western Montana and spent his early years exploring area streams, ponds, and trails, as well as collecting geological specimens. He earned a degree in Anthropology from Montana State University in 1993. After college, Thurston taught archaeological field school at First Peoples Buffalo Jump and worked in cultural resource management archaeology before coming to work at the State of Montana. Returning to Missoula in 2008 he coincidentally uncovered his passion for the community, philanthropy, and fundraising. In their free time, Thurston and his wife, Suzanne, like to take in live music and travel the state to experience its varied and rich cultural heritage and natural history.

Drew grew up in the hemlock forests of southern Maine and attended college in Boston, where she studied Linguistics and Philosophy. In 2009 she moved to Montana for a season of trailwork and has been here ever since, building her skills as an educator and naturalist. She holds an M.S. in Environmental Education from the University of Montana and has led a variety of adult education programs, including citizen science, trailwork crews, and natural history courses. She enjoys guiding students toward a deeper understanding of the outdoor areas and ecosystems that are right on our doorstep. In her free time, you can find her exploring the natural world through hiking, backpacking, gardening, reading, and birding.

Pat grew up in England and came to the U.S.A. in 1980 pursuing a career in aeronautical engineering. One day he got tired of working for large companies, quit his job, and started volunteering at The Nature Conservancy. Eighteen months later they hired him as their first IT Manager, and he worked for them, in Seattle, for eleven years. In 1994 he took a hawk ID class, which opened his eyes to the world of birds and changed his life. Pat has spent many falls since then sitting in cold drafty blinds on mountain ridges trying to trap and band hawks. Pat and his wife moved to Missoula in 2009. They took the Montana Natural History Center’s Master Naturalist class together a few years ago. Pat has learned a lot from attending various nature classes over the years, and he is thrilled to be able to work for an organization that provides nature education. Pat also serves on the board of the Five Valleys Audubon Society, and he is hoping to get some flickers to use the nest box in his back yard if he can keep the squirrels out.

Christine has a B.A. from Stanford University in Anthropology and an M.S. in Environmental Studies from the University of Montana, where she focused on Environmental Education. Her previous experience includes work as an Interpretive Park Ranger at Rocky Mountain National Park, middle school science curriculum writer for Rice University’s digital textbook, STEMscopes, and as the Environmental Education Director for Boys & Girls Clubs of Seattle and King County, Washington. Christine spends as much time as possible recreating and wandering outside with her husband and son.

Having grown up in the dense urban landscape of Hong Kong, Anka spent the first few years of her life satisfying her yearning towards nature and wildlife mostly through books and David Attenborough documentaries. After moving to Illinois for university in 2015, she was finally able to get outdoors and explore, leading her to discover how much she feels at home there. Despite studying robotics, after graduating she decided to pursue her love for the natural world instead, which brought her to Montana. In her free time Anka enjoys numerous activities – mainly working on her musical project, The Dawn Patrol, as well as climbing and just about any other activities outdoors. She also likes to spend time furthering her knowledge, both regarding the natural world and in various other areas.

Jennifer grew up in the Sacramento Valley of California and spent her summers hiking, camping, and exploring the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Her love for the outdoors led her to work with youth in outdoor settings, and Jennifer spent many years volunteering and working as a naturalist at outdoor science schools, summer camps, and as an Interpretive Ranger at national parks in Alaska and California. She earned a B.S. in Environmental Education and Interpretation from Humboldt State University and continued on to earn multiple teaching licenses to blend her passion for education in and out of the classroom. After college Jennifer spent six years working as an educator and Program Director for science education and the non-profit world. Jennifer is now taking her passion of blending formal and informal education into nonprofit leadership and recently earned her Masters of Education in Educational Leadership at the University of Montana in Missoula. In her free time, Jennifer enjoys cooking meals with friends, going on hikes or walks with her dog Indy, and getting to know the community. 

Ashley was born in Billings, but was raised for most of her life in Bozeman, Montana. She has gained a lot of her knowledge and experiences not only growing up in Montana’s beautiful habitats, but also through volunteering and work with organizations and businesses such as Big Boys Toys Outdoor Equipment Rental, the National Parks Conservation Association, Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, and more! Her passions for the outdoors, science, and education led her to pursue a BS in Wildlife Biology and certificate in Global Leadership at the University of Montana, which she received in the spring of 2021. While living in Missoula, she has been involved with Missoula’s youth and the community, educating them about wildlife conservation and natural history through MNHC, as well as the Boys and Girls Club of Missoula County. Her favorite ways to past the time include snowshoeing, backpacking, river floating, hiking, gardening, crafting, watching tv/movies, and cooking. She is so excited to help the Missoula community through MNHC and continue learning how to be a natural steward.

Emma grew up in Madison, Wisconsin, where she learned to love being outside. She earned a B.S. in Biology with a minor in Ecology and Environmental Science at Marian University in Indianapolis while competing as a professional cyclist. After graduating, Emma headed to Mount Rainier National Park, where she led citizen science research on toads and developed a passion for science communication. Mountain biking and skiing then brought Emma to Montana and she’s so glad she’s here! She has enjoyed connecting and learning about Montana through non-profit work at Ecology Project International, Wild Montana, Families First Learning Lab, and most recently Home ReSource, where she taught zero-waste initiatives to 5th graders. Emma is excited to reconnect with her naturalist skills and explore the natural world with students in her new role as a Visiting Naturalist in the Schools Teaching Naturalist. In her free time, Emma can be found coaching the local junior mountain bike and nordic ski teams in Missoula, reading, and learning Spanish.

A nature lover and general science enthusiast, Miriam completed her M.S. in Wildlife Biology at the University of Montana and was first author on three publications before switching her focus to education. Miriam has over nine years of teaching experience through Sylvan, the Clark Fork Watershed Education Network, Washington and Lee University, and the University of Montana. Previously, she worked for the Montana Natural History Center as a summer camp instructor and participated in their Visiting Naturalist in the Schools program. In 2021, she helped design and run the Waldorf-inspired summer camp Connecting Hearts to the Arts. Miriam is also the sole proprietor of her tutoring company which educates learners at the middle school level and up in math, science, and English year-round.

Owen grew up in Virginia and moved to Missoula in 2019 after graduating college and receiving a bachelor’s degree in environmental science and policy. Since then, he has been working in outdoor recreation with kids, as well as spending over a year teaching in the Missoula Public Schools. Owen’s passions include biking, skiing, and backcountry camping, all of which he enjoys doing in the Missoula area. He loved leading camps at MNHC this summer, and is excited for the adventures to come in the VNS fall field trips!

Trevor grew up in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and has had a passion for wildlife and paleontology for as long as they can remember. They attended college at the University of Montana, majoring in Wildlife Biology and Geosciences. Early on in their college career they discovered their true passion was in wildlife and paleontology education, and set off to gain as much of that experience as possible. They worked and volunteered with a variety of educational groups and programs during and after their college education, including Animal Wonders Montana, the UM Paleontology Collection, the Montana FWP Be Bear Aware Program, the International Wildlife Film Festival Artists and Scientists in the Classroom, and the New Mexico Natural History Museum. They also recently started an educational YouTube channel dedicated to wildlife and paleontology. They are an avid fan of a variety of outdoor activities including camping, hiking, birding, herping, spelunking, fossil hunting, canoeing, kayaking, and scuba diving. Outside of the natural world, they enjoy reading, making and editing videos, playing board and tabletop games, sword fighting, and listening to and playing music.

Having grown up in the dense urban landscape of Hong Kong, Anka spent the first few years of her life satisfying her yearning towards nature and wildlife mostly through books and David Attenborough documentaries. After moving to Illinois for university in 2015, she was finally able to get out and start exploring the outdoors, leading her to discover how much she feels at home there. After graduating from the University of Illinois with a degree in robotics, she decided to pursue her love for the natural world instead, which brought her to Montana. Outside of naturey things, Anka enjoys climbing, travelling, tinkering with robots, and working on her musical project, The Dawn Patrol.

Cheryl discovered Montana’s natural beauty in 2020 while visiting family and was captivated by the splendor and peace. She decided to make Missoula her home and is dedicated to becoming part of and contributing to the local community. Growing up in a Chicago urban environment, Cheryl has had a lifelong passion for exploring the outdoors and holds an insatiable curiosity for nature in various environmental settings. She loves to explore Montana with her two adult children, who also relocated to Missoula. Cheryl brings manifold expertise to help navigate and support organizations that share her passion for the natural world. Over the last 25 years, Cheryl personally deployed over $80 million in healthcare products and services throughout five countries. As a strategic executive consultant for various businesses and start-ups, she has specialized in investment acquisition, consultation, and business development for the last seven years. Cheryl holds a Bachelor of Science from Northern Illinois University and 23 hours towards a Masters of Science in Education from the University of Nevada Reno. She is currently enrolled in the Masters of Public Administration program at the University of Montana, graduating in the spring of 2023.

Jo Ann was born in St. Ignatius, MT, and is a proud member of the Confederate Salish and Kootenai Nations. She attended the University of Montana until her senior year, when she transferred to the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Her original dream was to obtain her teaching credentials and return to the reservation to teach, but then “life happened” and she spent the next 40 years in Alaska. During those 40 years she lived in rural Alaska, working with Alaska Native people and traveling extensively. She was an administrator and faculty member at the University of Alaska Fairbanks and Anchorage. Jo Ann returned to her reservation in 2013, serving in various capacities with the Salish Kootenai Tribal College, where she is currently a faculty member in the Tribal Governance Department. Her son Benjamin was born and raised in in Alaska and moved to Missoula in 2019. Life has come full circle for Jo Ann. Her home in Ronan has a beautiful view of the Mission Mountains and she is reminded on a regular basis of the beauty of Montana.

Katie is a Missoula native who studied Biology at Colorado College and earned her JD and MS at the University of Montana. She taught outdoor environmental education at Exploring New Horizons Outdoor School and San Joaquin Outdoor School in California’s Santa Cruz Mountains, and then taught science at Campbell Hall School in Los Angeles. She also enjoyed working as a summer field instructor at the Montana Outdoor Science School and the Gore Range Natural Science School, and spending a legislative season with Montana Trout Unlimited. She works as a civil defense attorney at Bohyer, Erickson, Beaudette & Tranel, P.C. and loves Montana’s wild, open, and accessible places.

Eva is a professor, writer, and mule packer. She runs the Wilderness Policy and packing program at the University of Montana and teaches international security remotely at the University of Arizona. Her research on Europe and the Middle East was published in several academic journals and as the book The Will of Change in 2015, and her new book on outfitter and conservationist Smoke Elser’s adventures in the Montana wilderness is coming out soon. An avid mule packer, Master Naturalist, and Certified Interpretive Guide, Eva enjoys traveling and interpreting the backcountry for guests and her family.

Edward Monnig has worked as an ecologist for the US Forest Service and held a variety of positions in the agency including District Ranger on the Kootenai National Forest and Forest Supervisor of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest. He enjoys a variety of backcountry activities activities including skiing, backpacking and hiking, whitewater boating, hunting, and just aimless wandering in our wildlands. After retiring from the Forest Service, Ed and his wife Jackie returned to Montana where they had raised their two sons who promise more frequent visits now that Ed and Jackie are back in Missoula.