I am an enthusiastic educator and community advocate passionate about environmental education and inclusivity. With seven years of teaching experience across various age groups and schools, I’ve dedicated my career to fostering a love for nature and learning in my students.

My childhood in the suburbs of Chicago was filled with outdoor adventures—catching frogs in backyard ponds, climbing pine trees, and coining the term “mud-soccer” while playing in the rain. These experiences ignited my lifelong love for the outdoors. During college, I discovered NOLS and Wilderness Therapy, which led me to work as a field guide for Open Sky before transitioning into education. I received my B.A. in Psychology at DePauw University and my Masters in Education at Pacific University.

When I moved to Oregon, I taught alongside Eliza, whose love of maple trees and writing encouraged me to explore the beauty of the natural world more deeply. This connection led me to volunteer with the Oregon Maple Project from its inception, where I’ve come to appreciate the strong sense of community that thrives within this organization. Each time I approach the sugar shack, I feel a rush of excitement to stoke the fire for the evaporator and to hear about the latest projects. I am looking forward to immersing myself in the world of all things maple!

When I’m not in the sugarbush, you can find me cycling, walking my dog, reading, or painting with watercolors. I’m thrilled to join the Oregon Maple Project team, and I look forward to connecting with you at the sugar shack!

As my friends and family will tell you, I am captivated by maple. It began during my high school semester at The Mountain School in Vershire, Vermont, where I got my first taste of sugaring. After graduating with a B.A. in English from Wesleyan University, I settled out West, where I spent two decades teaching fourth and fifth grade in Oregon. Working with kids in the woods, I renewed my maple mania, learning to tap native Bigleaf Maple trees, and launching the Oregon Maple Project in 2020. When I’m not tromping through the sugarbush, I’m usually still outdoors, farming, running, backpacking, or cross-country skiing. Indoors, I continue to pursue the old, slow arts: letterpress printing, bread making, and yoga. I am delighted to be focusing this chapter of my life on nature, community, and the irresistible work of sugaring. 

Growing up in upstate New York, I spent many summers wandering the woods with my Grandfather around the farm that my Great Aunt and Uncle owned in the Catskills. It was during this time that I began to understand and appreciate the power of being in nature. These early experiences helped guide me toward realizing my need for an experiential and project based education that was grounded in nature and the environment, which led me to Prescott College in Arizona. This is where I grew as a photographer, while exploring the landscape of the Southwest, ultimately graduating with a B.A. in Photography & Counseling Psychology. Following my time in Arizona, I was drawn to the beauty of the Pacific Northwest. Living in Portland I have continued to grow in my photography, which includes event and portrait photography. Since high school, I have had the opportunity to work with many different children, those that are typical, differently abled, and neurodiverse, in classrooms and home settings. My own children are students at a fabulous school where I volunteer on a regular basis, both as a photographer and also in the classrooms. This is where I was first introduced to the idea of creating maple syrup from Bigleaf Maples. I relish the time I get to spend in the woods, learning new skills and participating in the process of creating maple syrup. 

I grew up in Portland, Oregon and spent most of my life out in nature or trying to be out in nature. During college I studied Linguistic Anthropology & Studio Art at NYU, before returning to Portland to get my Masters in Education at Marylhurst University and Arbor School. Since then I have taught middle school and high school for 14 years, focusing on English, Social Studies, Health, Urban Exploration, and American Sign Language. I currently teach ASL at McDaniel High School. Recently, it has been a true joy for me to expand my love for trees into the world of Bigleaf Maple tapping.

I am a native Oregonian raising two daughters and a flock of chickens on our small backyard farm in Portland. As an artist and Master Gardener who enjoys crafts, cooking, canning, and local food, I became captivated by Bigleaf Maple sugaring when I first witnessed it at my daughters' school. Since then, I have been a steady volunteer with the Oregon Maple Project, assisting with production, field trips, workshops, and the Board. My work as a counselor and board member at Camp UKANDU, as well as my position as a life & earth science educator at OMSI have provided me with relevant experience to contribute to OMP. My educational background includes a B.A. in Anthropology & Southwest Studies from Colorado College and a M.S. in Genetic Counseling from University of California Berkeley.