Meet the Team
From Left: Skyland, Artesia, Paige, Nick, Garrett, Kassandra, Bottom: Alli, Kennedy and Katie Lynch (Co-Director of ELP)
Get to know the 2016 Canopy Connections Team!
Below you can read a short biography of each wonderful Canopy Connections 2016 team member who participated as facilitators during the length of this project. Click on the links below to navigate each individuals' personal website, where you can find more information about each team member.
ALLISON HUMPHREY
Major: Environmental Studies Minor: Geology Allison is an Environmental Studies major with a passion for forest and stream ecosystems. She grew up in Missouri in a small town and spent most of her time outdoors, camping and exploring. She enjoys many different aspects of Environmental Studies but has a particular knowledge of plant identification, stream ecology and geology. In the past she has worked with children in a variety of settings and brought her positive and inspirational attitude to the project. She has an interest in working for a park service in the future and was excited to gain experience connecting people to nature. |
KENNEDY POTTS
Major: Environmental Science Minor: Biology Kennedy is a second year Environmental Science major within the Robert D. Clark Honors College at the University of Oregon. She was born and raised in Eugene and has spent her life hiking and camping in the surrounding areas with friends and family. Kennedy has a strong passion for the natural environment of the Pacific Northwest and hopes to pursue a career that allows her to spend as much time in it as possible. The Canopy Connections team was her first experience with education but has taught her a lot about teamwork and project management in the framework of service learning, something she knows she will take with her in the years to come. |
SKYLAND WORMAN
Major: Environmental Science Sky has grown up in the Willamette Valley for most of his life and will forever hold a burning passion for the majestic forests, beautiful coast lines, and towering mountain ranges we are so blessed to have near us. He is an Environmental Science major on his fifth year at the University of Oregon, and has acquired a wide range of knowledge from many different fields. He has engaged with students at the fifth and sixth grade levels during his time volunteering at Food for Lane County’s Grassroots Garden. The Pacific Northwest’s old-growth forests are full of magic and inspiration, and a chance to work with students in a place like H.J. Andrews was a once in a lifetime experience. |
ARTESIA HUBBARD
Major: Environmental Studies Minor: Outdoor Pursuits Leadership Program Artesia has grown to be very passionate about the environment and all of the magnificent things it has to offer. She was raised in Southern Oregon where she spent most of her time exploring, hiking, camping and adventuring in the wilderness. She has experience in outdoor pursuits, which proved to be helpful during the outdoor learning atmosphere at H.J. Andrews. From a young age she developed a passion and motivation to protect the environment; her collegiate studies have reinforced her passion for influencing the youth to build a relationship with nature, so the opportunity to work with Canopy Connections became an extremely influential and empowering experience for her. In the future, Artesia hopes to continue her pursuits as an outdoor educator and leader and hopes to land a position as a facilitator within wilderness therapy organizations. She hopes that her passion as an outdoor educator will allow her to positively impact the lives of troubled youth for many years to come. |
GARRETT DAVIDSON
Major: Environmental Science Minor: Geological Science Garrett is an Environmental Science major who enjoyed sharing his knowledge of ecosystems and their connected relationship with humans and the environment to youth. He has taken plenty of science classes ranging from biology and chemistry to earth sciences like geology and shared his collective knowledge from not only science classes, but from the humanities as well. He has previously volunteered at an elementary school and has had prior experience working with children. He is interested in education and the learning process, and appreciated working with the community partners and students. |
PAIGE BOOK
Major: Environmental Studies Minor: Business Administration As an outdoor enthusiast, Paige enjoyed being a part of this year's Canopy Connections team as the program provided experience in environmental education via hands-on learning. Raised in a small coastal town in California, she recognized her passion for the outdoors at a young age. After working as a camp counselor and volunteering at the local elementary school, Canopy Connections has solidified her aspirations to become a teacher and she looks forward to sharing her excitement and dedication to protect the environment inside and outside the classroom. |
NICK DREHER, PROJECT MANAGER
Graduate Teaching Fellow: M.S. Environmental Studies Candidate Consentration Areas: Food Studies & Sociology This year’s Canopy Connections Manager is Nick Dreher. Nick is completing his master’s degree in Environmental Studies at the University of Oregon. His research concerns the relationships between small-scale growers and buyers in the local food system of Eugene, Oregon. Prior to attending UO, Nick worked in youth development and education with a focus on literacy across disciplines. His professional interests include food justice, local food systems, and environmental and food education.. |
KASSANDRA HISHIDA
Graduate Teaching Fellow: M.S. Environmental Studies Candidate Concentration Areas: Environmental Education and Food/Environmental Justice My most meaningful educational experiences have always been the ones in which I was able to take ownership of a project and feel that I had made a tangible difference in my community. I applied to serve as a project manager for the Restoring Connections ELP team to in hopes of facilitating similarly meaningful experiences for our ENVS undergraduates. Through our many class discussions, team meetings, and field trips I have gained much insight into my personal leadership style, teaching philosophy, and the rich and complex world of Environmental Education. More than anything, the discussions and experiences I’ve participated in as part of this program have reaffirmed my belief in transformative power of engaged pedagogy and critical place-based learning as a tool for youth empowerment and social change. Although I am unsure of what lies beyond grad school, my work with ELP has greatly shaped the direction of my thesis and will inform my work as I move forward in the development of a School Garden Curriculum that explores the cultural and social dimensions of food through a food justice lens. |