  ACES' year-round staff above and 2009 Summer Naturalists to the left StaffDIRECTOR Tom Cardamone joined his wife Jody (ACES' first Director) as Co-Director in 1975 and became ACES' Executive Director in 1982. He holds a Masters Degree from the College of Forestry and Natural Resources at Colorado State University and a Bachelor of Science degree from Hamilton College. Tom has served on several Boards including The Pitkin County Open Space and Trails Board, The Pitkin County Park Association (now the Aspen Valley Land Trust), The Pitkin County Wildlife Task Force, and The Colorado Wildlife Federation. After living 30 years at Hallam Lake, Tom and Jody now live in Emma and he divides his time among ACES' three sites: Hallam Lake, Toklat, Rock Bottom Ranch, and a fourth project, the Spring Creek Hatchery property. Tom finds inspiration in pristine wilderness and the eloquent writers who capture their wild essence along with the details of biology.
Lindsy Fortier joined ACES' staff in the summer of 2004 as a Naturalist and went on to teach children's environmental education at the Hallam Lake preserve in the summer of 2005 as a Super Naturalist. She is currently working as ACES' Community Outreach Coordinator. Lindsy comes to Aspen from upstate New York where she completed a B.A. in Environmental Science and a B.S. in Psychology at Hobart and William Smith Colleges. She takes many of the pictures featured in ACES publications and devotes much of her time to the organic garden at Hallam Lake. When not at ACES, Lindsy enjoys backpacking, rock climbing, and pottery. Bobbi Ann Houtsma is our Environmental Projects Manager and has joined ACES this summer 2008. She is a native New Englander with a B.A. from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and has spent her career in the technology field. She has called Colorado home for 23 years and joins ACES to follow her passion for the environment. Her main goal is to help reduce our Carbon Footprint across all ACES properties. In addition to raising 3 children — Morgan, Scotty, and Graham — she is a marathon runner, avid skier, biker, and general outdoor enthusiast. Jim Kravitz has been ACES' Director of Naturalist Programs since the summer of 1996. Jim joined the ACES staff as a Summer Intern in 1995 and as a Winter Naturalist in 95/96. He received his B.A. in Environmental Conservation at the University of Colorado and spent several years guiding backcountry trips throughout the northwestern United States and Alaska. Jim hires for and manages ACES' Summer and Winter Naturalist Programs. He has completed the American Leadership Forum program as well as graduate work with the Union Institute relating to the importance nature centers play in building social capital within their communities. When not teaching his sons, Jack and Jesse, about the place he lives, Jim likes to hike, ski, and see live music with his wife, Jamie. Anda Rojs Smalls joined ACES in the winter of 2004. Having been involved with ACES at various levels, she is currently ACES' Naturalist Field School Coordinator in charge of organizing kids and adult workshops and classes. She is an ex-ACES Trustee, is learning to become a Naturalist, and takes many photographs for ACES' publications and website. Anda was on the CU Varsity Ski Team while earning a B.A. in Journalism and a B.S. in Spanish at the University of Colorado at Boulder. She was born and raised in Maribor, Slovenia and made her livelihood as a ski racer for many years. In addition to enjoying the great outdoors with her family - husband Ryan, daughter Zala, son Luka - Anda loves to ski (or do anything that has to do with snow, really), bike, explore, do new things, and visit the home country of Slovenia each year. Sarah Schmidt was an ACES environmental educator for two years before becoming our Education Director in the summer of 2008, coordinating School Programs for studentsthroughout the Roaring Fork Valley. She earned her B.F.A. in ArtEducation from theUniversity of Minnesota, Duluth and completed her Mastersin Natural Science and Environmental Education from Hamline University. Before gaining the opportunity to live in this mountain community surrounded by three wilderness areas, and getting the chance to connect environmental education with art, Sarah taught middle-school art in Minnesota. Olivia Siegel was an ACES naturalist for a year and is now part of the administrative staff as Development Coordinator. She has a degree in Neuro science from Brandeis University. Since graduating she had a public horticulture internship at the Morton Arboretum outside of Chicago, and a botanical research internship with The Nature Conservancy in Northern California. Olivia loves taking people on hikes and seeing how they are inspired by the beautiful landscapes in this area. HALLAM LAKE - Educators Lauren Beck joined the Education team in the fall of 2008 after getting her feet wet as a Summer and Winter Naturalist and Super Naturalist at ACES. She has a degree in elementary education from DePaul University, has worked as a camp counselor at Camp Illini, and as a tutor of refugees at the Glen Ellyn Resource Center. She came to ACES for the opportunity to both expand her knowledge base in the environmental sphere and to teach children about the natural world using experiential methods. Lauren is interested in studying local plants and their uses and thoroughly enjoys anything and everything outdoors. Ellen Burns first came to ACES as a summer naturalist in 2006. As a Colorado Native, she earned a B.A. in Environmental Studies from the University of Montana, Missoula. She has spent the past several years as a naturalist/educator in Glacier National Park and with the Gore Range Natural Science School. Ellen is thrilled to be returning to ACES as an Educator, so she can combine her love of the natural world with her passion for inspiring a sense of place in children. When not at ACES, Ellen enjoys spending her time in the mountains, hiking, skiing, and exploring. Allison Oeding grew up in St. Anthony, a small town in southern Indiana and studied at Indiana University, where she majored in Environmental Management and Spanish. She moved to Aspen from Georgia where she was teaching about the coastal environment and working on sea turtle conservation projects in Texas, Mexico, and Florida. After taking some time to backpack and work on organic farms with her sister in New Zealand, Allison is very excited to join the ACES team and learn about the mountain environment. Her passion to help others learn about nature and her desire to continue learning brought Allison to ACES. Kendra Totman finished her undergrad at Williams College and later received her Masters of Education in Curriculum and Instruction from Lesley University through a teaching fellowship with Citizen Schools, where she taught middle school students in an academic after-school program. Kendra has also worked in a Montessori Elementary School in California and at the Sargent Center for Outdoor Education in New Hampshire. Desiring to move out West, and following some family history in the area, Kendra moved to Aspen this summer, hoping to learn skills so that she can always bring place-based and environmental education into her classrooms in the future. Hannah Beane, an ACES summer naturalist who lived at the Ashcroft Ghost Town in 2009, is now ready to share her winter knowledge as a Winter Naturalist. She is a recent graduate of Prescott College, majoring in Environmental Studies with an emphasis in Conservation Biology. She has participated in a backcountry snowboarding course with Outward Bound and has worked at Long Lake Conservation Center. The summer before joining ACES Hannah lived at the Rocky Mtn. Bio. Laboratory in Gothic, CO. Michele Bratschun is currently a winter naturalist. She graduated from Colorado State University with a degree in Environmental Communication. Since graduation, she has taught sixth-graders environmental education, worked as a winter naturalist for Gore Range Natural Science School, taught fourth grade in Denver, and designed curriculum and led field trips for students at Rocky Mountain National Park. She is excited to continue sharing her love of the outdoors with others through leading tours. In her free time she enjoys exploring the Rockies through backpacking, rock climbing, skiing and snowshoeing. Katie Clifford recently graduated from Macalester College with adouble major in Environmental Studies and Environmental Policy Core and a double minor in Political Science and Geography. Katie has studiedabroad in Cape Town, South Africa, and has participated in experientiallearning in the Bahamas. She decided to stay at ACES as a Winter Naturalist after having a great summer as a Summer Naturalist in 2009. Micah Davis is currently a winter naturalist. He first joined the ACES family in the summer of 2008 as a summer intern. He finished his undergraduate degree the following year from Colorado State University, earning a B.S. in Environmental Communication (see bio of Michele above). Micah was born in Colorado and has lived here for nearly his entire life, never finding a good reason to leave. He currently splits his time between skiing in the winter and backpacking all over the state in the summer. David Attenborough and Edward Abbey are his role models. Eliza Greenman was a Summer Naturalist in 2009 and had decided to stay with ACES as a Winter Naturalist. She has received a BA in English and Environmental Studies from Connecticut College where she was also a Varsity Lacrosse athlete. Eliza interned with the Norman Bird Sanctuary in RI, where she taught kid’s summer classes, created educational programs, and cared for resident reptiles and birds. Lily Morse, Summer Naturalist in 2009 and now a Winter Naturalist, is a recent graduate of Bowdoin College where she double majored in Environmental Studies and Geology. She has led a backpacking trip for high school students, rafted the Colorado River, and participated in dance shows at Bowdoin. Most recently, Lily taught geology to fourth grades students. ROCK BOTTOM RANCH - Ranch Staff Allison Holmes is the Rock Bottom Ranch Co-Manager and Education Director. As an RBR Educatoion Director, she coordinates school programs, teaches, and gets out in the farmyard as much as possible. Allison joined ACES as a Summer Naturalist in 2004 and has since worked as a Winter Naturalist, Interpreter for the Ghost Town of Independence, Supernaturalist, and Educator at Hallam Lake. Prior to joining the ACES crew, Allison earneda B.A. in Geology from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN. ROCK BOTTOM RANCH - Educators Sarah Fuller hails from Wilton, CT and graduated from St. Lawrence University with a BS in geology and sociology. While at SLU, Sarah worked a wide variety of jobs, from being a sailing instructor to co-directing children programs at a ranch in Buffalo, WY to conducting onsite research of Byzantine Empire shipwrecks in the Black Sea. She also spent several months at studying at the University of Nairobi and various other locales. Later, she began work on a Masters degree in place-based environmental education and natural field studies at the Teton Science Schools in Jackson, WY. She is ecstatic to continue teaching and connecting students to the natural world in their own backyards. Amelia Potvin comes to ACES from Farm and Wilderness summer camps in Vermont, where she has worked for three summers as a counselor, trip leader and program director. She graduated from Dartmouth College with a B.A. in Environmental Studies and briefly returned to her home state of Maine to work as a naturalist at Ferry Beach Ecology School. Drawn to Colorado by the opportunity to run, hike and ski in big and beautiful outdoors, she joined a Southwest Conservation Corps trail crew in spring 2009. Amelia is thrilled to continue teaching and learning environmental science in schools and outside at Rock Bottom Ranch. Allison Shealy joined Rock Bottom Ranch as an Environmental Educator/Ranch Hand in 2008 because of her desire to pursue both outdoor and classroom based education with a focus in farm education. She recently graduated from Denison University with a B.A. in Environmental Studies. Prior to working with ACES, Allison worked as an educator with the Colorado Youth Program, Wildlife Clubs of Kenya, and with the US Fish and Wildlife Service at the Don Edwards Refuge Environmental Education Center. She was also a farm hand at SongHaven Farm, a small organic farming operation, and looks forward to classroom teaching, farming and animal raising, and exploring the beautiful Colorado landscape.TOKLAT OTHER STAFF Jody Cardamone was the first Director of the Aspen Center for Environmental Studies. She currently serves as a Naturalist and works with the Naturalist Field School. She holds a B.A. in Environmental Education from Cornell University and has pursued graduate studies in Environmental Ethics. |