Our People

 

Drew Dumsch

President & CEO

MA (1993) University of Tennessee, BA (1990) Kalamazoo College (both degrees in English).

Drew has worked as an environmental educator in California, Massachusetts, Tennessee and the Chicago area and since 1991 has been an ecologist, naturalist and educator in Saco, Maine. He co-founded The Ecology School in 1998 and is an active member of the Maine Environmental Education Association (MEEA) and the Nature Based Education Consortium (NBEC). Drew also works closely with the Association of Nature Center Administrators (ANCA) and the ELLMS Network-- Environmental Living & Learning for Maine Students-- to promote the work of residential environmental learning centers nationally and in Maine. When not working to advance the cause of ecology, local food systems and sustainability education, Drew spends his time with his wife, Lisa, and two teenagers, Nico and Sophia, on the Nonesuch River behind their house.

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Leanna Bonds

Director of Advancement & Community Partnerships

MS (2016) Ecological Teaching and Learning from Lesley University. BA (2014) in Integrated Educational Studies from Chapman University.

Growing up in the Rocky Mountains, hiking, backpacking, and camping have fueled Leanna’s passion for the outdoors. Leanna has worked with a variety of kids in many different learning environments including on horses, in classrooms, and at the Museum of Science in Boston, MA. When she’s not traveling or exploring mountains she is often chatting with good friends over coffee.

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Lily Collins

Grants Manager & Advancement Associate

BA (2016) in Environmental Studies and Studio Art from Guilford College.

Before joining The Ecology School, Lily spent the last few years in farming, conservation, outdoor education and philanthropy. She is an enthusiastic gardener who loves learning about plant biology, mycorrhizal relationships and water systems. She also enjoys all things seed-related, reading fantasy and tending to her compost worms.

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Alex Grindle

Director of Learning Experiences

BA (2001) in Environmental Studies & Politics from Oberlin College.

Alex began her career at The Ecology School in the spring of 2002 as an educator and stepped into an administrative position in January of 2004. At The Ecology School, she is responsible for coordinating all aspects of The Ecology School program. She and her husband Peter spend most of their non-work time enjoying the antics of their twin boys. When not totally wrapped up in the day to day of caring for their boys , some of the other things she finds herself doing include: enjoying being outside in just about any capacity (beekeeping and gardening), reading (especially if it is young adult literature or parenting books), or being a sous chef as her husband Peter cooks scrumptious meals.

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Meg Edstrom Jones

Director of Educational Partnerships

MEd (2004) in Elementary Education from the University of Maine. BA (2001) in Philosophy and Religion from Colgate University.

Meg has taught in many settings; on mountains, along rivers, in the classroom and at the beach. When not enjoying The Nature, Meg can be found touching her toes, training to be Wonder Woman, or adventuring with her husband, Clay, and their two avid explorers Evan and Clayton Vee. After starting her Ecology School career as an educator in the spring of 2007, she quickly joined the administrative team, coordinating our multi-year curriculum, in addition to summer and vacation camps. Meg can also be found dashing around, presenting workshops at regional and national conferences.

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Meg Rogers

Relationships Manager

MS (2008) Montessori Education from Xavier University. BS (2002) in Journalism from Ohio University.

Meg has been an early childhood educator and also worked in program management and development at a Rhode Island nonprofit prior to joining The Ecology School. Meg is inspired by her memories of a childhood spent mostly outdoors (before cell phones!) riding bikes, making "nature stew" and building forts. She is excited to be at a place that offers the context and setting for everyone to connect with, play amongst, and learn from our surroundings. Meg stays busy trying to keep up with her two young sons, exploring her new home state of Maine, cooking plant-based meals, reading, and attempting to ski and surf.

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Erin Shultz

Program Manager

Grad.Cert. (2021) Nonprofit Management from Northern Kentucky University; BS (2014) in Biology/Natural Resources from Central Michigan University

The one thing Erin knew while growing up was that she wanted to study with the ocean and loved to work with people. Finding informal and outdoor science education put all the pieces together! Her career has taken her all around New England, and even inland to Ohio and Kentucky. Erin enjoys all seasons in Maine, kayaking in the summer, skiing in the winter, and exploring the coast in between! After working as an Educator with The Ecology School in 2016, Erin is excited to return as part of the administrative team to support all aspects of our programming.

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Wyatt Steffensen

Program Assistant

(he/him)

Wyatt is someone who loves spending days outside rain, snow, or shine. He spent time on the North Shore of Minnesota studying Environmental and Outdoor Education at the University of Minnesota Duluth before making the move out to Maine. He's passionate about connecting people to each other and to the natural world. He started at The Ecology School as an Ecology Educator in the spring of 2022. Wyatt enjoys going on flaneuring walks, jumping in cold bodies of water, curating his Spotify playlists, and always looking for vintage & thrifted clothing.

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Donna Lee Sherburne

Business Manager

DonnaLee is from the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont where she raised her family off grid on their mountain mini farm. Always an entrepreneur until moving to Maine in 2018, her work experiences are multi-faceted. She is an artist who is inspired by nature and her love of the land. She enjoys gardening, remote hiking and camping and sharing her love of art, rock collecting and nature with her six grandchildren.

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Stacy Faivre

Communications Coordinator

Stacy’s passion for community connection, sustainable living, and horticulture is what brought her to The Ecology School. Originally from New Jersey, Stacy will never get bored of Maine’s natural landscape and loves to enjoy it on land or the water. Stacy became a Registered Maine Guide in 2020 to deepen her knowledge of plant identification and outdoor safety, while also helping others to come as they are and get outside. When she’s not spreading the word about The Ecology School & River Bend Farm, you can find Stacy baking sourdough bread, printmaking, listening to a good record, or going on a hike or paddle with her partner, Craig & their dog, Rey.

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Marguerite Wiser

Farm Manager

Bachelor of Arts, Honors in English/Environmental Studies, St. Lawrence University

For the past several years Marguerite has enjoyed working on farms and gardens in Maine and beyond. She enjoys spending time outdoors, growing colorful vegetables, and does her very best to not get sunburned! She's excited to join the team at The Ecology School, and can't wait to get growing.

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Rich O'Brien

Operations Manager & Chef

In 2019, Rich joined our full time staff as our Operations Manager. Prior to this, Rich had been working seasonally as our chef since 1991. In partnership with Pangea Food Service Management, which was established by Rich in 1998, The Ecology School has been able to provide a holistic food experience, sharing the story of food with our participants, and highlighting the connections between food, humans and the environment. Rich now works closely with each member of our Team to ensure that the site runs smoothly.

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Holly Pickens, RN

Nurse

Holly brings a wealth of nursing knowledge. She has worked in a variety of settings including in many emergency rooms. Holly enjoys gardening and foraging for wild mushrooms with her partner Shelley. She also enjoys working with her hands and creating utilitarian art - timber frame construction, basket weaving, and knife making. She is returning to The Ecology School team where she is able to put her nursing and love of the outdoors to good use!

Kyle Fisher

Sous Chef

The majority of Kyle's experience in the kitchen comes from busy restaurants, where he has worked for 19 years. With his love for ecology and conservation and passion for cooking, he knew an opportunity at The Ecology School would be a perfect fit! Kyle enjoys hiking, fishing, hunting, and reading as well as spending time with his dog, Dingo.

 
 

Ecology Educators

Mia Cecchittini

Mia is an aspiring Biology teacher who is passionate about learning to better support adolescents in their science learning journey. She has a background in working with special needs children and teenagers, which she also applies to working with neurotypical to support them on an individual level. In her free time, she likes to dance, rock climb, and spend time with her family’s foster dogs.

Sam Cunningham

Sam graduated from Lees-McRae college in May 2023 with a degree in Wildlife Biology & Wildlife Rehabilitation. After graduating, Sam headed down to work with the Florida Keys Wild Bird Center to rehabilitate wild birds. Sam is excited to start this new adventure in Maine with The Ecology School! In her free time, Sam can be found knitting, crocheting, writing, or hiking! Her favorite animals are Black Footed Ferrets and Pelicans!

Karrah Crain

Karrah grew up in Houston, Texas and although she was surrounded by the concrete jungle for most of her childhood, she still managed to find small snakes to stick in her pockets that her mom would find at a later time. She received her Associate of Science from a local community college in Houston and plans to get her Bachelor of Science in Fisheries and Wildlife Conservation from Oregon State University after spending time at the Ecology School. Karrah has two years of professional experience working as a Park Naturalist at Lake Houston Wilderness Park in the Pineywoods ecoregion of East Texas, where she started as a volunteer and progressed after completing her degree. Karrah loves to indulge in her silly side, fueling her passion for teaching youth about the great outdoors and wildlife. Outside of her career, she spends free time going on camping trips, visiting various parks for leisurely hikes, watercoloring, reading, and practicing yoga.

Livvy Eickerman

Livvy is from Seattle, WA and graduated from Whitman College in Walla Walla, WA this past spring with a degree in Biology and Environmental Studies. She loves working at the intersection of humans and the environment -- with experience in ecological research, working with children, and farm work, she is excited to join the Ecology School's team and explore Maine and the Northeast. Her favorite things to do include backpacking, making art, reading, and playing card games!

Katy Hunt

Katy grew up in the Lake Placid, NY area and has a great love and appreciation for the outdoors. She loves learning as much about the natural world as she can, but is especially interested in learning about plants and their important relationships between people and the land. After Graduating with her degree in biology Katy spent the last couple years working as a Wilderness Ranger in the Rocky Mountains. There, she worked stewarding and teaching about the Parks/Forests in which she worked. When she is not backpacking Katy enjoys being in/on the water, traveling, poetry, reading, and baking!

Parker LaFreniere

Parker has worked in outdoor and experiential education for eight years. His adventures in this field have taken him to Wyoming, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and now Maine! Parker is passionate about connecting people to the outdoors and helping students achieve their goals. In his free time, he enjoys hiking, camping, learning new crafts, listening to audiobooks, and wood carving.

Hana Malone

Hana is from way down south in Olney, MD. She graduated from Guilford College in Greensboro, NC with a BS in Biology and Environmental Studies. Hana is coming to us from another outdoor education school closer to the Chesapeake Bay, Echo Hill Outdoor School where she helped teach kids about the Bay and the differing ecosystems that surround the Bay. Hana dreams of being able to evaluate environmental factors that change one's health, specifically in low-income communities and is currently considering making teaching her dream job in the meantime- as she loves being outside and is super excited for the opportunity to explore and teach in Maine!

Ellie Shea

Ellie is a Massachusetts native and is so excited to be exploring Maine. She graduated from Eckerd College in St. Petersburg Florida, in May 2023 with a degree in Environmental Studies, and a minor in Animal Studies. Her enthusiasm for ecology education was kick started in an Environmental Education course, which motivated her to volunteer at Boyd Hill Nature Preserve. While at Eckerd, she also pursued the arts, including painting, photography, literature, and music. She performed in the Eckerd College Orchestra playing the cello, and in Rock Lab playing the guitar. Ellie now spends her free time crafting, listening to audiobooks, and exploring the outdoors!


 
 

Ren Wittenstein

Ren grew up outside Chicago and graduated with their Masters in Social Work in 2022. After they graduated, they joined the Montana Conservation Corp and fell in love with the outdoors. Since their term in Montana, they have worked at a K-8th school, led hiking trips in Iceland and worked on a farm in Connecticut. When they're not playing outside, Ren loves reading, collaging and spending time with their friends and family.

Aaron Yang

Aaron is from Minnesota and graduated from the University of Minnesota Duluth with a degree in Biology in 2022 with a minor in Philosophy. He spent much of 2023 working in the parks of Minneapolis doing conservation work. He enjoys fishing, going on walks, and generally exploring the area around him. He also enjoys games of all kinds. He is looking forward to exploring the state of Maine.

 
 

Farm Apprentices

 

Clayton Coleman

Lead Farm Apprentice

Clayton started here as an ecology educator in Fall 2019 and is now in his second year on the farm. He grew up in California, but his work in education and conservation has taken him around the globe—from monitoring shore bird hatchlings in New Zealand to teaching marsh ecology in Rhode Island. He loves the community he has found at The Ecology School, and is grateful everyday to work outside where he can observe the changing of the seasons and munch on fresh veggies!

Rachael Fox

Farm Apprentice

Rachael is currently going into her senior year at Thornton Academy in Saco. She has lived in Maine her whole life, and has always had a deep love for the outdoors and the connections between species and ecosystems. After high school, She plans on applying for Americorps before going to college to study sustainable agriculture. Rachael loves hiking, working on cars, photography, and goat yoga.

Virginia Grace May

Farm Apprentice

Virginia graduates from the University of New England in 2025 with both a BS and MS in Environmental Science with a minor in Climate Change Studies. Her undergraduate and graduate thesis will be on her research with the American Chestnut Project, an effort to restore the American chestnut back into the Eastern forests. They have always been passionate about environmental protection and advocacy. Growing up near conservation lands, Virginia developed a love for hiking, exploring, learning, and foraging. In her free time, she works on all manners of crafts from crocheting to bookmaking to furniture restoration. They are also a big trivia buff and avid PBS documentary enjoyer.

 
 

To learn more about our Board of Directors, click here!