Admin Team
Drew Dumsch
President & CEO
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 Maine Outdoor School for All Network for Maine (MOSFA)-- to promote the work of environmental living & 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 their kids/young adults, Nico and Sophia, on the Nonesuch River behind their house.
Sarah Demaris
Group Sales Manager
Sarah's path to The Ecology School has come with many twists and turns through the world. Originally from South Texas, she has always been fascinated with our relationship to nature and how different cultures and communities connect to their natural surroundings. After traveling through Europe and North Africa, she settled in New York City, where she thrived in the chaos and thrill of an incredibly diverse community. After a decade of living in the city, her desire to be closer to nature brought her family to Maine, where she spends her free time surfing, practicing yoga, working with her houseplants, taking photographs, playing with her two cats, and baking. She's always eager to spread her love of the Maine outdoors and her desire to live more sustainably with anyone!
Stacy Faivre
Marketing & Communications Manager
Stacy grew up in Northern New Jersey, where some of her earliest memories include running wild at the Jersey Shore, exploring the Hudson Valley region, and trails in the Palisades across from NYC. After studying Fashion Merchandising and Retail Marketing, she shifted careers to pursue her passion for the outdoors, sustainability, and regenerative farming, eventually finding her place at The Ecology School in October 2023. Stacy also became a Registered Maine Guide in 2020. As Marketing & Communications Manager, she shares The Ecology School’s story through social media, newsletters, print ads, and more. Outside of work, she enjoys crafting, gardening, surfing, and adventuring outdoors with her partner, Craig, their daughter, Sylvie, and dog, Rey. As a new mom, she’s learning & discovering the joy of exploring with a little one in tow.
Alex Grindle
Director of Programs & Rentals
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.
Meg Edstrom Jones
Director of Educational Partnerships & The Teacher Institute
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.
Jake Linck
Program Coordinator
Jake grew up in rural Upstate New York, and graduated from the University of Utah with a degree in Urban Ecology. He is interested in examining how humans fit into the interconnectedness of the environment, and is excited to share the wonder of the outdoors with his students. In his free time, you might find Jake out for a run, playing soccer, making art, or cooking!
Rich O'Brien
Director of Operations & Food Services
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.
Anthony Pyatt
Business Manager
Anthony brings nearly two decades of experience in education, nonprofit leadership, and operations to his role as Business Manager at The Ecology School. He began his career in Austin, Texas, where he served as Managing Director of the cutest private, nonprofit school. From 2005 to 2022, Anthony spent his summers working in overnight camps in Maine, where the mix of community, nature, and creativity felt like home. He served as a year-round Assistant Director for the final eight years, and along the way, fell in love with Maine and its natural beauty. Now in Maine full time, Anthony is thrilled to return to mission-driven work. He also serves on the board of Portland Players Theater in South Portland. He’s passionate about supporting communities by creating efficient systems and thoughtful practices that allow programs—and the people behind them—to thrive.
Leslie Sandefur
Health Coordinator
Leslie is an EMT and Wilderness First Responder with experience in both prehospital and clinical healthcare settings. She also has a background in outdoor and experiential education, and has taught for schools including NOLS, the High Mountain Institute, and The Traveling School. Leslie grew up in Bremen, Maine, and holds a BS in Conservation Biology from St. Lawrence University. She loves spending time in the mountains and on the river and bringing her dog, Maple, on adventures
Alena Shaughnessy
Database Coordinator
Alena brings ten years of non-profit database management experience to The Ecology School. While she enjoys working with data and charts, Alena also appreciates Maine’s many opportunities to explore the outdoors. In the warmer months, she likes working in her garden and checking out local watering holes.
Aviva Shaw
Director of Advancement
A native New Yorker, Aviva has lived all over Maine since 1994—first moving to the Acadia National Park area as a teen, then Downeast for college as a young adult, and finally settling in Portland. Aviva has founded, served, and worked with non-profits her entire career. This combined with the experience of growing up on a robust backyard farm as a child, Aviva was immediately drawn to The Ecology School and its mission. Along with her dog and three children, Aviva enjoys many activities and interests, such as gardening, painting, yoga, hiking, kayaking, camping, cooking, chauffeuring her kids, traveling, renovating homes, reading, and striving to be as zero-waste as possible.
Julia Shields
Program Assistant
Julia is from Pennsylvania. She spent summers in college working for a local outdoor education nonprofit where she fell in love with nature and found a passion for helping others discover and enjoy the outdoors. After graduating from Penn State Behrend in 2023, she joined AmeriCorps and spent several months working with environmental conservation nonprofits in California, Oregon, and Nevada. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, knitting, crafting of any kind, reading, and thrifting.
Marguerite Wiser
Farm Manager
In 2021, Marguerite joined our team as our farm manager. Since then, she has enjoyed expanding the farm and campus with new crops and gardens each year. Marguerite grew up in Maine and has always loved getting her hands dirty and growing plants. After a childhood playing in her parents’ garden, Marguerite began working on farms in high school, through a gap year, and during college at St. Lawrence University and beyond. Marguerite has enjoyed expanding our production capacity, opportunities for educational engagement, and especially our produce donations.
Support Team
Nicole Newton - Operations Support Staff
Nicole Lukoki - Operations Staff
Helen Hartnett - Cook
Shelby Seraphin - Cook
Karl Froehlich - Maintenance
Ecology Educators
Shareen Alsebai
Shareen grew up outside of Boston and went to school in the city to become a chemistry teacher. Wanting to explore the world before teaching, she spent a year doing a conservation corps in California, where she fell in love with the outdoors. She then went on to be on a prescribed burn crew in North Carolina, worked a firefighting season out in Montana, and taught English in Spain, with a season of farming mixed in. Most recently, she spent a year teaching at an outdoor preschool in her hometown, where she realized outdoor education is a great combination of everything she loves and cares about. When not working, Shareen loves going for long walks, swimming in any water she can get into, and going on adventures with friends.
Anna Conley
Anna grew up hiking and looking for mushrooms in Washington State. She studied chemistry and has done research on everything from metalloproteins to lead pipes. During graduate school, Anna loved sharing her passion for natural science by leading volunteer outreach programs at local elementary schools. After graduating, she worked at a Nature Day Camp. Since then, she has worked with everyone from six-year-olds to college students. Anna loves fungi and spent a year travelling the world to learn about them. She can often be found wandering the forest, reading a book, or cooking a farm-fresh meal.
Charlie Cooper
Born and raised in Midcoast Maine, Charlie is excited to be back home after earning a master’s degree in interdisciplinary sustainability from the Autonomous University of Barcelona in Spain. He previously studied agroecology and environmental sciences at the University of Maine. There, he found a passion for community building through nature as resident steward of the Terrell House Permaculture Center. He has over 6 seasons of practical experience on small farms producing both vegetables and livestock. When the day is done, he enjoys running, cooking, and reading.
Lola Davis
Lola is an environmental educator at The Ecology School this fall! She recently graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in Geography and Sustainability Studies. Lola has worked all across the environmental field, including land restoration, trail building, organic farming, organizing farmers’ markets, pollinator research, native plant education, community organizing, environmental education, and much more! Lola has a deep passion for connecting communities to the wonders of the natural world. In her free time, she loves urban farming, camping, letting all her wiggles out through dancing, being outside, rock climbing, and swimming.
Ciara Evans
Ciara graduated from Loyola Chicago in December 2024 with a degree in Environmental Science. Growing up in Pittsburgh and traveling a lot, she developed a love for spending time outdoors and sharing this experience with others. In university, she gained experience doing crayfish research, farming, and park maintenance, and loves to share what she learned with others. Having worked in an outdoor, environmental education setting before, she is excited to join the 2026 educator team. In her free time, Ciara loves to work on her craft projects or be active by running, hiking, or doing yoga.
Ken Forbeck
Ken grew up in Beloit, Wisconsin, and got his degree at UW-Madison in Conservation Biology and Environmental Studies. During college, he spent his summers doing work in environmental education, land restoration, and forestry research. He comes to us from the Wolf Ridge ELC graduate naturalist program in Minnesota. He’s excited to come to Maine to continue fostering connections and relationships between people and the natural world! In his free time, he likes to grab his camera and head out on an adventure.
Quinn Harnden
Quinn graduated from Kenyon College in May 2026 with a degree in Psychology and Environmental Studies. While at school, she worked at the Brown Family Environmental Center where she led programming for fellow Kenyon students, community members, and elementary schoolers. At Kenyon, she also played on the Club Rugby team and participated in student theatre. Growing up in a small town outside of Boston, Quinn took advantage of the outdoors through activities such as hiking and swimming. In her free time, she also enjoys crafting, playing board games, and spending time with family and friends.
Julia Knisley
A recent graduate of the Massachusetts Maritime Academy, Julia has spent time as a United States Park Ranger, a stormwater technician, and has sailed aboard the T.S. Patriot State past the equator and through the Panama Canal. In her free time, Julia enjoys crafting, going for walks, swimming, and visiting new places. Originally from Maryland, Julia grew up near the Chesapeake Bay and spent many summers in beautiful Bath, Maine. Julia earned a degree in Marine Science, Safety, and Environmental Protection in 2026 and can’t wait to keep learning!
Ruby Messersmith
Ruby recently graduated from the University of Florida with a Biology degree. In college, she led recreation trips for UF’s outdoor program and fell in love with outdoor education. She grew up surrounded by water and loves all the ways people interact with it. For the past few summers, she’s led backpacking and canoeing trips for middle and high schoolers and is excited to continue working with kids and teaching them about the natural world. Ruby loves backpacking, cycling, crafting, and playing fun name games. She is so excited to be in Maine and join the educator team!
Star Sweet
Star graduated with a degree in Outdoor Education in 2020 and has been working in the field ever since! Most recently, Star was an educator at Camp Jekyll 4H in Georgia, where a lot was learned about coastal ecology. When not teaching, Star enjoys reading, writing, watching anime, hiking, and sword fighting.
Farm Team
John D’Appolonia
Student Farm Apprentice
John grew up in Maine, where exploring the outdoors and learning about plants sparked a lifelong love of nature. He is currently completing his undergraduate degree in Environmental Science at the University of Southern Maine and hopes to pursue a career in environmental education, helping young people develop their own connection with the natural world. At The Ecology School, John has enjoyed learning about and practicing agroecology, expanding his understanding of what it means to farm sustainably while caring for the environment. In his free time, you'll usually find him hiking, camping, or spending time on the ocean.
Rachael Fox
Student Farm Apprentice
Rachael was a farm apprentice back in 2023, where she developed her love for sustainable agriculture. Rachael is currently studying organismal biology and ecology at Colorado College. After college, Rachael wants to work in either wildfire ecology or sustainable agriculture. In her free time, Rachael enjoys hiking, rock climbing, and swimming.
Ian Gormley
Farm Assistant
Ian discovered his passion for the outdoors when he was 4 years old and would visit his local butterfly atrium with his grandmother. He later discovered his interest in sustainable agriculture while completing a degree in International Business and Management at Dickinson College. He is excited to learn more about regenerative practices while applying what he already knows about agriculture to The Ecology School. After a long action packed day, Ian enjoys fishing, camping, baking sweet treats, and searching for nautical creatures!
Virginia Grace May
Farm Assistant
In 2023, Virginia was a student farm apprentice at River Bend Farm. Now, Virginia Grace is back on the farm team after finishing her master's degree researching the American chestnut. She has a deep love of studying botany, climate action organizing, and playing in the dirt. In their free time, Virginia is out hiking, foraging, birdwatching, or kayaking. Or inside with an absurd amount of crafts and a good podcast!