AFF/BTW Staff

Jeanne Troy, Program Director
Jeanne is delighted to join the Bridging the Watershed team at the Alice Ferguson Foundation. Since moving to northern Virginia several years ago, she has been enjoying the region's national parks

Jeanne's environmental education career began at Riverbend Environmental Education Center, a small organization along the Schuylkill River, just upstream of Philadelphia. After a field trip there in first grade and a stint as a volunteer in high school, she stayed on as an educator, then director of camp programs. Her belief in authentic hands-on environmental education was inspired by seeing children connect with her own special place. Jeanne also worked with the Habitat Stewards program at the National Wildlife Federation, training volunteers nationwide to help others create natural spaces in their built environments, and for the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality’s Office of Environmental Education. Jeanne received a B.A. in Anthropology and Environmental Studies from Bryn Mawr College and a Masters of Environmental Education from the School of Forestry and Environmental Studies at Yale University. In her spare time, she enjoys running, reading, doing crossword puzzles, and hiking.

Laura Gillespie, Editor and Web Designer
A native of Accokeek, Laura grew up playing at and around Hard Bargain Farm. Though having strong ties to her home and an inclination for things environmental, Laura received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County in 1993, and went on to earn a Master of Arts degree in Medieval Studies from the University of York, Yorkshire, England in 1994.

After five years teaching English from middle school up to the university level, Laura agreed to help out with the budding Bridging the Watershed project that has since blossomed into a regional middle and high school science program. Once the full-time program assistant, Laura now helps out on a part-time basis editing curriculum and maintaining the BTW web site. She is currently a doctoral student at the University of Baltimore in Communications Design and a mom of two.

Educators

Katrina Fauss, Upper Potomac Educator/Field Study Coordinator
Katrina is from Myersville, MD and will be working in Hagerstown for the BTW program. She is a 2001 graduate of Hood College with a B.A. in Sociology. Her love of the environment began as a young girl while camping with her grandparents and parents and going to summer camp. Most recently she was the Program Director in charge of Environmental and Older Girl Programs at the Girl Scouts of Shawnee Council, Inc in Martinsburg, WV. In this capacity she managed a Future Leaders of Watersheds grant that spurred her on to move in to EE full time. In her spare time she likes to play softball and kayak.

Beth Gillan, Educator
Beth is from Hampstead, MD, a little town north of Baltimore. She holds a degree in Environmental Science & Policy (and a minor in English) from University of Maryland, College Park. Beth was drawn to the field of environmental science when she realized that the two fundamental passions of her life were being outdoors and sharing a deep bond with other people. Her professional interests include the therapeutic, educational, and amusing aspects that nature has to offer to people, alone and in interactions with each other.

Beth really appreciates the many advantages that BTW has to offer, including a sense of community with like-minded fellow staff, an opportunity to foster a sense of appreciation for the natural world among kids who otherwise might never have been exposed to such an opportunity, and providing useful resources to future staff members so BTW can continue to thrive. In her free time, Beth enjoys reading and exploring the DC area.

Jason Pope, Educator
Jason grew up near Front Royal, VA where he spent his childhood in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Having grown up with an innate relationship with nature, Jason is excited to share his experiences and passion for the natural areas contained in the region's national parks with students.

Jason has worked as a volunteer coordinator and educator for several other non-profits, most recently for a history museum in Fredericksburg, VA. He holds a B.A. in Political Science and M.Ed., both from the University of Mary Washington. In his diminishing spare time, he enjoys whitewater canoeing, fly fishing, hiking, running, reading, and renovating his house with his fiance.

Jason looks forward to providing great field study experiences to students from throughout the region, and will be working predominately at Prince William Forest Park.

Tom Frezza, Educator
Originally from Johnston, RI, Tom graduated from Unity College in Maine in 2008 and has a B.A. in Parks, Recreation, and Eco-Tourism. Tom is also currently working on an M.A. degree in Applied History and will be graduating from Shippensburg University in May. For the last two years, he has been working for the National Park Service at Harpers Ferry as a Ranger in the education office. He spends lot of his free time in the outdoors, hiking with his dog Lacy, camping, hunting, or participating in Civil War Reenactments.

Linda Ries, Part-Time Educator
Linda Ries has joined BTW as a part-time Educator this spring. Originally from Colorado, where she earned a degree in Forestry from Colorado State University, Linda made her way to this part of the world via U.S. Forest Service postings in South Dakota, Idaho, and Utah. Her involvement with environmental education has also spanned multiple states and agencies, including Project Learning Tree, Upward Bound, the U.S. Forest Service, and introducing her own children to the natural world. In joining BTW, Linda hopes to continue inspiring in students a sense of stewardship and understanding of their place in the natural world.