Staff

Meet Nearby Nature's Staff

Nearby Nature's staff would love to hear from you! To contact us by email click here.

Beth Stein, Executive Director

Beth has worked with Nearby Nature since 1994, serving in a variety of capacities, from program director to executive director. Beth is a writer, educator, storyteller, and key developer and manager of much of the educational programming at Nearby Nature. She is our lead programmer for our School Nature Walks Program, a School Classroom Visits instructor, a grant writer, our lead organizer for yearly special events, and our newsletter editor. She has also been know to dress up as Frannie the Frog! Beth has a B.A. in English Literature and a minor in Environmental Studies from Williams College.

Katie Bennett, Educator Coordinator 

Katie joined Nearby Nature in January of 2012. Katie is our summer daycamps director, an assistant programmer for our School Nature Walks, a School Classroom Visits instructor, and a lead instructor for our No School Days programs. Katie is a native Eugenean with an M.S. in biology from the Oregon Institute of Marine Biology on the southern Oregon coast. While in graduate school, she taught K-6^th grade marine science lessons and designed and led field-based science projects for 4^th – 8^th graders. Katie has also journeyed 3,000 feet beneath the ocean’s surface in a submersible, trekked the Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to Canada, and guided kayak and hiking trips in the wilds of Alaska! Katie is thrilled to be part of Nearby Nature—excited to help kids discover that science is everywhere and that getting dirty and exploring and asking questions and hunting for answers is not only incredibly fun, it’s also the basis of all scientific study and understanding.

Erin Lamb, Park Host

Erin has been a Park Host in Alton Baker Park since 2007. She is the lead developer of Nearby Nature's amazing Learnscape and one of our summer daycamp instructors. Erin brings to Nearby Nature a love of all things outside and growing, five years experience teaching middle and high school science, and, thanks to her parents, has been gardening organically since before she was born! Erin has a B.S. in Biology and a M.A. in Education for high school biology and middle school.

Joy Lamb, Park Host

Joy has been a Park Host in Alton Baker Park since 2007. She has a degree in Biochemistry from the UO, and enjoys the enrichment that a background in genetics can lend to a walk in the woods. Joy has worked with children from infants through high school, as a teacher, mentor, advisor, health care provider, and friend. She enjoys working with people who are dedicated to being outside, and to helping kids experience and enjoy nature.

Kate Self, Weekend Programs Coordinator

Kate has been our Weekend Programs Coordinator since 2008. With the help of our outstanding volunteers, Kate represents Nearby Nature at community events such as the Mount Pisgah Wildflower Festival and the Eugene Celebration. Kate also leads weekend family Nature Quests in Alton Baker Park as well as other local natural areas. Kate is dedicated to Nearby Nature's mission of showing kids (young and old) the beauty of nature in their own backyards. Kate has a B.S. in Environmental Science with minors in Biology and Italian. 

Network Charter School Instructors

Wendy McKenzie, NCS Instructor

Wendy has been an NCS science teacher since 2003. She has worked with Nearby Nature since 1995 and served for many years as its park host, both in Alton Baker Park and at Armitage Park. She is an experienced gardener, an artist (the original creator of Nearby Nature's Kinder Critters!), and a skilled teacher.

Denise Velasco, NCS Instructor

Denise Velasco started volunteering for Nearby Nature 10 years ago and has been teaching at NCS for the last six years. Her classes include math, health, and independent living. When she's not working with NCS or Nearby Nature, Denise is a mom to a wonderful little boy, and enjoys reading, baking, and gardening.

Billy Hughes, NCS Instructor

Billy Hughes has been an instructor with Nearby Nature since 2005.  He loves to garden, hike, backpack, kayak, fish, ride his bike, wild craft, and relax in the great outdoors with his family.  His focus at the Network Charter School is teaching whole systems theory, Permaculture ethics, and design principles to his Urban Ecology class.  He also teaches Ultimate Frisbee and is currently co-teaching Survival.  He has a Permaculture Design Certification and a Permaculture Teachers Certification.

Breckon Neat, NCS Instructor

Tom Coppolino, NCS Instructor

2012 Summer Daycamp Staff

Crystal Strege, Summer Daycamp Instructor

After enduring harsh Wisconsin winters for 21 years, Crystal packed up everything and ventured to out to beautiful Oregon. Between exploring the Northwest and working at a daycare center, she received her Masters degree in Early Childhood/Elementary Education. Since then, Crystal has worked as a substitute teacher in numerous schools and has assisted students of all ages. Crystal enjoys sharing her love for the outdoors with kids at Nearby Nature and has been teaching our summer daycamps since 2009.

Rhian Pyke, Summer Daycamp Instructor

Rhian Pyke graduated from the University of Oregon in June 2008, with her Masters in Teaching and Learning. Since Rhian graduated, she has been a elementary school teacher in Eugene and its surrounding areas. Rhian also performs as a drummer in the performing dance troupe, Dance Africa. Through Dance Africa, she uses music and dance to teach children at local elementary schools about Africa and its culture. When Rhian is not teaching or drumming, she loves spending time outdoors -- hiking, bicycling, or simply reading a good book. Rhian has been teaching Nearby Nature summer daycamps since 2009.

Erin Lamb, Summer Daycamp Instructor (and Park Host)

Erin has been a Park Host in Alton Baker Park since 2007. She is the lead developer of Nearby Nature's amazing Learnscape and one of our summer daycamp instructors. Erin brings to Nearby Nature a love of all things outside and growing, five years experience teaching middle and high school science, and, thanks to her parents, has been gardening organically since before she was born! Erin has a B.S. in Biology and a M.A. in Education for high school biology and middle school.

Hilary Mankofsky, Summer Daycamp Instructor

Hilary has a B.A. in International Studies and decided to put that to use after graduating from the University of Oregon in 2004.  She enjoyed the sunny (and rainy!) weather in Fiji, often enjoying wild looking plants and insects, while working with the school health team to educate all children about the importance of hygiene.  After that, her next travels took her to Korea where she taught English to children of all ages incorporating her love of movement in any lesson she could.  She is currently in the last half of her graduate program at Pacific University, earning her M.A. in teaching early childhood and elementary aged students.  She loves to be silly and you can often see her dancing, doing yoga, singing a song slightly off key, or zooming by on her bike so she can be outdoors as much as possible! Hilary joined our summer daycamps staff at Nearby Nature in 2011.

Cheryl Kelly, Summer Daycamp Instructor

Cheryl joined our summer daycamps staff at Nearby Nature in 2011. Teaching environmental and global awareness is her passion. In her studies she has focused on Art Education and earned an AA as well as a certificate in Early Childhood Education. She has worked with a variety of ages and abilities in school, after-school, and summer programs. Most recently, she has been a teacher with Headstart’s University of Oregon classroom for the past six years. She also ran an after-school program in her home called Earth Education for three years. She enjoys international backpacking adventures, art, gardening, cycling, and spending quality time outdoors with her teenage daughter.

Kit Lacy -- Summer Daycamp Instructor

Kit was born and raised in Madison, Wisconsin. After attending universities in Wisconsin, she headed west to Oregon. She enrolled at the University of Oregon and began working in an ecology lab. She completed a master's degree in biology, specializing in communication and social behavior of iguanas. Kit began volunteering at Cascades Raptor Center in January of 2002, has taken the two-day IWRC basic skills class in wildlife rehabilitation, and has been part of the CRC education team since its beginning. Kit also taught biology at LCC for many years. She especially loves training the birds to be ambassadors for their species and also enjoys sharing her love of all things wild with nature center visitors of all ages.

Clare Gordon -- Summer Daycamp Instructor

Clare graduated from the University of Oregon in 2009 with a bachelors in Environmental Science and a minor in Biology.  She worked with Nearby Nature through the Environmental Leadership Program, leading nature walks and developing curriculum and artwork for the Learnscape in Alton Baker Park. Since then, she has worked with the City of Eugene Outdoor program teaching outdoor education to 1st and 2nd graders in the Full Moon Rising Program and teaching bike safety to 5th-7th graders with the Bicycle Transportation Alliance's Bikes Safety Education Program. Clare loves to share her passion for biking, playing outside, and learning with everyone. Clare joined our summer daycamps staff at Nearby Nature in 2011.