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OUR

INSTRUCTORS

The Wyoming Naturalist Program is a community of dedicated individuals committed to the stewardship of Wyoming's natural resources. Our team is comprised of passionate professionals who bring a wealth of knowledge and experience in biodiversity, ecology, conservation, and wildlife management. Together, we work towards the common goal of preserving Wyoming's unique and diverse landscapes for future generations to enjoy.

Instructors

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Kurt Warmbier

Wyoming Naturalist Program

Certified Wyoming Naturalist

Being a Naturalist!

Coming soon!

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Tyrell Perry

Wyoming Naturalist Program

Certified Wyoming Naturalist

Being a Naturalist!

Coming soon!

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Charlotte Cadow

Wyoming Chapter of The Nature Conservancy

Community Science Specialist

Botany

Charlotte Cadow is the Community Science Specialist for the Wyoming Chapter of The Nature Conservancy, where she fosters connections between people and the natural world through programs such as Wildflower Watch. She holds an M.S. in Plant Biology from the University of Vermont’s Field Naturalist Program and a B.A. in Environmental Science from Colorado College. Charlotte has worked in environmental education across the country, including roles at the Catamount Center in Colorado, Sanibel Sea School in Florida, the Appalachian Mountain Club in New Hampshire, and Teton Science Schools in Wyoming. She is committed to connecting people to the fascinating intricacy of the more-than- human communities around them. Outside of work, Charlotte enjoys trail running, backpacking, all types of skiing, birding, and spending time with her husband, dog, and two cats.

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Brent Ewers

University of Wyoming

Director, Biodiversity Institute

Climate & Environment

Brent Ewers is the Director of the University of Wyoming Biodiversity Institute and NSF EPSCoR and is a professor of plant physiological ecology in the Botany Department. He obtained an M.S. and Ph.D. in Ecology from Duke University specializing in how water and nutrient availability change tree water use traits. Brent and his lab group members use first principles of biophysics approaches to look at how the diversity of plant traits in crops, rangelands, and forests impacts plant controls over mass and energy exchanges and plant productivity. These techniques allow the group to address plant responses to drought, fire, and insect activity and determine how plant biodiversity should be included in ecosystem models ranging in scales from plant organs to landscapes. 

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Colby Newton

Wyoming Naturalist Program

Certified Wyoming Naturalist

Ecology

Coming soon!

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Scott Schell

University of Wyoming

Entomologist

Entomology

Scott Schell is the University of Wyoming’s extension entomology specialist based in Laramie. He earned his B.S. (1991) and M.S. degrees (1994) in entomology from U.W. and then was a research associate for Prof. Jeffrey Lockwood in the College of Agriculture for nine years. Starting in 2003, his work responsibilities changed to the identification of arthropods submitted through the Extension system to UW and providing management recommendations for arthropod pests of all sorts.

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Paige Copenhaver-Parry

Wyoming Natural Diversity Database

Lead Ecologist

Forest Ecology

Paige Copenhaver-Parry is the lead ecologist for the Wyoming Natural Diversity Database (WYNDD) at the University of Wyoming. Paige holds a Ph.D in Ecology from the University of Wyoming and a B.S. in Biology from George Fox University. Paige has spent the past decade conducting research in forests of the Intermountain West and Pacific Northwest, teaching undergraduate students, working alongside natural resource managers to address information and data needs, and directing and participating in science outreach activities. Paige especially enjoys finding creative ways to make the more complex and quantitative elements of forest ecology accessible and relatable to managers, students, and the broader public.

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James Mauch

Wyoming State Geological Survey

Geologist

Geology

James has been a geologist with the Wyoming State Geological Survey since 2019. He holds a B.S. in earth sciences from Montana State University and an M.S. in geology from Utah State University. He specializes in geologic hazards, geologic mapping, and geomorphology, and is especially fond of any project that takes him into the field to study geologically active landscapes. His work at the WSGS includes mapping surficial geology and geomorphology for 7.5’ and 30’x60’ quadrangles, inventorying and analyzing landslides, and studying Quaternary-active faults. In his free time, James enjoys exploring wild places under his own power, generally via skis, bike, or a pair of hiking shoes.

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Mason Lee

University of Wyoming

Senior Project Coordinator

Herpetology

Mason Lee is the senior project coordinator for the UW Biodiversity Institute. She has a B.S. and M.S. in wildlife biology and has worked with endangered reptiles and amphibians in Texas and Wyoming. Horned lizards are her passion.

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Carli Baum

Wyoming Game & Fish Department

Aquatic Habitat Biologist

Icthyology

Carli Baum is an Aquatic Habitat Biologist for the Wyoming Game and Fish Department based out of the Lander Region. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Zoology and her Master of Science in Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology both from Colorado State University. Carli has a strong background in aquatic ecology and outdoor education, where she regularly uses that knowledge when implementing river restoration projects to improve fisheries habitat and public fishing opportunities and teaching kids and adults about WGFD camps. When she's not splashing around in rivers for work, Carli enjoys splashing around rivers for fun, fishing, canoeing, camping, mountain biking, and snowboarding. 

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Josh Leonard

Wyoming Game & Fish Department

Statewide Aquatic Invasive Species Coordinator

Invasive Species Panel

Josh is the Statewide Aquatic Invasive Species Coordinator for Wyoming Game & Fish and provides oversight and direction to a team of over seventy employees in the implementation of the state's watercraft inspection and decontamination program. Josh spent the first twenty-one years growing up in rural Vermont and received his BS in Wildlife Biology from the University of Vermont and MS in Wildlife Sciences from South Dakota State University studying bison ecology in Manitoba. Josh currently resides in Laramie, Wyoming with his wife, 5 year old daughter and 3 year old son where they enjoy spending free time in the mountains with our 10 year old chocolate lab.

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Carlo Migliaccio

Wyoming State Parks, Historic Sites, & Trails

Interpretive Ranger

Invasive Species Panel

Coming soon!

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Brian Sebade

University of Wyoming

Lecturer of Ecosystem Science & Management

Invasive Species Panel

Brian Sebade is a University of Wyoming Lecturer of Ecosystem Science & Management, located in southeast Wyoming. A few of the major programs and subjects Brian has taught and facilitated include native plant  identification and awareness, range monitoring, poisonous plants, edible plants, weed management and  identification, Master Gardeners, wildflowers for reclamation and pollination, and pesticide certification.

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Jacelyn Downey

Audubon Rockies

Director of Community Building

Making Nature Observations

Jacelyn Downey loves to explore and share the beautiful and wild places of Wyoming. She is the Director of Community Building for Audubon Rockies where she organizes community events for people of all ages, creates resources and materials for educators, and manages Audubon Rockies education, community science, and Habitat Hero programs. 

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Jennie Lawrence

Wyoming Naturalist Program

Certified Wyoming Naturalist

Making Nature Observations

Jennie is a retired high school teacher, having taught all the sciences at the alternative high school in Laramie, Wyoming. She is active with the Wyoming State Science Fair program and is a Certified Wyoming Naturalist. Jennie enjoys documenting the natural world by submitting photographs to iNaturalist, and through various forms of nature journaling, including writing, drawing, and sketching. One of her favorite activities is participating in both the in-person and virtual Bioblitz every summer.

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Gary Beauvais

Wyoming Natural Diversity Database

Director

Mammalogy

Coming soon!

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Dorothy Tuthill

Wyoming Naturalist Program

Certified Wyoming Naturalist

Mycology

Dr. Dorothy Tuthill is the former Associate Director of the Biodiversity Institute, where she developed and delivered educational programs. She is an alumna of the University of Wyoming Department of Botany, with research focused on soil microfungi. Raised by entomologists and broadly trained in botany, Dorothy enjoys sharing her enthusiasm for the natural world with students of all ages, and especially enjoys looking at the often missed tiny things.

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Zach Hutchinson

Audubon Rockies

Community Science Coordinator

Ornithology

Zach Hutchinson is the Community Science Coordinator for Audubon Rockies, a partner of the Wyoming Naturalist Program. Zach is an experienced master bird bander, coordinating the monitoring efforts by Audubon Rockies in Colorado, Wyoming, and Utah. Zach spends his non-naturalist time with his wife, Alex, adventuring wherever the world's weirdest wildlife takes them. Zach & Alex have a site where they share their silly adventures, aptly named Flocking Around.

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