 Jill Dreves Jill Dreves, Wild Bear Executive Director, holds a Master of Science degree in Museum and Field Studies in Museum Administration, a BS in Human Development and Family Studies, and she received her elementary teach certificate in 1989. Jill taught elementary school for 9 years and was a naturalist with the Vail Nature Center before founding Wild Bear Center in 1995. She enjoys hiking, telemark skiing, creative endeavors, and playing with her two sons, Sam and Charlie, in the outdoors. |
 Ian Renga Ian Renga is Wild Bear’s Youth Program Coordinator and a doctoral student studying teacher education at CU-Boulder. He and his wife recently moved from Blacksburg, VA, where he taught middle school science and math. He holds a B.A. in Fine Art and a B.S. in Biology from Indiana University, and an Ed.M. in Teaching & Learning from Harvard University. “The classroom and wilderness both inspire curiosity and awe within me, more so when they are indistinguishable. Rocks, trees, birds, fish, flowers, and bugs are more fun when experienced first hand!” |
 Hillary Buchanan Hillary is our registrar and says, “I have lived in the Nederland area for 16 years and have become very attached to the people that live in the area and of course to this beautiful land. I have ski patrolled at Eldora Mountain Resort since 1994, taking about 5 years off to work at The Mountain-Ear Newspaper as a girl friday and to be a stay at home mom with my incredible 9 yr old daughter Lucy. I went back to patrolling when Lucy was 3 years old and have worked as a botany field assistant and ski lift assembler/disassembler during the summer. I am happy to be a part of this dream of inspiring people about the beauty of these mountains!” |
Welcome 2010 Summer Staff!
 Brian Birkholz Brian Birkholz was born and raised in Elgin, Illinois. He is an avid sports fan and particularly likes the Chicago White Sox and Chicago Blackhawks. He recently graduated from Illinois State University and is looking forward to spending the summer at Wild Bear! |
 Cat Brantley “Hi, my name is Cat and I am so excited to be joining Wild Bear for my first summer as an outdoor educator for the center. I am a Southern girl at heart from Atlanta, GA with a degree in Art Education from the University of Georgia. Nature has always been an inspiration in my art work, and I can’t wait to spend the summer in the beautiful mountains of Nederland!” Cat Brantley is a proficient guitarist and will be leading the Mountain Rangers all summer long! |
 Chloe Fitch Chloe Fitch, a.k.a. “Feather”, currently holds an MA in Educational Psychology from the University of Colorado Denver as well as her Colorado State Initial teaching license with an endorsement in Elementary Education. She completed her undergraduate work in Liberal Studies Elementary Education at Humboldt State University in Northern California. Chloe worked with Wild Bear two summers ago, teaching the Wild Naturalists. She enjoys dancing, cooking, art, backpacking, knitting, writing. |
 Debora Martin “I’m excited to be involved with Wild Bear. I love the outdoors and want to share my enthusiasm with children. As a long time Educator, and Interpreter, I’ve learned that an early appreciation of nature grows into a life of affection and respect. I believe children should use their senses and imagination when learning about the wondrous world around us. Wild Bear lets me use my experience to give children a great foundation on that they can build their own desire to explore and find joy in the outdoors. I’ve been with BVSD as an Early Childhood Educator for 15 years, Volunteer Naturalist with City of Boulder OSMP for three, and Volunteer with the Division of Wildlife since 2006.” |
 Elizabeth Jacobs “My name is Elizabeth Jacobs and I have been teaching and working with children since 1997 when I was in college and teaching gymnastics. I am currently an art teacher in the Boulder Valley School District and one of my favorite activities is to see the world through the imagination of others creations. In addition to being a teacher I am also a working artist. Encouraging students to express their view of the world around them through different art movements is my goal as an art teacher. I want for every student to find their own voice and self-confidence in all that they create.” |
 Jimmy Ly “Greetings. My name is Jimmy. Born in Vietnam, I moved to Chicago and have lived there since. My hobbies include reading, camping, and being outdoors. I am currently finishing my last semester at Illinois State University.” Jimmy will be completing his internship with all workshops throughout the summer. |
 Jordan Morrow Jordan Morrow, Environmental Education intern, assists in Wild Bear’s youth programs. Jordan is working toward his teaching degree at Front Range Community College. He was an original Wild Bear 14 years ago and will be interning all summer and running the after-care program. |
 Lisa Wollard I was born in New Hampshire where I spent my summers at my family’s lakeside cabin, swimming, water skiing, canoing, picking blueberries, catching frogs, building sand castles and exploring nearby islands. I’m a lifelong learner who enjoyed my eight years as a Girl Scout leader. I draw from those experiences and more when I work with students at Nederland Elementary school and Wild Bear in their after school and summer programs. I’m excited to be teaching about the wonders of nature with the Mountain Rangers for my second summer! |
 Kristina Horton “This summer I am looking forward to learning more about the beautiful and diverse area between Boulder and Nederland with Wild Bear groups. I have lived in Colorado for the last ten years and have worked as an archaeologist in the field and lab and as an educator outside and in museums. I moved from Southwest Colorado to Boulder for grad school a couple years ago, to focus on teaching people of all ages about our Earth’s natural and cultural history. I love to explore while hiking and very much look forward to instructing the ‘Chautauqua Mornings’ and the ‘Primitive Skills’ program! |
 Mia Strickland Mia Strickland holds a Master degree in Education and a BA in Human Ecology. She has been teaching elementary and middle school in the United States and abroad for 6 years. In her free time she loves to explore the wilds around her whether it be hiking, biking, climbing, wildlife identification, or photography. Mia will be leading the Rocky Mountain Hikes with our volunteer, Big Foot! |
