Samantha Bates is a senior studying Environmental Science with a minor in Geological Sciences. Growing up in southern Oregon, Samantha devoted her summers to camping and rafting on the Rouge River and winters to playing in the snow at Mt. Ashland. She spent the summer of 2012 as an Outdoor Adventure Specialist at Camp Weequahic in Pennsylvania. She noticed many of these campers lived in big cities and didn’t have the same opportunities to build a relationship with nature as she had growing up. This experience inspired Samantha to share her love for the natural world and to bring more kids outdoors. Aside from Canopy Connections, she now works at an outdoor camp in Eugene and wishes to continue working with kids in nature though summer camps and outdoor school after graduating.
Laura Buckmaster is a senior double majoring in Environmental Studies and Psychology. Growing up, Laura fell in the love with the outdoors and exploring nature. Her favorite outdoor activities include kayaking down rivers, camping under the stars, and teaching others about the importance of stewardship. Her true passion is fusing a connection between people and the environment. She worked towards this through her internship at the Georgia Conservancy where she served as an Advocacy Intern on outdoor stewardship trips. The Environmental Leadership Program has allowed her to cultivate her skills as an educator and provide her with knowledge of how to connect younger generations to the ecosystem they inhabit. In the future, she aims to make outdoor adventures accessible to people of all socioeconomic backgrounds as well as improve the lives of youths through environmental education.
Tim Chen is a second year master's student in UO's Environmental Studies program from Buffalo, NY. He is interested in intersections between environmental and social issues, and hopes to work in advancing justice and equality after graduation. In his spare time, he enjoys reading, photography and ceramics, playing music, and spending as much time as possible outside.
Nicole Hendrix is a junior majoring in Environmental Studies and minoring in Architecture, Planning, public policies, and management, and Music. In addition to the Environmental Leadership Program, Nicole is the current co-director of the Climate Justice League, a student organization on campus working to fight environmental injustice through direct action campaigns. Her favorite outdoor activities are include walking through Eugene's Alton Baker Park and birding. This past summer she worked with the Tualatin Riverkeepers as a Summer Camp Intern where she spent the days kayaking, exploring, and fishing with kids.
Forrest Hirsh is a senior majoring in Environmental Studies and minoring in Geography. He enjoys spending time outside and loves viewing the natural world from the saddle of his bike or the skins of his skis. Passionate about sharing experiences in nature with others, he is excited about Canopy Connections and the opportunity it has provided for him to impact the lives of youth. In the future, Forrest aspires to become involved in resource management and environmental education, continuing to improve environmental quality, equity and enjoyment for generations to come.
Micaela Hyams studies Environmental Science, with a life science focus, and Political Science. She expects to graduate Spring 2016. Her interest in the environment stems from an Alaskan upbringing replete with fly-fishing trips and hiking adventures. For Micaela, Environmental Education is an opportunity to inspire the same awe of the natural world that she feels fortunate to have. She plans to combine her background in biology with her interest in environmental justice and work toward effective, equitable, and sustainable policy. She spends her free time in Eugene practicing yoga, playing ultimate Frisbee, and making her friends wait while she identifies plants on nature walks.
Eleandra Lewis is a junior majoring in Environmental Studies. She loves exploring and backpacking in the beautiful Oregon Cascades and adventuring worldwide. Her passion for working with kids in the outdoors has lead her to join the Environmental Leadership Program. Through her experience here, she has learned valuable, lifelong skills that will help her to combat the ever increasing "Nature Deficit Disorder" in many young people today. In the future, as an environmental educator, she hopes to reach out to as many people as possible through place-based learning and encourage a deeper connection to nature. She believes that the best way to bring about change for a more sustainable future is to educate youth on the value of our natural world and the importance of environmental stewardship.
Amelia Remington is receiving her undergraduate degree in Environmental Studies in June 2015. She is also receiving a minor in Geology, since her adventures rock climbing have given her an affinity to rocks and natural formations. Amelia is a Eugene, Oregon native, who enjoys spending time outdoors whether it involves high-octane activities like climbing or simple and peaceful activities like riding bikes or hiking. Amelia hopes to work with youth in an outdoor setting, whether it involves environmental education, outdoor adventure pursuits, or ecological restoration. Unexpectedly, her favorite courses at the University of Oregon included the perspectives of environmental sociology, environmental justice, and political ecology, all in which nature and people are viewed together in contexts of behavior and social structures. After college, Amelia will be working with the Aim High program, teaching middle school students in the Tahoe-Truckee area as well as assisting their annual backpacking trip in the Sierras.
Nick Sloss is a senior majoring in Environmental Studies with an emphasis on Sustainable Design and Policy and a minor in Landscape Architecture. After years of continuing conservation and preservation efforts, Nick hopes to continue his environmentalist exploits while teaching his young son Santiago about the wonders of the natural world. Always the budding naturalist, he has spent his last 7 years in Eugene learning and exploring the Willamette National Forest and the many other outdoor wonders that Lane County has to offer. He currently works with the head of exterior planting design for the University of Oregon’s Campus Operations and plans to continue his work out of doors upon graduation. In his free time he takes overnight bike tours with his son to the forest to hunt mushrooms and explore the many wilderness areas of the area.