Program Staff
Youth Leadership Manager
he/him
Born in Vermont, Neal grew up with a love for wandering around the local woods, lakes and mountains. Through involvement in a college outing club, he realized his love for education. Combining these passions, Neal worked for a number of nonprofits and completed a master’s degree in Outdoor Education at the University of Edinburgh. Prior to arriving in the North Cascades, he instructed dogsledding expeditions for Outward Bound across the frozen lakes of northern Minnesota. Neal currently enjoys salmon-watching on the Skagit River, foraging for local mushrooms, crocheting winter clothing, and exploring any new area he can find on a map. Through this work, he is committed to promoting equity and justice as they relate to outdoor places.
Youth Leadership Coordinator
she/her
Kate grew up on the Kitsap Peninsula before heading east to earn degrees in Environmental Studies and English at Oberlin College in Ohio. After graduation, Kate accepted a two-year Shansi Fellowship and moved to Madurai, India. There she worked with college students in an International Studies center, worked on her conversational Tamil and hiked in the Nilgiris. One pandemic evacuation and several seasonal jobs later, Kate made the move back to Washington in 2021 and enjoyed getting to know the Skagit Valley in all its seasons as Learning Center Manager. In 2023, Kate transitioned to a role in one of her favorite Institute programs: Youth Leadership Adventures! In her free time you can usually find her biking around upriver, knitting up a sweater or swimming in the Skagit.
Youth Leadership Specialist
she/her
Eva grew up hiking and exploring near Snoqualmie Pass, which sparked an interest in the environment and conservation work. Sharing learning outdoors has been a passion for her since she first got to dive into it in an equestrian environment. At Western Washington University, while studying Environmental Science and Spanish, she further developed her love for environmental work with local communities in WWU's LEAD program. She joined the Institute in 2024 and is excited to be involved in the Youth Leadership Adventures program, since she passionately believes in the transformative nature of environmental education.
2024 YLA Instructors
I love teaching and guiding! I have been around the world teaching and working with students of all ages. I love to connect students to nature, teach them about the land, and watch them become a community that is connected to each other, the land and themselves. I have studied intersections of ecopsychology, mushrooms and gender, and how indigenous leadership connects all of those topics. I am passionate about bringing this knowledge into my teaching as well as learning from people and students myself. I'm grateful for anytime in spaces that are inclusive, supportive and open to growth and self discovery.
I grew up in Ann Arbor, Michigan. I spent my youth exploring Northern Michigan and playing an abundance of sports. I am currently attending the University of Oregon where I am majoring in Planning Public Policy and Management and working at the UO Outdoor Program. In my free time I love to go backpacking, play ultimate frisbee, and hang out by any body of water!
I was born in Wisconsin but grew up moving around and have lived all over the United States. My passion for the outdoors began when I started leading backpacking trips at Trinity College in Connecticut. Throughout the past few years, I’ve guided and worked as an outdoor educator in places like Connecticut, Colorado, Maine, New Hampshire and California! I love working in the outdoors because of the community it cultivates and the creativity it inspires. The outdoors offers an incredible space for collaboration and a unique opportunity to intentionally connect with each other and the natural world.
Ellen Teerink
My name is Ellen and I am from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I have spent the last few years living and exploring all around. I love to hike, bike, and swim and can't wait to take students on incredible adventures this summer.