Dave and Kim Baker, David worked 44 years in Verizon telecommunications, serving in various management roles and in financial analysis. David and wife Kim have been OSU 4-H leaders for the past 15 years and love working with kids and believe the fate of our planet depends on how much we invest in them. For years David and Kim nurtured a dream to save the back-forty of their farm dissected by a deep limestone gorge. This desire led them into partnership with the Arc, and today Quiverheart Gorge Preserve is a reality.
Jacob Bartley is a Restoration Ecologist and Wetland Scientist for Plum Hill Ecological Services his small consulting, habitat restoration, and GIS mapping outfit. Jacob has been working in applied ecology and botanical inventory projects throughout the southern Ohio, Northern Kentucky, and southern Indiana region for over twenty years. Jacob’s specialties range from wetland and stream restoration, project planning, wetland delineations, botanical inventories, native plant propagation, large scale native plant installations, and GIS mapping. Jacob has been teaching wetland plant identification and wetland delineation classes for over five years and enjoys getting students into the field to experience wetland ecology hands-on.
Brent Charette was trained in forest resource management at Hocking Technical College. His first career was with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, working as a state-wide naturalist for the Division of Parks and Recreation. He eventually went on to serve as Park Manager at Malabar Farm State Park. Brent now works for the Arc of Appalachia. As Nancy’s partner, the two of them enjoy hosting natural history events and courses at the Highlands Nature Sanctuary and, in their personal time, caring for one of the Sanctuary’s tracts of land known as Ridgeview Restoration Farm. Brent’s greatest passions include nature interpretation, permaculture & forest gardening, native tree propagation, and subsistence gardening. He loves anything to do with trees, including growing edible mushrooms, carpentry, studying mycorrhizal associations, and teaching others how to learn and appreciate our native trees.
Elijah Crabtree is the On-site Land Manager for the Arc of Appalachia at Tremper Mound Preserve in Scioto County. Elijah was born and raised in Ross County - the epicenter of Hopewell architecture - where he developed a passion for local cultural history, natural sciences and conservation work. He has a special interest in connecting people to the natural world and promoting historically significant sites as protected public domains for education and inspiration.
Jeff Dickinson has been involved in organic, sustainable, regenerative agriculture over the last 50 years, with forests and nature being a part of his vocation and avocations throughout this period. In addition to his BS and MS in Horticulture, he has received his PhD in Entomology at OSU in pursuit of applied ecology in agroecosystems, including agroforestry. In addition to working at OSU as the Project Manager in Sustainable Agriculture, and the Agricultural Director at Meadowcreek Project in Arkansas, Jeff has spent the last 30 years as the Executive Director, Farmer, Educator, and Researcher at the Stratford Ecological Center.
Ann Geise is a nature, wildlife and landscape artist from Cincinnati, Ohio. Her passion for nature and the outdoors has been with her since childhood, and inspiration for her art stems from countless hours in the field, observing plants, birds, insects and more. After earning a degree in biology Ann worked in pharmaceutical research for a number of years before finding her 19-year long dream job as Cincinnati Nature Center's Artist and Exhibits Manager. Ann now collaborates with numerous nature and conservation organizations to create artwork that helps people connect with nature.
Teri Gilligan has been an outdoor enthusiast since childhood. She has been learning about variousaspects of the Midwestern ecosystem since the early 2000’s through participation with formalworkshops or groups she volunteers with. She is intrigued by every facet of nature from fungi tofireflies, moths, plants, trees, animals and birds.
Mark Hoberecht’s love and wonder for nature began as a child. He is fascinated by all aspects of the eastern Forest, and especially its ferns. He first became familiar with the Arc when attending a fern course in the summer of 2014. It was during this and other courses, along with the Wildflower Pilgrimage, that Mark developed a lasting bond with the Arc of Appalachia “family.”
Mark is from northeast Ohio, and has recently retired after a nearly 40-year career at NASA working on fuel cell and other energy storage technologies. He holds a B.S. in chemical engineering, and M.S. degrees in engineering science and sustainable systems. Mark also founded a small business, HarvestBuild Associates, that specialized in various natural building techniques, including straw-bale and cob construction.
Ethan King is the Assistant Manager of Land Stewardship at the Arc of Appalachia. He is a native of Cincinnati and has developed a passion for the outdoors, which stemmed from his Grandmother who is an outstanding naturalist herself. He is an only child, so he is very close with his parents, family, and friends that he has stayed in touch with after graduating from High school. Ethan graduated from Hocking College with a degree in Wildlife Management. He worked for Wayne National Forest where he used topographic maps to locate Tree of Heaven infestations and schedule them for removal. While looking to get his foot in the door after graduation, he found a job in Colorado where he engaged in ecological field studies for a company called NEON (National Ecological Observatory Network). Shortly after that position had come to an end he knew his roots were in Ohio and wanted to look for work in his home state.
Brian Lokai is a veterinarian in Dayton, Ohio, and has been a long time supporter and friend of the Arc. He enjoys hiking and has attended many Arc education programs in the past. We are delighted that he is now willing to take the lead and share his knowledge with others!
Marcia Miller has been a lifelong yoga teacher, trainer, and studio owner (Yoga on High). Kevin Eigel has been an organic farmer and owner of Ecohouse Solar. As they came together about 18 years ago, they dreamed of creating a native wildlife sanctuary on the land they steward. This mission continues as they have planted more and more native plants, trees, prairies, and facilitated the building of a 100-acre wetland on land next door to them. They adore all the living things on the land and learn about them through courses at the Arc of Appalachia.
Austin Newton is dedicated to preserving natural spaces and fostering sustainable practices. Raised in southern Ohio, his connection to the land drives both his work and personal life. Before this role, Austin served as a naturalist, connecting people to nature through education and exploration. A published poet and filmmaker, he uses art to share his love for the natural world in creative and offbeat ways. Austin’s approach to land stewardship combines practical care with a sense of wonder, making him both a protector and explorer of the landscapes he cherishes.
Tim Norman spent his childhood hiking and camping around southwest Ohio. His parents and grandparents taught him about many plants that were used for food and medicine in the mountains of Kentucky. He has loved the outdoors ever since. He worked for the Columbus Metro Parks for a time slaughtering honeysuckle whenever possible. He has a Bachelor’s degree in Biology from the University of Cincinnati but spends his days working on computer networks. He has been involved in Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts in Clinton County, Ohio, for the past 10 years and teaches outdoor skills and tree identification to anyone that will listen. He has never met a genus and species of a tree that he didn’t like.
Rick Perkins recently retired from the role of Director of Camp Oty’Okwa, a year-round Big Brother Big Sisters of Central Ohio children’s camp in Hocking County. Earlier, he served a full career with the National Park Service, where he worked as Chief Ranger for Hopewell Culture National Historical Park in Ohio, and Park Ranger at Isle Royale National Park and Glacier Bay National Park. Because the Arc protects several ancient earthworks, Rick’s experience in protecting indigenous legacies is invaluable.
Tim Pohlar is a Project Lead for the Land Stewardship team and resides at Blackgum Woods with his wife Miriam and two daughters Rose and Quinn. Tim has been with the Arc since 2004, where he started as an intern, learning his trees and nature studies from the many great naturalists before him. He has a passion for sharing the beauty of nature with others and stewarding our natural lands.
Judy Semroc is a conservation specialist, field biologist and naturalist. Judy has 25+ years of experience offering hands-on exploration based learning programs. As a former Petroleum Geologist and science teacher, Judy loves to learn about and share her passion for the natural world through hikes, interpretive programs, and photography.
Judy is the founder of Chrysalis in Time‚ the first Ohio chapter of the North American Butterfly Association (NABA). Judy also serves on the board of the Ohio Bluebird Society & Ohio Ornithological Society (Conservation Committee). She has co-authored two natural history guides, “Dragonflies & Damselflies of Northeast Ohio” in 2008, and “Goldenrods of Northeast Ohio: A Field Guide to Identification & Natural History” in 2017.
Marilyn Welker has served on the Arc board for the past 5 1/2 years, was a long-time activist in Columbus, and co-founded and directed Simply Living for many years. Living in the "cornfields of Champaign County" for the past 20 years, she has been "learning by doing," transforming two+ acres of disturbed land (former quarry) to create biodiversity by building the soils and planting native trees, bushes, flowers, and edible plants.
Brit Wood is our facilities manager at the Arc of Appalachia. He grew up on the west side of Cincinnati, constantly playing in nature. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree at the Ohio State University in the field of Astronomy. After college, he worked various jobs in Columbus and a wood shop in Chattanooga, Tennessee. In 2016, Brit and his wife Andrea returned to Ohio and began working together at the Arc. He has used the opportunity living and working in South Central Ohio to learn and love the diverse flora and fauna of its unique biome.
Rebecca Wood is a retired professor of Natural Resource Management from Hocking College where she taught Dendrology, Field Ecology, Wetland Management, Herbal Studies, Soils and many other field-based courses. She currently owns and operates Hopewood Holistic Health & Holistic Journeys providing education and assessment in holistic wellness strategies and offers International Eco-wellness journeys to explore other's Backyards and Beyond, unique cultures and incredible Nature. She was honored recently as one of Ohio's 7 Herbal Elders by United Plant Savers (https://unitedplantsavers.org/ohio-herbal-elder-rebecca-wood/) and loves storytelling and igniting the 'green spark' in others to ensure, understanding, appreciation and sustainable use of Nature's diverse gifts. You can learn more about Rebecca at www.hopewoodholistichealth.com.