Andie Bisceglia (Durham, CT) – BS (2009) in Environmental Studies and Chemistry from Bates College.  Andie fell in love with the state of Maine while attending Bates and working on farms here in the summer.  When she is not skiing or running through the woods, you can usually find Andie making something scrumptious to eat in the kitchen or crouched down in the garden with her hands in the dirt.  After spending some time in the city of Portland, Andie is excited to get back outside and play on the beach for her second term at Ferry Beach!

Charlie Creagh (Boston, MA) – BA (2008) in Business and Economics from the University of Maine at Farmington.  Charlie is a Virgo who enjoys hiking, live music, and campfires.  Charlies past work with the Sustainable Campus Coalition and AmeriCorps got him excited to work with people of all ages in the great outdoors! Charlie is looking forward to rejoining the FBES staff for a second term.

Katie Gavenus (Aspen)  (Homer, Alaska) – BA (2009) in Environmental Studies and Visual Arts from Bowdoin College.  As a child, Katie was fascinated by all parts of her local environment, from the worms and beetles under rotten logs to the octopi in their dens at low tide to the black bears chowing down on blueberries.  As she got older, her love for the outdoors continued to grow.  Drawn by the coastal pace of life, ocean mist, and true winters, Katie discovered Maine as a second home while attending college in Brunswick, Maine.  She can often be found baking, hiking, playing soccer, taking pictures, or tide pooling.  She loves jumping in all sorts of water – puddles, rivers, lakes, and, of course, oceans. She is very excited to return to Maine and be a part of learning and teaching at FBES.

Laura Hughes (Burnt Hills, NY) – MS (2009) in Environmental Education from Slippery Rock University. BS (2003) in Environmental Science from the University of New England.  Laura enjoys playing guitar, riding horses and spending time outdoors hiking and breathing fresh air. She is a New Englander at heart and after spending four years in Texas, she is looking forward to changing seasons again! She loves to learn and share what she learns with others.  Laura agreed to return to FBES for a second term because of the new bug boxes they promised to buy her.

Katie Hyman (CO) – BA (2008) in History and Asian Studies from Bowdoin College in Maine.  Although originally from Colorado Katie has spent 5 out of the last 6 years in Maine in college and as a teaching fellow for the Chewonki Semester School.  She loves Maine from the inland rivers and mountains (where she loves to white water kayak and telemark ski) to the coast.  Before returning to Maine after college, Katie worked and lived in Sri Lanka where she enjoyed speaking Sinhala, eating delicious tropical fruits and spicy curries and visiting ancient Buddhist temples.  Katie is thrilled to be joining the FBES staff this fall!

Mike McGee (New Brighton, PA) – BS (2008) in Environmental Studies from Lesley University.  Mike has a passion for education and the ability to connect environmental issues to both youth and adults.  Mike is passionate about gardening and the drive towards sustainability.  Mike recently graduated from the Audubon Expedition Institute at Lesley University where he was able to travel and learn in British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, California, Arizona, Utah, Hawaii and Maine. 

Jessica McMahon (Oxford, ME) – BS (2008) in Environmental Studies from Lesley University.  Jessica had the opportunity to do a lot of traveling as part of the Audubon Expedition Institute and has worked extensively with the Boy Scouts of America as an ecology and conservation director.  Jessica loves to spend time outdoors and read books of all kinds.  She is excited to officially be joining the FBES team this fall!

Caroline Achieng Odera (Kisumu, Kenya) – Diploma in Business Management from Kenya Institute of Management (KIM) with a concentration in Nature Based Enterprises. Carol has worked as an environmental educator with schools and communities around Lake Victoria for over 4 years.  She was international corps member at Earth Corps (Seattle, WA) and was involved in carrying out environmental restoration projects and volunteer conservation events with school children and general community members. Carol enjoys being around people with great sense of humor, dancing to the tune of sweet music and listening to people’s stories, because she learns a lot from them! She likes cooking and being outdoors with friends. She is very excited to be at the east coast to meet new people and learn with children.

Brad Pillen (Harper Woods, MI) – BS (2009) in Earth Science, Environmental Studies and Secondary Education from Western Michigan University.  Brad is originally from the great state of Michigan.  He enjoys all things outdoors, especially hiking, biking, and being on the water.  In addition to various outdoor activities, Brad also likes to spend his down time playing music or practicing his juggling skills.  Since graduating from WMU, Brad has led a backcountry chainsaw crew in Colorado, worked in a bike shop in Kalamazoo, and taught environmental education in South Carolina.

Wick Prichard (Tennille, GA) – BA (2000) in History from the University of Georgia.  Wick enjoys birding, tide pooling, cooking and playing music with all different types, ages and kinds of people.  Originally from Georgia, he has also lived in many other states, most recently California.  He is looking forward to returning for his second term to FBES.

Rebecca Taylor (Augusta, GA) –BFA (2008) in Interdisciplinary Studies in Scientific Illustration from the University of Georgia.  Rebecca is looking forward to returning to the east coast after spending the winter and summer in Alaska as a marine science educator and park ranger.  Rebecca loves to be outside hiking and biking and enjoys playing the guitar and cooking delicious foods.  She can’t wait to join the FBES team.

Sarah Trapido (New York, NY) – BA (2008) in Gender and Women’s Studies from Connecticut College.  Sarah grew up in the urban jungle of New York City and was nicknamed Iwi, which means “family group” in Maori, after entering college. In college, she studied philosophy, creative writing, environmental studies, and wrote her senior project on ecofeminism and the Yellowstone bison. Sarah has driven a bio diesel bus across the country, farmed organically, and lived in Montana with the Buffalo Field Campaign. She enjoys the smell of cedar, and loves hiking, art, singing, and designing Halloween costumes; she recently learned to felt. She knows the Ferry Beach Ecology School will be a great adventure and looks forward to learning with you. 

Linda Newell, R.N. (Old Orchard Beach, ME) — Linda is a nurse, mother of 4 sons, grandmother of 4 granddaughters and 3 grandsons and has practiced in nursing almost continuously since 1961.  Linda lives with her cat, Muffin, and is excited about returning to the FBES team for her fifth term.

Rich O'Brien, Proprietor, Pangea Food Service. Rich is from Hull, Massachusetts and is a master in the kitchen. He's has a long history with Ferry Beach and he and his staff have been providing delicious and nutritious meals in our dining hall since 1999! When he's not cooking, Rich enjoys his hobbies — traveling and scuba diving. This picture of Rich was taken in Dublin, Ireland during a menu research & development trip.