Josh is an associate professor of Environmental Humanities at Unity Environmental University, where he teaches courses in history, writing, and environmental ethics. His research connects the histories of slavery and animal husbandry in early America, while dipping into the history of capitalism. It asks a big, perhaps unanswerable, question: How do the ways people treat nature shape how they treat each other?

Prior to academic life, Josh worked on a farm in New Hampshire, then took gigs as a commercial fisherman on a rusty trawler off the coast of Massachusetts, a carpenter, a lawn care professional, and an office worker.

Josh lives in Unity, Maine, with his wife and two kids. He enjoys reading, walking in nature, and taking down opponents in ping-pong.

Randy holds a Bachelors in Environmental Science with an emphasis in Conservation Law. Having grown accustomed to the warmer southern climate that Waldo County offered over his native Aroostook County, and his wife having one year left in her degree, he started a career in the Corrections Division at the Waldo County Sheriff's Office during his final year of college. 25 years (22 with Waldo SO) later, he still finds himself on the western side of Waldo County raising two sons and enjoying the warmth! He is also passionate about the underserved. With that, he currently serves as the Vice-Chair of the Belfast Soup Kitchen (BSK) to address food insecurity in the Waldo County area. His professional pursuits are reintegrating justice involved individuals to an active and productive role in society. Not everyone has an easy start on the journey of life. It is his strong belief that through evidence-based education and connection to the community, we will have a more productive and harmonious society.

Tia has worked over the past fifteen years in the field of harm reduction. She has supported those with substance use disorders as a licensed alcohol and drug counselor and certified clinical supervisor as well as a regional director over 8 opiate treatment facilities. She is now working with individuals involved in the criminal justice system as the deflection and diversion program manager in conjunction with the district 6 corrections collaborative, serving the four counties of Lincoln, Sagadahoc, Knox and Waldo. Her approach to harm reduction involves facilitating connections in people's lives to reduce the potential for future adversity. Tia is the single mother of two young adults. Her experiences with having high school aged children through the pandemic and the barriers to their success has motivated her to include the youth educational system in her passion for fostering community connections and support systems.

Malcolm taught biology at Davidson College (NC) for 30 years before retiring to Oakland, ME in the summer of 2024. He balanced his career with teaching in the classroom and lab, mentoring students in basic research, developing new curriculum and publishing pedagogical research. Malcolm mentored over 200 research students, most of whom continued their education in PhD programs or medical schools. He helped start two journals (CBE Life Sciences Education and CourseSource.org). Over his career, he served on multiple editorial and governing boards and was treasurer of the American Society for Cell Biology. Motivating his passion for teaching was is belief that “education is everyone’s golden ticket,” meaning that when students become life-long learners, they take control of their lives and futures. Malcolm was married for 34 years until his beloved wife died from cancer. Together they raised two daughters who he tries to visit as often as possible. When he is not helping ELC, he enjoys kayaking, snowshoeing and hiking.

Donyse, a lifelong resident of Unity, enjoys many community connections. She has seen first-hand the growth of her small town and believes that investing in its youth is the only way to ensure a viable future. She has 35 years of experience in the field of education; 25 as a high school English teacher at Mount View in RSU3, and, for the past 10 years, as a school guidance counselor at Mount View and now at Nokomis Regional High in Newport, ME. She currently serves as the Director of Guidance there. She cherishes her work with young adults, helping them navigate their own paths in meaningful and
challenging ways. She enjoys spending time with her grandchildren in many of the same ways she savored growing up; skipping rocks, floating, and fishing on the shores of the beautiful Lake Winnecook in Unity.

Margaret has a life long career of advocating and supporting young people as they journey toward adulthood. Receiving a BS in education, Margaret began her career teaching middle and high school physical education and coaching high school athletics. She then attended graduate school at Ohio State and joined the Ohio Department of Corrections to work with youth, and at the other end of the continuum she coordinated girls programs for the Greater Boston Area Girl Scouts. In 2002 , Margaret and her partner Barbara moved to Belfast for Barbara to teach in the Ecological Teaching & Learning graduate program Downeast. Margaret co-developed a restorative justice presence that grew from an initial focus on juvenile diversion from court to the Restorative Justice Project of the Midcoast, with Margaret as its founding director. Margaret continues her work as an educator committed to advancing restorative practices in Maine. She lives with her partner, Barbara and their dog Paco in Belfast and enjoys long walks, traveling, and rooting for the Green Bay Packers.

Beth (she/her) has worked as an experiential and adventure practitioner with Project Adventure, Outward Bound Wilderness, the American Youth Foundation, and Unity College. A consummate student-centered educator, Beth’s background is in canoeing, wilderness expedition, teaching and learning pedagogy, and institutional adventure administration, as well as challenge course design, installation, and programming. Beth grew up in the woods of Wisconsin and has worked and played in many of our nation’s natural treasures. She has spent a lifetime engaged in outdoor exploration to stay physically and emotionally centered. Beth has lived in Belfast, Maine, since 2006 and finds many similarities between the good people of Wisconsin and Maine. In her spare time, she enjoys being active with friends and her local community. She is drawn to support the work of the Ecology Learning Center because of her passion for nature and experiential learning. Beth holds a BA in English Literature from University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a Master of Education in Administration and Supervision from Antioch University, New England.

Jen is an employee-owner at ReVision Energy in Montville, where she joined the team in 2009 and serves as the companywide billing supervisor. Since moving to Waldo County from her hometown of Jefferson, Jen has served as treasurer of the Brooks Park Boosters, Our Town Belfast, Marsh River Co-op, and Cornerspring Montessori School. She is a graduate of High Mowing School in Wilton, NH, and Hampshire College in Amherst, MA, where she studied literature and education. Jen lives in Brooks with her husband and son. She enjoys sailing the waters of Penobscot Bay aboard her 35' cutter Sea Pea, growing flowers, hosting Friday night homemade pizza dinners, and exploring the many paths and preserves of midcoast Maine.

Lauren is a lifelong Waldo County resident, currently residing in Freedom with her husband and son. She attended the University of Maine at Orono, graduating with degrees in Landscape Horticulture and Sustainable Agriculture. Post graduation, Lauren began the career she loves to this day in Product Development at Johnny's Selected Seeds, based at the Albion Research Farm location. Passionate about supporting local agriculture, Lauren serves on the Board of Directors for Maine Farmland Trust. In her free time, she enjoys long walks in nature, gardening, and sharing good food with family and friends.