Katie Ryan, Executive Director
Katie joined Opal Creek Ancient Forest Center in March of 2005. She brings twelve years of experience organizing and leading field education programs throughout Oregon, Washington, California, the Yellowstone region, and Canada. Before coming to Opal Creek, she was directing programs at OMSI’s Cascade Science School in Bend, OR. At home in the mountains, she brings years of experience sharing wild places with students of all ages throughout the Pacific Northwest and Rocky Mountains. Having spent three years living full time at Jawbone Flats, Opal Creek has become one of her absolute favorite places to share. Katie worked as our Program Director building our ever growing programs from 2005- 2009 and took over as Executive Director in October of 2009. She now lives in Bend, OR with her husband Joe and enjoys hiking in the high desert and skiing Mt Bachelor when she is not working for or visiting Opal Creek.
Hometown: Cazenovia, NY
What are you thankful for this year?: my husband Joe, my family, friends and my dog, Murphy
Now playing on your iPod: Phish – pretty much always
Favorite smell: Oregon’s high desert in the rain
Guilty pleasure: People magazine
Currently reading: East of Eden by John Steinbeck
Favorite food: New York bagels and cream cheese
Favorite outdoor spot: changes with the season, too many to list
Favorite outdoor activity: hiking, walking, skiing, rafting…can’t pick just one
Favorite quote: “The mountains are calling and I must go.” –John Muir
E-mail: kryan@opalcreek.org
Brian Campbell, Facilities Director
Brian is a recent graduate of SUNY Geneseo in upstate New York where he earned a degree in English Literature. He has an eclectic work history involving cooking at the esteemed Moosewood Restaurant, all manner of general contracting, a stint at a hardwood furniture factory and even working in and maintaining a small country store in the Roger Lakes region of New York. He is currently in the middle of his second winter in Jawbone Flats and looks forward to his fourth season with OCAFC.
Hometown: Sylvan Beach, NY
What are you thankful for this year?: surviving the winter and getting to live in Jawbone Flats for another season
Now playing on your iPod: every member of the band Punch Brothers
Favorite smell: the grove at Cedar Flats
Guilty pleasure: chocolate covered pretzels dipped in peanut butter
Currently reading: The Crossing by Cormac McCarthy
Favorite food: anything off the grill
Favorite outdoor spot: it’s a secret (hint: it’s in the Opal Creek Wilderness)
Favorite outdoor activity: amblin’ and a ‘ramblin
Favorite quote: I can’t think of it right now, but rest assured, it is incredibly profound.
E-mail: bcampbell@opalcreek.org
Gabbi Haber, Registrar
Gabbi Haber traded in the oaks and maples of Massachusetts for the redwoods and hemlocks of Oregon nearly ten years ago. After graduating from Lewis and Clark College with BA’s in Art History and Anthropology, she dived into the local food and farmers market scenes, and spent her free time traveling Oregon and the world. Recently she left her 9-5 office job to commit her life to nonprofit and farmers market work–and though this means no more world traveling, she couldn’t be happier.
Hometown?: Westford, MA
What are you thankful for this year?: sunny days sweeping the clouds away, fresh mint, library books, and walking barefoot.
What person would you most like to meet?: Pastry chef and food writer David Lebovitz
Playing on your iPod right now?: the soundtrack to I’m Not There
Favorite smell?: Daphnes blossoming
Guilty pleasure?: chili rellenos burritos
Currently reading?: Salt: A World History by Mark Kurlansky and The Food of Morocco by Paula Wolfert
Favorite food?: Fresh cherries
Favorite outdoor spot?: Anywhere on the Oregon coast overlooking the ocean
Favorite quote?: “At the risk of seeming ridiculous, let me say that the true revolutionary is guided by a great feeling of love.” – Che Guevara
E-Mail: ghaber@opalcreek.org
Tucker Lee, Program Director
Tucker was born and raised in Louisiana, right down the street from his entire extended family. After high school he explored the outdoor world for the first time, back country skiing in Colorado for several years. After spending so much time recreating in the wilderness, he started dreaming about working in it too. After taking a couple NOLS courses he was initiated into the wonderful world of outdoor education. He hasn’t looked back since. Tucker attended Brevard College in western North Carolina, receiving degrees in Wilderness Leadership and Experiential Education. During his time at school he worked all over the country, from New Canaan, Connecticut, to McCall, Idaho, choosing to focus on science and environmental education because of the amazing things he found everyday when learning about the environment. He says, “OCAFC is the most amazing place I’ve had the privilege to work, not only because of the big trees, but because of the amazing people and incredible programs.”
Hometown: Baton Rouge, LA
What are you thankful for this year?: something new everyday
What person would you most like to meet?: Benjamin Franklin
Now playing on your iPod: Kid Cudi
Favorite smell: Galax
Guilty pleasure: Judge Judy
Currently reading: An awful sci-fi saga. Can’t stop halfway through though.
Favorite food: Cracklin’ (double fried pig fat)
Favorite outdoor activity: galavantin’
Favorite quote: “Listen to me: the past is gone, the future doesn’t exist, and the time is now.” - Al Al
E-Mail: tuckerlee@opalcreek.org
Kristina Oldani, Development Associate
Kristina’s love of the outdoors was inherited from her dad, Michael, who began taking her on backpacking trips through southern Illinois and the Upper Peninsula, Michigan when she was in middle school, teaching her respect for the environment and natural processes and instilling in her a “leave it better than you found it” mentality. She graduated from Loyola University Chicago in 2008 with a BA in Art History and a minor in Ceramics. Swearing she would never spend another winter in Chicago, Kristina moved to Portland in August of 2008 and immediately fell in love with Oregon. An avid writer, she loves her development work and the pen to paper nature of her job with Opal Creek. And she loves Opal Creek (so does her dad).
Hometown: Springfield, IL
What are you thankful for right now?: the days I don’t get rained on when walking to/from work, blossoming trees, my chiropractor
What is playing on your iPod right now: Patty Griffin’s A Kiss in Time
Favorite smell: cedar bark
Guilty pleasure: napping
Currently reading: Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed
Favorite food: fruit salad
Favorite outdoor spot: Can’t pick just one, but my hike on Silver Star Mountain near Mt. St. Helens on my birthday was definitely one of the year’s highlights.
Favorite outdoor activity: walking, hiking or running. Anything that requires legs with no apparatus between my shoes and the ground.
Favorite quote: “The tendency nowadays to wander in wilderness is delightful to see. Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home.”
–John Muir
E-mail: koldani@opalcreek.org
Rebekah Yglesias, Food Service Director
Rebekah began the 2008 season in the Jawbone Flats lodge kitchen as food service director. She is a northwest native who grew up on the Olympic Peninsula and graduated from the University of Washington. Rebekah has lived on sailboats, cruised the San Juan Islands to California, raised five children, worked in Child Psychology, managed a remote retreat center on the coast for a decade and traveled to wild places such as Patmos and the Osa Peninsula. Nowadays she is very content serving OCAFC guests – like a lucky kid who gets to go to the most awesome summer camp for most of the year.
Hometown: Portland (for this year, anyway)
What are you thankful for this year?: my family
Now playing on your iPod: One Eskimo Kandi
Favorite smell: lavender and lemongrass
Guilty pleasure: people watching at “The Bins” in Sellwood
Currently reading: Hidden Messages of Water by Masuru Emoto
Favorite food: sushi
Favorite outdoor spot: razor clam digging on Copalis Beach in Washington (north of Copalis River, also called Mocrocks)
Favorite quote: “A human being is part of a whole, called by us ‘universe,’ a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings, as something separated from the rest, a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.” –Albert Einstein
E-mail: ryglesias@opalcreek.org
2012 Seasonal Staff
Science Instructors
Aislinn Dugan
Ellen Incelli
Mary Lugg
Hometown: Stillwater, OK
What are you thankful for this year: My family and friends and being able to share amazing experiences with them such as hiking in the Opal Creek Wilderness and skiing at Mt. Bachelor
Who is/are your favorite musical artist(s): I just saw Beats Antique perform. Zoe Jakes is a belly dancing goddess. Other amazing performers for me this year were Punch Brothers, Galactic, March Forth, Yonder Mountain String Band, and Head for the Hills.
Favorite smell: lavendar
Guilty pleasure: Project Runway
Currently Reading: In the Shadow of Man by Dr. Jane Goodall
Favorite food: burrito night at the Opal Creek lodge
Favorite outdoor spot: Mt. Bachelor
Favorite outdoor activity: it’s a tie between skiing and hiking
Favorite quote: “Knowledge is the preface of peace.” -Willamette University clock tower
Logan Shane
Assistant Cooks
Carmen Tomas
