Al-E Baldwin

Al-E grew up in the Seattle area where she ran wild and free around the Cascade Mountains and in the rainforest until the time came for a more structured form of education. She graduated from Connecticut College in May 2006 with a degree in Environmental Science. After graduation she went to a wilderness school in Connecticut where she worked a variety of positions. Some of these include leading expedition trips, working with home school groups in outdoor education and team building, leading and coordinating logistics for a program for amazing young women in the wilderness, and food coordinating. She has spent a winter working for an animal preservation group in West Yellowstone, Montana and a few autumns and a spring traveling. Al-E decided it was time for a more drastic scenery change and came to Pathfinder Ranch in late August of 2008.

Monique Berg

Monique graduated with a BA in Environmental Science.  This degree was perfect for her, since she loves working and learning about the outdoors.  Her first outdoor work experience was an Americorps program in Maine.  She traveled all over the state living and working outside without taking showers for 8 days - what fun!  She started working in outdoor education to gain teaching experience for Peace Corps.  However, she hurt her knee and wasn’t able to complete Peace Corps service, and now travels this country learning about the different habitats and cultures.  She has met and taught some amazing individuals.  She feels traveling--being outdoors, educating kids, meeting new people and absorbing as much new information as possible--is the way to live your life.

Leah Callan

Leah is originally from Michigan, where her love for the environment was nurtured by the beautiful Great Lakes and ten years of northern Michigan summer camps. She received her BS from Michigan State University in Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Resources, and spent summers exploring the exotic places the world has to offer. After college, Leah took an internship with the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy in San Francisco, leading local school groups in habitat restoration work from the Marin Headlands to Yosemite. She then decided that California and its amazing environmental education opportunities beat out Michigan's winters any day, and never left. She has worked as a naturalist at two other outdoor education schools in southern California before joining the awesome program at Pathfinder Ranch.

Toya Coleman

Toya says if she could be any fruit, she would be a granny smith apple because they go great with peanut butter and she loves peanut butter.  Her favorite tree is the Weeping Willow.  Toya got her start in EE/OE when she volunteered for Americorps six years ago, and has been teaching ever since.  She graduated with a BA in Liberal Studies. She loves the outdoors and is excited to be on the west coast. Toya can't wait to hang out with the students that come to Pathfinder Ranch.

Deanna Erickson, Outdoor Education Director

Deanna’s love of outdoor education and general wanderlust have led her all over the place, and eventually to Southern California, which she never expected to like as much as she does.  Wide open spaces of all kinds call to her, and she is thus drawn to the desert and the ocean.  Deanna has worked for Audubon, the YMCA, the Nature Conservancy, Student Conservation Association and the Whale Camp.  She has a degree in Environmental Education.

Bill Flynn

Bill Flynn hails from one of the most influential, important, and exciting states in the Union.  That’s right folks, Iowa!  William David Flynn III was born and raised in Bettendorf, where he ate 35 tons of corn in his childhood, leading to his 6’4”, 250 pounds of awesomeness.  Bill attended the University of Colorado and earned a degree in Environmental, Population, and Organismic Biology.  After graduating, he worked for a year as an outdoor educator in Brinkhaven, Ohio and is now happy to be at it again at Pathfinder Ranch.  In his free time Bill enjoys watching football, playing football, playing video game football, and long walks on the beach. 

Sarah Gaskin

Originally from Georgia, Sarah considers North Carolina to be her home. She recently graduated from Warren Wilson college with a degree in environmental chemistry. After working at the Pathfinder Ranch summer camp in 2006, Sarah knew she wanted to come back for an OE season. On her off days, she loves to go rock climbing or biking, but mostly she loves adventures and fun.

Aijah Keith

After a crushing American Idol defeat, Aijah decided she should stop trying to be famous and start teaching children about cool and interesting things.  Aijah has worked at four different outdoor education centers in Texas, California and Connecticut--her home state. Living and traveling in interesting places is important to her, as well as hiking in the woods with kids, snowboarding, and trying to figure out how she should go about being awesome at all times.

Aly Leavitt

Aly grew up in the land of sun and fun right here in Southern California. Living in Los Angeles she has basically grown up at the beach and thinks that there is nothing like a long day of surfing, wave diving and seagull catching. Aly also thinks there is nothing better than a good mud fight! She loves learning and laughing with kids and has been volunteering and working for the past three years at Camp Ronald McDonald for Good Times where she realized how great pet skunks can be and how magical the great outdoors are. Her love of being outdoors and teaching kids is what brought her to Pathfinder Ranch. Aly is excited to rock it out with all the students that come to Pathfinder Ranch this year!

Dylan-Ernst "Red" Schäfer

Red has been teaching at the Ranch on and off for four years now. His passions include photography, music, sports and the outdoors. In the future, Red would like to use his bachelor's degree in journalism (from USC) and his master's degree in photography (from Boston University) to teach photojournalism on the high school or college level. But for now he's content living in the mountains and teaching kids about stuff. Oh yeah, and "Red is probably the most awesome person you'll ever meet." That's a direct quote from Aijah.

Joanna Vance

Jo was born and raised in sunny Southern California and has a great appreciation for sandy beaches, palm trees, and surfing!  Jo has a B.S. in Environmental Management and a minor in Government from the University of Redlands.  During college, she fell in love with the great outdoors and science. She spent two years researching desert tortoises in the Mojave Desert and a semester studying the tropical rainforests of Australia. For the last three years Jo has volunteered and worked for Camp Good Times. It was there that she realized her love for working with children, backpacking, camp songs, mud fights, and laughing until her sides hurt. Jo spent time last year teaching science, exploring nature, and spotting banana slugs with students in the beautiful redwoods of northern California, and is thrilled to spend time with the students that come to Pathfinder Ranch!! In her spare time, Jo enjoys laughing a lot, running, rock 'n' roll music, reading good books, drinking coffee, and spending time with friends and family.

Dale Versteegen, Assistant OE Director

Dale’s enthusiasm and interest in the natural world has led him on worldwide adventures that finally brought him to Southern California and Pathfinder Ranch. What started as a 12 month international exchange to study Animal and Veterinary Biosciences at Washington State University turned into a four year American epic adventure. Dale spent his time here working as a Research Ecologist and Sea Kayaking in the State of Washington, and as a naturalist in South Eastern Minnesota.  On a personal note, Dale is not afraid of live cougars.