Christian is a lifelong traveller and educator (interservice communications software instructor in the U.S. Army, public high school teacher in Houston, docent for the Central Coast State Parks Association in California, and kayak guide in Morro Bay, California), who only recently fulfilled his lifelong dream of exploring Yellowstone beginning in 2021 when he signed on as a Field Educator after several months as a Program Volunteer for the Institute at the Lamar Buffalo Ranch. He loves the outdoors and sharing its wonders with others in the hope that they might be similarly inspired and take anything learned back with them to share and apply in their home communities as we all work together in our global efforts to appreciate natural spaces and their importance in all of our lives. Kayaking, hiking, birding, soccer, tennis, scuba diving, reading, and meeting others are how you are likely to find him occupied when he’s not in the field. Christian is fluent in Spanish and conversant in French and Portuguese.
Hannah Brink
Field Educator
Hannah was born & raised in Colorado and has a degree from Colorado State University in Biology, with an Ecology emphasis. She loves nature, especially all things animals. Her favorite things to do outdoors are go river tubing, surfing, skiing, and birding! When she’s not working, she also loves to sing, play with her dog, curl up with a good book, or eat great food!
David Valdivia
Field Educator
David has been working in the National Parks in multiple capacities for the past 13 years (primarily Yellowstone National Park). His goal and passion is to educate and inspire those who visit the National Parks and other natural places beyond. I will never claim that I know everything when it comes to Yellowstone and other National Parks, but I will say that I know a little bit of everything.
Kyle Wonders
Field Educator
Kyle started his career as a wildlife biologist, but quickly realized his true passion lay in environmental education. Over the last five years, he has worked to combine wildlife biology with environmental education through roles as Citizen Science Coordinator with a western Montana watershed group, curriculum designer for a zoological museum, and a Beaver Conflict Resolution Specialist with the National Wildlife Federation. He brings his passion for the natural world to his work as an educator as he creates connections to place through authentic experiences in and on the landscapes he works within. Kyle has a deep curiosity for the ways that wildlife finds itself so intrinsically interconnected with geology, history, and in so many ways our lives. He is an avid bird-watcher, fly fisherman, and backpacker who strives to experience and connect with the natural world in as many ways as possible.
Kat Greene
Field Educator
Katherine Greene has been an enthusiastic field educator and naturalist for over 20 years, the last two working for the National Park Service as a ranger in Yellowstone. Her passion is sharing her awe and wonder about the natural world, believing that if others feel the same way they will protect it.
Piper Jefferson
Institute Program Coordinator
Piper Jefferson is an educator and naturalist who has lived and worked in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem for over two years. After earning her Bachelor’s degree in Sustainability Studies with a concentration in Conservation Biology, and now pursuing a Master’s of Natural Resource Stewardship and Ecological Restoration, she has found outdoor-based, experiential education to be a passion worth following. Being very intrigued by the natural world and having a lot of excitement to express, Piper is an enthusiastic storyteller who loves to share her excitement with anyone interested in listening!
Nancy Lewis
Field Educator
Nancy has been a naturalist guide and educator in the Yellowstone area since 2015, but she has been fostering a passion for the outdoors and wild places since she first became a naturalist leader in junior high school. Now, she combines her experience in education with her love of the park to help lifelong learners look closely at nature. She takes her passion for the outdoors south for the winter, working as a naturalist guide in Arizona. Nancy speaks Chinese conversationally and Spanish fluently.
Dave Oberbillig
Field Educator
Missoula, Montana is home for Dave, though a big piece of home exists in Yellowstone. Dave is retired from public school teaching where he engaged high school students in the study of biology, ecology and conservation for 20 years. Journeys to Yellowstone were part of the teaching and learning year. It’s a true pleasure for Dave to share the wonders of Yellowstone National Park with visitors young and old, and those both new to Yellowstone and returning once again to experience the magic of Wonderland.
Sean Miller
Field Educator
Card carrying Yellowstone Nerd. Some of Sean’s specific areas of interest are Human History, Hydrothermal Geology, and Environmental Ethics. Sean is also involved in EMS/SAR and has worked for the National Park Service in that capacity. He views public education as a means of fostering a deeper (and more responsible) engagement with our National Parks at a time when their public funding isn’t keeping pace with public demand.
Mark Wolf
Field Educator
Mark Wolf is a passionate advocate for environmental education and conservation, currently serving as a Field Educator at Yellowstone Forever. As a member of the park service previously, Mark worked to ensure the park’s ecological integrity while providing visitors with enriching experiences that showcased the park’s natural wonders. Now as a Field Educator at Yellowstone Forever, Mark continues his mission of inspiring environmental consciousness and fostering a deep appreciation for the unique ecosystems within Yellowstone National Park.
Abbey Thomas
Field Educator
Abbey Thomas is a former wildlife researcher who has worked in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem for around seven years now. She grew up just west of Yellowstone and considers the ecosystem to be her home. Abbey made the switch to working as an educator because of her passion for helping foster other people’s curiosity for the natural world. She is also passionate about environmental conservation and strives to help others become stewards for the ecosystem. Abbey is an avid outdoorswoman who loves exploring the little details in the environment, and she enjoys sharing those details with others.
Amanda Evans
Lead Field Educator
Amanda Evans is a Yellowstone Forever lead field educator. Her passion for wildlife and wild places has led her to making the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem her home. She feels that it is through firsthand experience with the natural world that people build the strongest connections to it. Her goal is to use education to foster the same appreciation she feels and to inspire others to preserve and protect nature in all spaces.
Sam Archibald, M.E.M.
Field Education Manager
Sam Archibald is the Field Education Manager for Yellowstone Forever. Along the trail toward environmental education, Sam developed outdoor leadership programs as a Peace Corps volunteer, led YCC work crews as a park ranger, and earned his master’s degree in environmental management (Western Colorado University). As a Lead Field Educator with YF, Sam taught field courses on wolf ecology, birds & blooms, Yellowstone Communities and Kinship, and other topics related to Yellowstone geology, ecology, and management. Sam is grateful for every day he gets to spend out in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and looks forward to the continual discoveries offered by this wild and wonderful landscape.
