About Us
The Pajarito Environmental Education Center is operated by a Board of Directors, staff members, and a corps of devoted volunteers.
Please use Board@PajaritoEEC.org or the Contact page to reach the board of directors.
We invite you to read our 2012 Annual Report.
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Katie Watson
662-0460 |
Katie Watson got her BA from St. John's College in Santa Fe, where she studied the Great Books. Her MA is in International Relations from George Washington University. After this, she returned to New Mexico where she became a certified teacher through the University of New Mexico/Santa Fe Public Schools Intern program. She has taught grades K-6 in GATE and regular ed settings. She is currently a Pre K-12 Level II Licensed teacher with endorsements in Science, Math, Language Arts, Social Studies, and Library/Media. Her love of the outdoors was born from her summers as a child at Farm and Wilderness summer camps in Vermont, continued through her college years when she was a member of the St. John's College Search and Rescue team, and lives on today though her trail running and mountain biking. She came to work for PEEC in August 2010. |
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Angelique Harshman
662-0460 |
Angelique has worked in environmental education for over 15 years. She lived in Los Alamos for five years when she was younger and moved back to Los Alamos in August 2011. Angelique studied Ecology, Ethology and Evolution at the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana and started her career working as an educator with the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago. She also worked for two forest preserve districts in Illinois, as a naturalist and volunteer coordinator. Before moving to New Mexico, Angelique was in charge of children and youth programs along with a Summer Science Camp at the Morton Arboretum. Angelique started working as a volunteer for PEEC in the fall of 2011, began developing curriculum for Los Alamos school children in January 2012, and joined PEEC as the Office Administrator in March 2012. She loves exploring, camping, and hiking throughout the Pajarito Plateau and the Jemez Mountains. |
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Beth Cortright
662-0460 |
Beth Cortright got her BS degree in Biology from the College of Mount St. Joseph in 2009. She continued her education at the University of Cincinnati, where she earned her MS in Biological Sciences in 2012. After finishing school, Beth moved to White Rock in April 2012. In her first few months in the area, she started volunteering and teaching at PEEC. In an effort to play a larger role at PEEC, Beth applied for the Public Allies program to be a full-time employee for approximately 10 months. During this time, she will help build the capacity of PEEC, recruit and train new volunteers, and assist in managing the Center. Beth enjoys all aspects of the outdoors, including caving, hiking, camping, and rock climbing. |
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Teralene Foxx
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Terry has worked in the field of biology and ecology for over 40 years. She retired from LANL, where she did ecological studies. During her career, she studied fire ecology, wetland ecology, botany, and endangered species conservation. She has taught at UNM-LA and Ghost Ranch. She is a Master Storyteller and uses storytelling, field activities, and lectures to encourage students (children and adults) to understand ecological principles and care for the environment. Along with Dorothy Hoard, she has written "Plants of the Southwestern Woodlands" published by Otowi Press, which is used in wildflower identification classes. She has also written many technical publications including "Out of the Ashes, A Story of Natural Recovery" and "Amphibians and Reptiles of Los Alamos County." She lives in Los Alamos with her husband Jim. She is a quilter and artist and incorporates her love of the outdoors in her work. She sees the importance of training the next generation to love and conserve the earth. Board Member since fall 2008. |
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Felicia Orth
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Felicia is the New Mexico Environment Department Hearing Officer. She conducts permitting, adjudicatory and rulemaking hearings in air quality, solid waste, hazardous waste, liquid waste, ground water, surface water and construction programs. Previously, she worked in the Los Alamos County Attorney's Office, the NMED Office of General Counsel, and as an associate in a large law firm in the Midwest specializing in toxic tort litigation. Ms. Orth has an undergraduate degree in Philosophy from Washington University in St. Louis and a law degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She has served on the Los Alamos Utilities Board. She and her husband and two sons have especially enjoyed the canyons in Los Alamos since moving here in 1996. Board member since fall 2006. |
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Sue Watts
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At the age of three, Sue ignored her mother's strict instructions, strayed to the far side of the house, and encountered a cow. Since then, she discovered the joys of being outside, whether it was playing in creeks, climbing trees, hiking, canoeing, or hanging out in a hammock. Receiving her BS in Education, she taught, then raised a family and led a Girl Scout troop. Twenty years of eclectricity followed. She became a national environmental and outdoor trainer for Girl Scouts and their leaders; a manager of council volunteers and trainers; an author; a lay counselor with Stephen Ministries; a facilitation expert; a bookstore manager at a national park. Her current interests center on getting kids to play outdoors in non-adult-directed activities, writing, and following her grandkids around with a besotted grin on her face. She hasn't met a cow in years, but to this day prefers trees and wildflowers. Board member since fall 2011. |
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Nancy Arendt
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PEEC's volunteer bookkeeper 2010-2012. Joined the board as treasurer in fall 2012. |
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Becky Shankland
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Becky studied English literature at Harvard/Radcliffe, had a Fulbright in Bristol, England, and then received an M. A. T. at Harvard Graduate School of Education. She taught English in Massachusetts before moving to New Mexico and teaching for 17 years at Los Alamos High School. In her English classes she incorporated questions about the sustainability of civilizations. She retired in 1997. Becky has served as president of the League of Women Voters of Los Alamos. She's been on other boards: Vision 2020, the Open Space Advisory Committee, the Concert Association, and the J. Robert Oppenheimer Memorial Committee. Current interests are writing, bird-watching, hiking, reading, solar energy, and traveling to see children and grandchildren. Founding Board Member, 2000. |
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Chick Keller
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Chick is a retired scientist from LANL. He came to Los Alamos as a graduate student in 1967 and became a permanent staff member in 1969 upon receiving his doctorate in Astronomy from Indiana University. Chick has had a life-long interest in things natural starting as director of the nature lodge at Hidden Valley Boy Scout Camp, Pennsylvania when he was 16. Chick's professional research has been heavily involved in climate studies, and he has taught a course in this at UNM-LA. For many years he was director of the Lab's UC Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics. Chick's non-professional passion is identifying native plants, leading to a herbarium collection of some 1500 specimens primarily from New Mexico and Colorado. Chick has served as president of the New Mexico Native Plant Society's Santa Fe Chapter. Most recently he has begun the study of grasses concentrating on those growing in the recovering burn areas around town, both native and introduced. Chick and his wife, Yvonne, are avid birders. Founding Board Member, 2000. |
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Michele Altherr
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Michele grew up in the Maryland countryside and remembers always playing in the woods and frequently visiting the museums and monuments in D.C. She went to college at Florida Institute of Technology and graduated in 1980 with a BS degree in ecology. She met her future husband there and eventually had two wonderful children. Once the children were in school, she became a certified elementary teacher and has taught for Los Alamos Public Schools for 15 years. Currently she is the sponsor of Mountain School's Green Team and teaches the gifted and talented program. She is a graduate of Leadership Los Alamos and has served on the Parks and Recreation Board. Throughout her life she has always found ways to volunteer and champion causes. In 2000 she focused all her energies on connecting children with nature by helping to found PEEC. Like all of the founders, she served in many roles including environmental educator, program director, president, webmaster, publicist, grant writer, and even interior decorator! Many of the programs she helped to instigate are thriving today thanks to the efforts of many talented people. She is returning to the board after a several year hiatus and looks forward to helping with new exhibits and coordinating PEEC's Outdoor Adventure Summer Programs. Served on the PEEC Board 2000-2007 and rejoined the Board in fall 2011. |
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Robert Dryja
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Robert Dryja has had an interest in biology since he was child in the Panama Canal Zone. When he was four years old, he was providing cutting ants with different types of leaves to see if they had a preference. As a teenager he had a pet boa constrictor. Robert attended Tulane University, receiving both a bachelor and master's degree there. He later attended the University of Minnesota for additional graduate study. Robert had a 30-year career in health care management, working for medical schools, hospitals, and medical group practices throughout the United States. He came to Los Alamos 10 years ago as a part of organizing a network of physicians in northern New Mexico. He made a career shift to teach high school sciences on full time basis. He has taught biology, chemistry, and physics. His wife Susan is a kindergarten teacher, and his son Steven is a college student. Board member since fall 2005. |
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Selvi Viswanathan
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Selvi Viswanathan has a B.Sc. in math, physics, and chemistry from Utkal University in India. She taught science and math for 8 years before coming to New York City in 1967. She and her husband moved to New Mexico in 1976. She has worked in real estate, including being president of the Los Alamos Association of Realtors. Selvi introduced her son Hari to birds when he was young. He now works in Environmental Engineering at LANL, and he has continued to collaborate in building the family's National Wildlife Federation-certified back yard. Selvi enjoys helping with PEEC's children's classes and organizing the Backyard Wildlife Habitat yard tours. Board member since fall 2005. |
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Jennifer Macke
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Jennifer studied biology at the College of Wooster and received a master's degree in molecular biology from Johns Hopkins University. She worked for many years as a molecular biologist, followed by several years as a freelance biomedical editor. Working at home as an editor was enlivened by volunteer work at the Virginia Living Museum in Newport News. Since moving to Los Alamos in 2003, she has worked for the HIV Database at LANL. As the result of a college project on newts, she became interested in keeping and breeding newts and salamanders. This hobby has led to additional interests in aquariums, terrariums, earthworms, websites, and amphibian conservation. Board Member since fall 2007. |
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Mary Carol Williams
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Mary Carol Williams was born and raised in Coastal Virginia. She attended the College of William and Mary and Northwestern University. She interned in Medical Technology in Evanston IL and worked in hospitals in Minneapolis and Waynesboro VA. She moved to Los Alamos in 1972 and joined Los Alamos National Lab in 1978 working in Environmental Chemistry. During her time at the Lab, she received M.S. degrees in Analytical Chemistry in 1984 and Safety Engineering in 1996. After retiring in 2002, Mary Carol took up watercolor painting and photography. She served on the Board of the Art Center at Fuller Lodge from 2002 to 2006 and as Chairman from 2004 to 2006. Her favorite subjects are flowers, birds and landscapes. Her hobbies also include gardening, adventure travel and bird watching. Her yard is Certified Backyard Wildlife Habitat. She also volunteers for the Art Center, Betty Ehart Senior Center, Aspen Ridge, and Habitat for Humanity. She joined the board in fall 2009. |
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Siobhan Niklasson
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Environmental education made an early and lasting impression on Siobhan Niklasson when Ellsworth the Owl visited her fourth grade class in her home state of Maine. Since then she has been engaged in environmental outreach and education. Siobhan has a BS in geological and environmental sciences from Stanford University and an MS in geophysics from UC Santa Barbara. She came to Los Alamos in 2001, working for several years as a researcher at LANL in the areas of materials science and geophysics. She has also worked as an educator at the Randall Davey Audubon Center in Santa Fe and volunteered at the Wildlife Center in Española. She enjoys swimming, hiking, cross-country skiing, and seeing the world through the eyes of her two children. Board member since fall 2010. |
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Dave Yeamans
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Dave came to Los Alamos in 1954 and has lived here most of the years after that. He holds degrees in Geology and Environmental Science. He spent 11 years as a river rafting guide and outdoor instructor, a thinly veiled excuse to pursue his interests in the natural world. After 25 years working in the nuclear industry, Dave has retired and begun to devote a great deal of time to birding, gardening, hiking, and river running. He continues to support local and sustainable living via cooperative markets, wise landscaping, and educating the youngest generation. In addition to serving PEEC, Dave has also served on other volunteer boards of directors. Board member since fall 2010. |
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Karla Sartor
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Board member since fall 2011. |
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JoAnn Lysne
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Board member since fall 2012. |
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Emily
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Teen representative board member since fall 2012. |
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Amanda
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Teen representative board member since fall 2012. |