Council Bios

Advisor: Lillian Bloch, '05, '07, San Francisco, CA, SCA Board of Directors

Aliana Lee Knapp-Prasek, Redway, CA

I am a Butterfly who lives the "Pura Vida" lifestyle and gives thanks for each and every day. I love composting, making art out of trash, sewing, live music, walking, hiking, getting lost in nature, adopting gnomes to play in my orchard, and baking from scratch (sending thanks to my former SCA roommates who inspired me). I love vintage fabrics and making clothing so I decided to get my degree in Apparel Merchandising with a minor in Business from East Carolina University. I had a change of heart career-wise after accompanying my best friend on a road trip to Colorado for her SCA Internship at the Great Sand Dunes. A couple months later I moved to San Francisco for my own SCA Internship as a Sustainability Intern at Golden Gate National Recreation Area. While there, I helped finalize our Composting Program, set-up a Scrap Metal Recycling Program and assisted an NPS employee (an SCA Alumni) with a Bike at Work Program. I also taught required courses for all NPS employees on Recycling, Composting, and Disposal of Universal Waste. Now, I live in Redway, CA by the Eel River and amongst "Old Growth" Redwood trees. I do US Tour/Print Promotions for the consciously aware reggae/jazz band Groundation. I feel honored to be an SCA Alumni Council Member and want to inspire by example. Email Aliana

Craig Dicht, Joshua Tree, CA

The story of my post-collegiate 20s can only told with multiple references to SCA. After graduating from the University of Pittsburgh in 2004 I spent ten months with SCA Massachusetts, teaching environmental education, building trails, and living peaceably by a pond in Dubuque State Forest with an array of wildlife (including two dozen of the finest humans on the planet). There I found a deeper sense of community, self-knowledge, and feelings of purpose in action that had lain dormant through 16 years of classroom-based learning.

I wanted more, and found it with several SCA programs: the West Virginia Sustainable Communities Corps; an environmental education internship at SF Bay National Wildlife Refuge; the New Jersey Green Team high school crews; and leading three years of crews for the SCA Desert Restoration Corps and WildCorps. I could take days sharing my appreciation for the people, places, and opportunities to serve from each SCA program. Suffice it to say that I would not be who I am or where I am without the chances I took that came my way through SCA. I am now settled in Joshua Tree, California, working as a freelance field biologist, and raising two daughters (Anu and Mahalia) with my partner, Clare.

Greg Jackson, Madison, WI

Greg Jackson

After Greg graduated from Marquette University, he got his first taste of SCA life in 2008 as an AmeriCorps volunteer with the New Hampshire Conservation Corps and was hooked immediately. He taught environmental education to fourth graders and spent the summer and fall building yurts in the White Mountains and blazing trails in southern New Hampshire. During his corps experience he developed a deeper interest in sustainable agriculture and now volunteers on small organic farms whenever he gets the chance. He then worked on an adult crew in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area and led two high school crews in Massachusetts and the Grand Tetons. His work with SCA has brought him to 11 states and allowed him to see some of the most beautiful places on earth. He is currently a graduate student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison studying Agricultural and Resource Economics. He hopes to use his master’s degree to provide economics-based support for conserving our natural resources and advocate for more sustainable, small-scale farming practices. Greg’s other interests and hobbies include hockey, ultimate Frisbee, running triathlons, fly-fishing, worm compost system, and working for a small NGO in Tanzania on forest conservation projects. Email Greg

Jaci Saunders, Seattle, WA

Jaci Saunders

Jaci graduated from the University of Pittsburgh in 2007 with a BS in Biology and a BA in Political Science. While an undergraduate, she completed a course in Ecology and was immediately bit by the environmental bug. In 2008, Jaci received a Unilever-SCA Congressional National Parks Internship where she spent time working in Washington, DC working with US Congress and the Department of Interior; following her time in DC she interned at Padre Island National Seashore in Corpus Christi, TX. Her experience with the SCA in DC and in Texas solidified her desire to work at the intersection of science and public policy. At Padre Island, Jaci (a Pennsylvania native) was introduced to management issues of an unfamiliar Gulf Coast Ecosystem and marine issues in general. Her time along the coast inspired her to pursue a future in Oceanography. Following her time with the SCA, Jaci received two research internships with the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center in the Plant Ecology and Protistan Ecology Labs. Currently, Jaci is a graduate student studying Biological Oceanography at the University of Washington in Seattle and received a 2010 National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship. When she’s not in the lab or studying, Jaci loves to get outside and play in the dirt, hike, kayak, and do activities with the SCA Seattle Regional Office. Email Jaci

Jamey Anderson, Washington, DC

Jamey is one of the many SCA alums who got their first job as a direct result of an SCA internship. After graduating from college and spending a few months abroad, Jamey was accepted to SCA's Congressional-National Park Internship, which took him to the Interior Department in DC, where he now works, and to Acadia National Park in Maine, where he learned how conservation works at the local level. While at Acadia, Jamey saw the disproportionate influence young people can have on critical conservation projects. Among the young staff at Acadia were invasive-species eradicators, medical first-responders, trail builders, and educators. Young people helped the Park in numerous ways--from increasing the use of technology to better tell the Park's unique story to inventorying light fixtures to help the Park save electricity and preserve the night sky. Young people are making real and meaningful impacts to conservation projects like these all across the country, and Jamey is working to see that their stories are told whenever possible.

Jane Murawski, Poughkeepsie, NY

Ever since I was a young child in Rochester, NY, I have had a close kinship with all kinds of animals and a love of the outdoors. Growing up, my absolute favorite hobby was visiting a local park to watch the tadpoles turn into frogs and toads, day after day, throughout the summer. I had a “secret spot,” a big pond that was about a mile into the park. I hiked there every year throughout my childhood but when I hit that “tween” age I stopped because my friends at the time didn’t share my interest. However in high school, I wondered about the tadpoles and decided to return to my secret spot. To my surprise, the pond looked the same but there wasn’t a frog or tadpole in sight. By this time I knew that amphibians were having some big problems worldwide. Something inside me changed that day and I wanted to make it my goal to help these critters somehow. Over the next ten years I got a degree in Zoology and Animal Behavior and a Master’s in herpetology. I held several seasonal field biology jobs, including a fun one involving massasauga rattlesnakes. I also discovered a love for teaching along the way. In 2006, I did a 10-month SCA internship as wildlife outreach educator. I realized that teaching others about animals and nature was how I could help protect the environment. My SCA experience directly led to my position as a Program Coordinator at the Fresh Air Fund’s Sharpe Reservation in Fishkill, NY: 2,300 acres of beautiful woods where 3,000 underprivileged children from New York City camp for free every summer! Email Jane

Jeff Chen, Fulton, MD

Jeff Chen

Jeff Chen is the walkin’, trash-grabbin’, Director of Digital Media for Pick Up America, a group of four recent college grads walking Westward, picking up trash, and opening up the dialogue about our nation’s throwaway mentality. He co-founded the group in 2010 based on an idea he had during his 2006 SCA internship at Yosemite National Park. Life (in 2009) before walking West was spent workin’ and ramblin’ the American West, producing short videos for Inyo National Forest and High Country News. He graduated from the University of Maryland in 2008 with a degree in Broadcast Journalism, minor in Music, and concentration in Environmental Science & Technology. During school, he worked part-time for National Geographic and the DC affiliate for NBC. Birthed, raised, and schooled in Maryland, Jeff now tends to enjoy life in less populated areas where public lands are aplenty. He also plays the same folk songs over and over again. Email Jeff

Johanna Weaver, San Francisco, CA

Johanna grew up close to SCA headquarters, in nearby Springfield, Vermont. Growing up amidst rolling green hills and dairy farms, she developed an environmentally conscious spirit at a young age. At 15, she participated in her first SCA high school crew in Denali National Park and has been hooked on SCA ever since. Greatly influenced by the positive environmental impact and strong community of SCA, she went on to serve in one more high school crew in Yosemite National Park, as a trail maintenance intern in Flathead National Forest, MT and later as a crew leader in Amistad National Recreation Area, TX. Passionate about ecological and environmental issues, she studied Biology at Oberlin College and has participated in ecology research projects in Ohio, Massachusetts, and New York. During that time, she also studied land-use issues in Tanzania, and explored how tribal livelihood transitions affected critical wildlife corridors in the region. Johanna currently coordinates two integrative medicine clinical research trials in San Francisco, CA. In her free time, she can be found dancing, climbing and tromping around the hills, mountains and valleys of California.

Kate Truesdell, Arlington, VA

Kate Truesdell

Kate was born and raised outside of Detroit. Having spent many of her childhood summers in the North Woods of Wisconsin, she is a true Midwesterner at heart. But that hasn’t stopped her from appreciating the rest of the scenery life has to offer; she has also lived in Wyoming, New Mexico, Georgia, Virginia, and Washington, DC. Her time in Costa Rica amplified her interest in world-wide conservation efforts. Kate graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in Cultural Anthropology, and a minor in Environmental Studies. Kate’s first SCA experience was working in the Southeast Regional Office of the National Park Service. Next, she was accepted into the SCA-Unilever National Parks Congressional Internship Program – she spent a summer working on Yellowstone National Park’s sustainability initiative and then returned to Washington to intern for NJ Congressman Steve Rothman. Today, Kate works for the National Park Foundation as a Research Assistant for its Partnerships and Government Relations department. Her favorite part of the job is talking to smaller groups and park units few people have heard of and helping them make their voices and needs heard. Kate is excited to be joining the SCA Alumni Council because she has seen what getting involved in the outdoors can do to change young peoples’ lives. Email Kate

Kelly Cox, Raleigh, NC

A Florida girl at heart, Kelly was raised on the white sand beaches of Boca Raton before deciding that she could go for a change of scenary. She upped and moved to Raleigh, North Carolina where she is a happily converted member of the NC State Wolfpack studying Political Science and Natural Resources Policy and Administration. An avid climber, backpacker, and all around outdoor junkie, Kelly enjoys anything that brings her outside with good people. Kelly has spent some quality time with the green forests of Kentucky in Mammoth Cave National Park, the mosquito-laden tundra of Alaska in White Mountain BLM National Recreation Area, and the big mountains of Colorado in Rocky Mountain National Park by participating in three High School Conservation Crews with the SCA. Kelly is an enthusiast of snickers bars, classic rap, superheroes, naps and iced coffee. She is all about the SCA and is excited to be able to serve on the alumni council. As Kelly is currently abroad in Chile for five months, she plans to be frolicking around the Andes and eating lots of empanadas before returning to the States and resuming life as planned…ie: with no plan! Kelly sends saludos from the Southern Hemisphere until then!

Leah Duran, Paynes Creek, CA

From the Kohm Yah-mah-nee (“Snowy Mountain”) Visitor Center at Lassen Volcanic National Park, I can see the eroded peaks of an ancient volcano, rocks that come alive as I help visitors understand the forces behind this magnificent landscape. As a permanent park guide, I share my passion for the earth through ranger programs, conversation, and writing. After graduating from Arizona State University with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a minor in parks management, I decided to join AmeriCorps with the intent of giving back, a small “thank you” for life’s generous gifts. My introduction to the conservation field and the NPS began with an SCA internship at Montezuma Castle National Monument in Arizona. I was hooked, and resolved to travel, work in beautiful places, and learn and grow in ways I never before considered. At SCA Massachusetts, I shared my knowledge with students and carved trails and tree trunks with the chainsaw. In exchange, I learned the meaning of community and how to live close to the land. Afterward, I called the Grand Canyon home as an SCA habitat restoration intern. While serving with the NPS, I plan to keep merging my love of communication and conservation, with the idea that words can translate first to appreciation, then to action. My hope is to alight sparks, to kindle not only appreciation of these special places, but the desire to DO something, to live more consciously and lightly. I am thrilled to be involved again with the SCA, and to help enrich the lives of others while we all work towards more harmonious living.

Lindsay Ruprecht, Pittsburgh, PA

Lindsay was born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA and has just recently returned to her hometown. She earned a B.A. in Spanish and a Certificate in Latin American Studies from the University of Pittsburgh and recently finished her Master of Science in Nonprofit Management from Milano The New School for Management and Urban Policy in May 2009. She served as an AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps Team Leader in 2005 when she deepened her passion for physical labor in the outdoors. She built upon her AmeriCorps experience as an SCA Community Crew Leader in Pittsburgh during the summer of 2007 and as a substitute in 2008. She continues her mission of environmental service as Sustainable Community Development Coordinator for ACTION-Housing, Inc. She is committed to service learning and hopes that all people can find a way to strengthen their communities as active members. Email Lindsay

Margaret LaBorde, Fond du Lac, WI

Margaret was born and raised in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. Summer family adventures meant lots of time exploring, fishing, canoeing, and camping around the lakes and northwoods of Wisconsin, fostering a deep appreciation and curiosity for the natural world. She attended the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, pursuing degrees in Environmental Studies, International Studies, and Spanish while remaining very active within the campus community. In 2005 she was an SCA Intern at the Hoh Rainforest in Olympic National Park. She returned to the Hoh in the summer of 2007 to hold a seasonal position and has been itching to get back ever since. Margaret most recently served as an Environmental Education Peace Corps Volunteer in El Salvador, where her main focus was combining environmental education with youth leadership development opportunities. She tries to maintain a personal philosophy from something once stated by Theodore Roosevelt: “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” Margaret currently lives just outside of Madison, WI and holds a bilingual healthcare position at Planned Parenthood. She loves yogurt, hammocks, fresh air, and forests. Email Margaret

Megan Cromp, Columbus, OH

Megan Cromp

Since the day she was born Megan has been on the go. Moving about every 3 years of her life has inspired her to grab opportunities when they come her way. She is grateful to SCA because she feels it gave her the freedom to help discover who she wanted to be as well as providing an outlet for her to experience new fields. Her SCA experience started on Santa Catalina Island, CA in 2006 working on invasive plant management and then again in 2008 in Yosemite National Park, CA doing bear management. Since her last internship she has worked for the San Diego Zoo’s Institute for Conservation Research conducting research on the endangered Stephens’ kangaroo rat and will soon be heading out to Yellowstone National Park, WY this summer to do natural resource management. After completing her last internship her passion grew to share with others about SCA and decided to make it official by becoming an Alumni Ambassador. She is very excited about joining the Alumni Council and dreams of starting a SCA community program right in her current town of Columbus, Ohio where she is currently a senior at Ohio State University. Email Megan

Nathan Taxel, Cleveland, OH

Nathan Taxel

Nathan’s first experience with SCA was in 2001 when he went to Petrified Forest National Park with the high school program at 16. Since then he has done a second high school program, an internship with the trails corps, and worked as a leader for both the high school and corps programs. All told, he was involved with eight programs, and says he has never been the same since. Somewhere in between all that, he graduated from Hobart College with a BA in political science and environmental studies. In the fall of 2008, he decided he was ready to end his wanderings (for the time being) and move back home to Cleveland Ohio where he is the Outdoor Education Coordinator for the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. Now he takes the lessons in conservation and ecology that he learned with SCA and passes them on to students. He still gets to work outside some of the time, but sometimes wishes he had not traded in his tent and hard hat for a desk in an office, but at the end of the day, he is happy to be able to shower regularly and sleep in a bed. Email Nathan

Nicole Ulacky, Salt Lake City, UT

Nicole was born and raised in Boise, Idaho, where she grew up with the outdoors in her backyard. Nicole's first SCA experience was mapping backcountry geothermal features in Yellowstone National Park while completing her undergraduate degree in Environmental Ethics and Policy at the University of Portland. This SCA experience opened doors to working in public lands management, non-profit internship program management, and public power. Most recently, Nicole took advantage of the amazing opportunity to study visitor injuries and safety in Zion National Park with SCA following the completion of her master's degree.

Nicole completed her MPA in Environmental and Natural Resources Policy from Boise State University in 2011, and currently works as a Natural Resources Project Coordinator for an environmental consulting firm in Salt Lake City, UT. Nicole's favorite naturalist is John Muir, and her favorite Muir quote is: "I only went out for a walk, and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, for going out, I found, was really going in." In addition to visiting national parks, Nicole's favorite activities include the usual: hiking, biking, and yoga. Nicole sees "nature" through many lenses - as a gritty mix of the pristine and the developed, and as having both a past and a future. Nicole hopes to impact this future in a positive way by helping SCA develop the next generation of conservation leaders to manage our protected spaces and species for the benefit of current and future generations.

Shannon Hatmaker, Sausalito, CA

Shannon has consistently worked, studied, and volunteered in the fields of conservation science and environmental education for the last ten years. While studying Biology at Clemson University in South Carolina, she had opportunities to rehabilitate injured wildlife, learn about international conservation issues while studying abroad, and work in the exciting herbarium world. However, it was her SCA internship in 2005, also her first position out of college, which really brought her passions into focus. As each month as a LANDFIRE intern passed, her love for wide open spaces and protected areas grew and she knew that she would spend her life trying to educate others about conservation and encourage them to be environmental stewards.

Shannon then went on to complete her Master's degree in Environmental Science in her hometown at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Most recently, Shannon moved to the San Francisco Bay Area where she works as an Outdoor Education Naturalist with K-12 students, volunteers at Muir Woods National Monument, and spends her summers leading teenagers on service learning trips to Tanzania, Cambodia, and Costa Rica. She is honored to be on SCA's Alumni Council and excited to help all the Bay Area alumni stay connected to conservation service.

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