Field Trip Leaders
*The following are leaders from 2025, this year’s leaders will be updated as we near the event.
David Ackerman has spent his career immersed in the natural world, working as a naturalist in Michigan, Ohio, and California before studying in Wildlife Biology at Humboldt State University. He later returned to Ohio to start a family and help run the family business while remaining deeply involved in conservation efforts. Dave served on the board of the Ohio chapter of The Sierra Club, co-chairing the Forests and Public Lands Committee, and contributed to ecological research through surveys for the U.S. Geological Survey. In recent years, he has found a new passion for sharing his love of nature with the Arc’s community of staff and volunteers. “There’s nothing better than being in the woods with my fellow ‘Nature Nerds’ and learning from them. It feeds my soul.”
David Baker and his wife, Kim (the Arc’s Outreach Coordinator), have been OSU 4-H leaders for nearly 20 years in Adams County, Ohio. They find joy in mentoring young people and believing that the future of our planet depends on the investments we make in them. For years, they nurtured a dream to protect the back-forty of their farm, a landscape defined by a deep limestone gorge. Their dedication led them into partnership with the Arc, and today, Quiverheart Gorge Preserve stands as a testament to their vision and commitment to conservation. David has called this land home since he was 12 years old, making its preservation especially meaningful.
Brent Charette was trained in forest resource management at Hocking Technical College. His first career was with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, first working as a state-wide naturalist for the Division of Parks and Recreation, and eventually serving as Park Manager at Malabar Farm State Park. Brent now works for the Arc of Appalachia, serving as the Director of Land Stewardship. In his personal time, he relishes caring for one of the Sanctuary’s tracts of land known as Ridgeview Farm, where he cares for the trails, removes invasive plants, and plants a ton of trees! Brent’s greatest passions include nature interpretation, permaculture & forest gardening, native tree propagation, and subsistence gardening. He loves anything to do with trees, including growing his own edible mushrooms, carpentry, and studying mycorrhizal associations.
Elijah Crabtree is Land Manager for the Arc’s Tremper Mound Preserve in Scioto County. Elijah was born and raised in Ross County – the epicenter of Hopewell architecture – where he developed a passion for local cultural history, natural sciences, and conservation work. He has a special interest in connecting people to the natural world and promoting historically significant sites as protected public domains for education and inspiration. Elijah is an excellent all-around naturalist and has a special passion, particularly for geology.
Ann Geise is a Cincinnati-area artist, who has been drawing and studying nature her entire life. Her artistry leans toward the ecological – how local plants, animals, and geology are all deeply interconnected. After working in pharmaceutical research for several years, Ann’s love of both nature and art converged and blossomed into full expression when she took a job at the Cincinnati Nature Center as Artist & Exhibits Manager where she worked for 19 years. She continues creating artwork that helps connect people and nature.
John Howard possesses the best of all the qualities associated with a “naturalist.” He has an insatiable curiosity and a perennial sense of wonder. Studying the backroads of Adams County his entire life, he knows nearly all -if not all- of the dragonflies, butterflies, vascular plants, birds, amphibians, and reptiles, and is working on a good understanding of everything else. Taking a nature walk with John is a rare privilege for even his close friends, who don’t think twice about driving halfway across the state for an opportunity to watch fireflies, catch salamanders heading for the vernal pools, photograph the first spring flowers in bloom even if they are only 1/2 inch tall and tomorrow’s forecast calls for snow, or look for a new-to-science moth or caterpillar on an obscure plant.
Andrea Jaeger Andrea began working for the Arc in 2016 after moving back to Ohio from Chattanooga, TN where she first gained experience in nonprofit administration. She works alongside Arc director Nancy Stranahan on land acquisition, grant writing, and donor cultivation, and supports the Arc office team in providing educational opportunities and visitor services. In addition to their regular work responsibilities, Andrea and her husband Brit are caretakers of the Arc’s Tobacco Barn Hollow Preserve region.
John Jaeger is a field naturalist and outdoor educator and has been a consultant in wetland preservation conducting bird and flora surveys. He retired as Director of Natural Resources for the Metropolitan Park District of the Toledo Area in June 2008. During his career, he served as a Park Manager, Ranger and Naturalist. He helped develop land management plans for the Metroparks and Fallen Timbers Ft. Miamis National Park, and directed a land management crew that conducted stewardship projects in the Metroparks. He was a State of Ohio Certified Fire Manager and was awarded Naturalist of the Year by the Ohio Biological Survey in 2020.
Paul & Cathy Knoop. Paul is retired from the National Audubon Society, where he served as the Aullwood Audubon Center and Farm Education Director for 35 years. He is presently involved in several land preservation efforts and serves as a Board Advisor for the Arc of Appalachia. Cathy is a retired environmental science teacher and worked as the development director for Camp Oty’Okwa. As a team, they teach graduate Natural History classes for Ashland University but have always had a devotion to teaching and inspiring children to love the natural world, using the outdoors as their classroom. The Knoops are patient, kind, and supportive educators who have inspired burgeoning naturalists for generations. In 2016, they were the recipients of the Ohio Environmental Council’s Lifetime Achievement Award
Austin Newton is the Quiverheart Land Stewardship Manager with the Arc of Appalachia and is dedicated to preserving natural spaces and fostering sustainable practices. Raised in southern Ohio, his connection to the land drives both his work and personal life. Before this role, Austin served as a naturalist, connecting people to nature through education and exploration. A published poet and filmmaker, he uses art to share his love for the natural world in creative and offbeat ways. Austin’s approach to land stewardship combines practical care with a sense of wonder, making him both a protector and explorer of the landscapes he cherishes.
Tim Pohlar is a Regional Land Manager with the Arc of Appalachia and resides in the larger Sanctuary region on private land with his wife, Miriam, and two daughters, Rose and Quinn. Tim has been with the Arc since 2004, where he started as an intern, learning his trees and nature studies from the many great naturalists who were happy to mentor him. Tim took leave from the Arc for many years, when he moved with Miriam, her parents’ organic dairy farm in Wisconsin, where he learned a boatload of practical skills. We are thrilled to have him back here with the Arc. Tim has a passion for sharing the beauty of nature with others and stewarding our natural lands.
Nora Steele is an artist and naturalist in the Hocking Hills area of Ohio. Her childhood curiosity about mythology led her to explore the outdoors, hoping to encounter the magical fairy folk. Instead, she discovered the captivating magic of nature itself, which she now brings to life through her digital illustrations. Nora's goal is to create art that educates and inspires others to appreciate the beauty of nature, emphasizing the importance of preserving our natural resources for future generations. Her work celebrates the region's flora and fauna, promoting both education and preservation while connecting people with nature through the power of Art.
Nancy Stranahan is the Director of the Arc of Appalachia Preserve System and was one of the non-profit’s founders back in 1995. Since that time, Nancy has organized the Arc’s expansion from zero acres to over 10,000, founding over 28 new preserve regions in southern Ohio. Nancy previously worked for ODNR for ten years with Ohio State Parks as Chief Naturalist, and twenty years running a bakery, a lunch cafe, and an international gift store in downtown Columbus known as Benevolence, promoting healthy and intentional food choices. Nancy not only loves preserving land, she has a passion for habitat restoration, and native plant propagation and reintroduction. She is passionate about education and is devoted to keeping the Arc’s offerings vital and sustained.
Dave Todt Dave is retired as a Professor of Natural Science at Shawnee State University. There he has served in various capacities. including Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. Dave has helped many science teachers and environmental educators learn how to incorporate natural history into their curriculums. Earlier Dave worked for ODNR as manager of the Youth Conservation Corps. Dave has served on the state’s Natural Areas Council and is currently serving the Ohio Natural Areas and Preserves Association.
Brit Wood Brit grew up on the west side of Cincinnati constantly playing in nature. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree at the Ohio State University in the field of Astronomy. After college, he worked various jobs in Columbus and a wood shop in Chattanooga, Tennessee. In 2016, Brit and his wife Andrea returned to Ohio and began working together at the Arc. He has used the opportunity to live and work in South Central Ohio to learn and love the diverse flora and fauna of its unique biome.