Team Bios

Team Member Bio's
	Steve Mital I am the founder and co-coordinator of the Environmental Leadership Program and have more than ten years of experience developing and managing experiential learning programs. My tasks include developing the ELP curriculum, training and supervising students, working with clients, and fundraising. I hold a master's degrees in Community and Regional Planning and Environmental Studies.
	Kirsten Rudestam I am a second year Master's student in the Environmental Studies program. My research focuses on people's perceptions of local water supply and availability issues, and how these relate to the ways in which people relate to and define notions of place. Before coming to Eugene, I spent four years teaching environmental education at residential field schools, local watershed councils and on backpacking courses in the US and abroad.
	Ben Chilton I am an Environmental Studies major orginally from Coos Bay, Oregon and I have a keen interest in exploring the social and political dimensions of our current environmental problems. I am a serious audiophile and hope to one day become a professional musician. I joined this project primarily for the opportunity to gain some field experience with a governmental institution. I am pleased to be a part of such important data collection and hope that the work we accomplish will assist in the restoration effort for the Western Pond Turtle.
	Michael Cleaver I grew up in Las Vegas, Nevada with 3 adult Desert Tortoises and their many babies who roamed our cactus garden. During my junior year attending the University of Oregon I worked on the pond turtle surveys of the Delta Ponds Project. I am now a senior in Environmental studies and Enjoy working with turtle issues as their decline and struggle shows the struggle we all face living in a finite world. From the threatened desert tortoise, to critically sensitive pond turtles, to certain sea turtles on the brink of extinction they illustrate our poorly synthesized idea of development and sustainability. Finding ways to thrive along side our friends in the half shell will enlighten many human- wildlife issues on the search for sustainability with animals, humans, and the ecosystem.
	Kelsey Green I am a senior in the Environmental Studies program with a minor in Business Administration, and plan to graduate this spring. I am highly interested in working with conservation and animals, and participated as the UO coordinator for a ‘Save the Wild Mustangs’ campaign last spring with Cascadia Wildlands Project. I am really excited to be working on a project that involves habitat of a native species. My interests include: outdoor activities, tangible art forms, dance and food.
	Christopher Kunkel I am a senior at the University of Oregon doing the double major in Environmental Science and Geography. By combining these two majors I have utilized the knowledge learned of the environment and applied them to the skills I have obtained using GIS. I hope to work with the environment in this capacity after graduation. Alaska was my home for many years, but now Oregon has a hold on me. The opportunities are endless when it comes to fun to be had in the outdoors of Oregon.
	Aaron Michalson I am originally from Ashland, in southern Oregon, and like to think that it will always be my home. My goal after college is to convert my fathers home to be completely self sufficient, and to start a not for profit education center there, that is, after I ride across the country on my bike and travel a bit. For now I am studying environmental science and the college lifestyle. This includes going outside as much as possible, and learning something new every day. I like to ride my bike on challenging single track, if given a choice, but also enjoy playing music, hiking, rafting and climbing. This is my first restoration project and hope to continue similar work in habitat restoration as well as energy conservation.
	Katia Roth I am senior majoring in Environmental Studies with a minor in Geography. I applied to the ELP program because I wanted a hands-on fieldwork opportunity to apply my classroom knowledge and skills. I love hiking through the woods rain or shine.
	Nathan Steckly I am a senior majoring in environmental studies with a minor in geography. I am interested in water rights, riparian ecosystems, and the economics of restoration from a landowner’s point of view. I joined the ELP project to get the chance to apply some classroom knowledge to a real world problem.
	Cameron Stewart I am a senior and a non-traditional student at the University of Oregon, and am a dual major- Environmental Science and Geography. I enjoy outdoor recreation including backpacking, whitewater rafting, and backcountry skiing. My academic interests include watershed ecology, wetlands and riparian restoration, and GIS application in those areas. I plan on pursuing a master's degree after graduation. My interests in this project stem from my interests in aquatic ecosystems and in the use of GPS as a tool for data collection and inclusion in a GIS.
	Margot Thornton I am a senior majoring in Environmental Studies and am going straight into Law school after graduation. Some of my interests include geography, botany and land use and I look forward to combining them all in the field of Environmental Law. I am an Opportunity Scholar with the Ford Family Foundation as well as a busy mother of three. I love doing volunteer work and trying to make a difference in whatever way I can. Most of my community involvement revolves around The Village School where all three of my children are in attendance and I am a member of the Board of Directors. I love swimming and gardening and would probably spend all my time engaged in those activities if I could. My love of swimming has also resulted in my being a member of the Board of Directors of The Edgewood Pool in Eugene. The Western Pond Turtle project is my first experience with field work and I am really glad to be a part of it. Working right in my own back yard to try to save a native species and make a difference is very interesting and rewarding.