Our Staff
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Julie joined as the Executive Director of the Coldharbour Institute in 2024. Originally from eastern Washington, she relocated to the Gunnison Valley in 2014 to serve as High Country Conservation Advocates’ Water Program Director. Her collaborative approach in that role involved engaging diverse stakeholders to tackle complex land management issues.
Her love for working and natural landscapes was cultivated at a young age. As a girl she was exposed to the relationship between agriculture and wetland restoration on her uncle’s farm in Wisconsin. She worked in Yellowstone National Park during summers off from the University of Washington. A position with Elephant Energy in law school allowed her to work on renewable energy policy for Namibia, creating recommendations for feed-in tariffs as Namibia explored off-grid solar opportunities. These early experiences fostered an interest in how to meet community needs while treading lightly on the land. Julie graduated from the University of Colorado School of Law in 2011. After graduation she launched her career in western land management issues through appointments with the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES), Colorado Law School’s Getches-Wilkinson Center for Natural Resources, Energy and the Environment, and Western Water Assessment. In these positions she found it fascinating to explore challenges and opportunities to sustain communities, cultures and ecosystems through collaborative resource solutions. Her passion for sustaining our ecosystems is matched by a dedication to supporting the agencies and non-profits that address some of our hardest questions in sustainability. She serves as the board president of Colorado Water Trust and as a board director for the Upper Gunnison River Water Conservancy District. Joining Coldharbour is the next chapter in this progression. Outside of the office, she spends her time exploring Colorado’s mountains and rivers with her husband and hound. |
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Ella joined the Coldharbour team in the spring of 2026. She holds an M.A. in International Studies from the University of Denver, where her work focused on environmental justice and global social movements. During her graduate studies, she served as a Policy Fellow with the Urban Leaders Fellowship, contributing to research on agricultural water use on the Colorado River, and as a Community Engaged Research Fellow co-leading a qualitative study on migrant workers' rights.
Prior to graduate school, Ella worked in the youth programming and civic engagement spaces as an English teacher in Sevilla, Spain, and as a Program Coordinator with the national non-profit TurnUp Activism. Born and raised in the Gunnison Valley, Ella is grateful to return to the community that shaped her. She is drawn to Coldharbour’s place-based approach to land stewardship and is eager to apply her background in civic engagement and environmental justice to expand programming throughout the Valley. She is motivated by the belief that human and environmental flourishing are deeply interconnected, and looks forward to exploring how that relationship can be deepened here in her home watershed. |
2026-27 Team
Eden Simko
Americorps member
Eden is joining us from Portland, Oregon as a Watershed Educator and Restoration Coordinator. After graduating from Tufts with a degree in Environmental Studies and World Literature, she has worked as an environmental educator in Boston's elementary science classrooms, a wildlife rescue center in Iquitos, Peru, and school gardens in Portland. She will be leading Coldharbour’s educational programming this summer and we are so excited to have her on board.
Ethan Landry
Americorps member
Ethan joins us from California to serve as a Watershed Educator and Restoration Coordinator. After earning his degree in Animal Science from Cal Poly, he worked as a research assistant with Sea Otter Savvy and the Monterey Bay Aquarium on estuarine habitat research to further conservation efforts for the southern sea otter. Currently a graduate student in Environmental Management, Ethan is dedicated to protecting ecosystems and fostering community connections to the outdoors. In his free time, he enjoys capturing local wildlife on trail cameras and exploring the Gunnison Valley.
Molly Miller
Molly is one of our 2025 fellows. Molly previously served as a Graduate Assistant for Coldharbour and is currently helping us develop the next phase of our native plant nursery plan. Originally from northeastern Pennsylvania, Molly completed her undergraduate degree at Allegheny College where she studied environmental science and sustainability and double-minored in global health studies and political science. Her senior thesis was titled “Ground Cover Under Tree Canopies on the Allegheny College Campus: Assessment and Recommendations” and centered around incorporating native plants under campus trees to promote biodiversity and support wildlife. She increased her understanding of land management techniques while completing an internship with the Pennsylvania Game Commission as a habitat management intern.
Molly moved to Gunnison to continue this journey and pursue a graduate degree that engages both public and private land management and is in Western Colorado University’s MEM program. Molly enjoys kayaking, gardening, and spending time outside with her dog.
Molly moved to Gunnison to continue this journey and pursue a graduate degree that engages both public and private land management and is in Western Colorado University’s MEM program. Molly enjoys kayaking, gardening, and spending time outside with her dog.
Althea Deschenes
Althea Deschenes is one of Coldharbour’s wetland restoration fellows. She is a first year masters student at Western Colorado University studying ecology and environmental management. Althea's passion for aquatic ecology developed while studying environmental science and researching Mysis shrimp at the University of Vermont. After graduating, Althea worked for Idaho Fish and Game and the Colorado State University Preston Lab to gain an understanding of fisheries management. She took a year-long break from working in the ecological sciences only to realize she wants to foster healthy ecosystems as a profession.
At Coldharbour, Althea will be working to develop phase two of an ongoing wetland restoration project on the ranch. She will also be co-coordinating our River Watch program on Tomichi creek. Althea is especially excited to see how Coldharbour’s work will benefit fish and aquatic macroinvertebrate populations long-term!
At Coldharbour, Althea will be working to develop phase two of an ongoing wetland restoration project on the ranch. She will also be co-coordinating our River Watch program on Tomichi creek. Althea is especially excited to see how Coldharbour’s work will benefit fish and aquatic macroinvertebrate populations long-term!
Russell Duke
AmeriCorps Member
Russell is an Americorps Member serving Coldharbour’s watershed restoration effort. He is a second year student in the Masters in Environmental Management program and developed his passion for land management and restoration while earning dual degrees in Wildlife Biology and Forestry from Purdue University.
Russell is currently creating a cottonwood and willow restoration plan for Coldharbor Ranch. He is also developing plans to cultivate willows and cottonwoods at Coldharbour. Ultimately he hopes that these plants will be used to supply restoration projects with hardened plants suitable for harsh alpine environments across the Gunnison Basin.
In his free time Russell enjoys mountain biking, skiing, and mountaineering with his wife.
Russell is currently creating a cottonwood and willow restoration plan for Coldharbor Ranch. He is also developing plans to cultivate willows and cottonwoods at Coldharbour. Ultimately he hopes that these plants will be used to supply restoration projects with hardened plants suitable for harsh alpine environments across the Gunnison Basin.
In his free time Russell enjoys mountain biking, skiing, and mountaineering with his wife.
Coldharbour Institute Governance Documents
Document Retention Policy
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Whistleblower Policy
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Financial Policy | ||
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