Past Fellows
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Ashley Merkel graduated from the University of Texas Permian basin with a Bachelor of Science in Biology in May 2018 and was a 2020 graduate in the Master in Environmental Management program at Western Colorado University. For her master's project, she wrote a sustainable and adaptive wildlife management plan for Coldharbour Ranch that focused on the riparian and wetland zones. This will ideally become a model for other ranchers and help Coldharbour Institute lead in land conservation in the Gunnison Basin. Post-graduation, Ashley is hoping to work as a seasonal again for the US Forest Service Gunnison Ranger District to obtain more experience in wildlife. From there she hopes to find a permanent position with the Forest Service in the Southern region. |
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Hannah Schaefer Tibbett is an environmental educator and interpreter. She graduated from Hiram College with a degree in environmental studies. Her background includes working seasonally with the Student Conservation Association, Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department, Flathead National Forest California State Parks, and the National Park Service.
During her fellowship Hannah is worked on the Applied Sustainability Program - a program with goals of providing workshops, courses, and speaker series to the Gunnison Valley and beyond. Topics will range from 1. Food/Agriculture 2. Energy 3. Wildlife 4. Building Sciences/Alternative Building 5. Skills (Example: Orienteering). Additionally, she became familiar with Coldharbour’s educational camps by developing the curriculum and hosting the camps. She also worked with the NPS to create a digital junior ranger program as well as analyzing visitor use experience for the USFS based out of Washington. |
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Alexia researched how the application of biosolid compost on rangelands in the Gunnison Valley affected soil health, plant productivity, fungal relationships, and the carbon stocks within soil. Her project was catered to the address the expressed needs of the ranching community to increase their resilience to drought, by improving the health of the soil. Coldharbour is one of four sites that Alexia applied her treatment of compost to.
Alexia plans to begin a soil consulting business while pursuing her PhD at UC Merced working with Rebecca Ryals, from the Marin County Carbon Project, on soil carbon sequestration project in California. Alexia has been influenced by regenerative theories found in holistic management, permaculture, and local food systems. Prior to joining Coldharbour, Alexia worked in the Roaring Fork Valley as a private landscaper. Alexia holds a B.S. in Environmental Science from Westminster College in Salt Lake City. |
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Sam Liebl is an environmental manager and multimedia journalist committed to conserving the health of Central Colorado's landscapes. As a Coldharbour Institute Clark Fellow he worked to tell the story of cheatgrass invasion in the Gunnison Basin through podcasts, documentary film and community events. The goal of these efforts was to protect the basin's iconic sagebrush steppe from this invasive plant and thereby help this region of Colorado avoid a fate that has already befallen millions of acres across the Inter-mountain West. Prior to joining Coldharbour and the MEM program at Western Colorado University, Liebl worked at daily newspapers covering environmental issues. Sam is from Houston, Texas and earned a bachelors in political science and economics at the University of Texas at Austin. |
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Will supported the planning Coldharbour’s homestead development. This included building plans, land use changes, and permitting. Will’s project was part of Coldharbour’s long term capital campaign to create a multi-use research and collaboration space on its Gunnison County ranch. Will is a '20 graduate in the Masters of Environmental Management program at Western Colorado University. Will is looking for opportunities in urban sustainability and planning. Will is influenced by the principles of social ecology, historical materialism, and new urbanism. Prior to joining Coldharbour, Will served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Gambia. He worked as a school administrator in a rural village called Darsilameh. Will holds a degree in anthropology from Texas A&M University |
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As a Clark Fellow, Malcolm is developed a citizen science program with Colorado Riverwatch for Coldharbour Ranch’s water systems. He is also a passionate Beaver Believer who is working to reduce beaver/human conflicts in the Gunnison Basin by installing flow devices. Malcolm Macleod received his undergraduate degree at the University of Texas, followed by Peace Corps service in a Ngäbe community in Panama. He has a varied professional background that includes working in wildlife biology, agriculture, and forestry. |
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Matthew has been with Coldharbour for three years starting when he was a undergraduate student. Recently Matthew designed Coldharbour’s Master Education Plan, 'Headwaters for Kids' events, 'Coldharbour Friday's', as well as the 'How to Be a Naturalist 'summer camp. His goal is to support a permanent environmental education program for the Gunnison Valley.
Matthew is looking for career opportunities to blend environmental education and outdoor education curriculum that can be accessed by all. He is particularly interested in international environmental education and sharing environmental education with people of all socioeconomic backgrounds. Matthew's primary influence has been Steve Irwin, whom he hopes to have as big of a impact on youth as Steve did. |
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Chloe Beaupré is an interdisciplinary thinker and lifelong learner. Chloe holds a degree in Society and Environment (with a focus on US Environmental Policy and Management) from the University of California at Berkeley and is currently pursuing the Masters of Environmental Management program at Western Colorado University ('21). Chloe is interested in wildlife - particularly, big game ungulates - and geospatial analysis. You can find her making maps of the Coldharbour property or behind a pair of binoculars. |
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Mike abandoned a law career to pursue writing about the environment and environmental movement. He was a '21 graduate candidate in the Masters of Environmental Management program at Western Colorado University and is completing his MFA with Regis University. Mike is also an instructor at Western, a social justice advocate, and an eco-fiction writer. He plans to publish prolifically in the coming years. Check out his work at Medium.com under the pen-name Jay Molay. Mike's primary influences include John Irving, Elmore Leonard, Terry Tempest Williams, Lin YuTang, Raymond Smullyan, Confucius, John Muir, Edward Abbey, Craig Childs and Amy Irvine. |
