They were further refined through travel and work in 13 countries and 22 states in environmental education, wildlife research and management, raptor rehabilitation, and through employment with the United States Forest Service and several youth conservation corps.

In 1990 Jayson earned a BA degree from St. Lawrence University in Spanish and later obtained additional credits in biology and botany from state colleges in Vermont and New York. In summer 1998 he participated in a USFWS seabird nest monitoring project in the Bering Straits of Alaska. Jayson serves as coordinator of the Island Pond Christmas Bird Count, co-coordinator for Orleans County for Vermont’s Breeding Bird Atlas project, and is actively involved in Vermont Coverts and the Forest Stewards Guild.

He is also a regular volunteer in several regional biological monitoring projects including the Breeding Bird Survey, peregrine falcon cliff watch, Forest Bird Monitoring Program, Mountain Birdwatch, FrogWatch, USA and the Vermont Reptile and Amphibian Atlas. He currently owns and manages a 130-acre property in Charleston.

His positions with FP&R included that of a Naturalist, a supervisor for Hazardous Tree Removal crews, and a Park Ranger managing a number of local parks including Maidstone, Brighton and Elmore. During that time he also worked as an Instructor and Site Coordinator for Stone Environmental Schools of New England at various locations from the Coast of Massachusetts to the White Mountains in New Hampshire.

In addition Ross has also worked for the Vermont Institute of Natural Science as a field technician with the Loon Recovery Project and for the National Wildlife Federation as coordinator of a lead sinker exchange program. Ross traveled extensively through Europe, Central America and the U.S. working random jobs and learning about different cultures. He is the owner and operator of Nulhegan Guiding LLC. and has been the Director of the Kingdom Corps since 1998.

Ross currently lives with his two sons, Jed and Quinn, in East Burke, Vermont. Through both his personal and professional interest, Ross serves on a number of local Boards and Committees, operates the Community Drinking Water System in East Burke and is a Hunter Education instructor.

In addition, he continues to work closely with the Corps, assisting in the coordination of various trails projects and contributing to the planning and implementation of tree planting, river restoration and wildlife enhancement work – projects that relate well to his background in environmental stewardship.

Luke's interest in recreation and conservation has led to strong partnerships with the Green Mountain Club, the Westmore Trails Committee and the Vermont Trails and Greenways Council. Luke’s personal interests reflect his commitment to the outdoors and include hunting, hiking, backcountry skiing, canoeing and ultimate frisbee. L uke lives in Newark with his wife, Kerry, and his beautiful daughter, Riley Bea.

She made a home away from home in Jackson, Wyoming, where she worked as a nordic coach, interned at a Conservation Alliance, gardened, and explored the Tetons on telemark skis. Maria has led a community service trip in Costa Rica, helped build a small library high in the mountains of the Himalayas, explored outdoor recreation inside the classroom and out in New Zealand, and studied conservation efforts in the highlands of Guatemala.

Through each of these explorations, travels, and homes it is the connection between people and their landscape that has most captivated her. The Green Mountains of home have called her back, and Maria is delighted to be working at NorthWoods, once again learning, teaching, sharing and exploring in her favorite place of all.

Cody graduated from Sterling College, earning a degree in Outdoor Education and Leadership with a focus in Forestry Stewardship. She has made it a goal in life to find a career that allows her to enjoy life in the outdoors. The creative blend of both her academic and outdoor interests makes for an excellent fit with NorthWoods conservation and education mission. She currently lives onsite at the Center and enjoys backcountry skiing and knitting.

In early spring 2011, Jon came to NorthWoods through Kroka Expeditions' New Hampshire-Vermont Semester. After skiing north up the Green Mountains, semester students lived for a month at NorthWoods while preparing for their return journey south down the Connecticut River.

Jon returned again this summer to work for the Conservation Corps on the Back Country Trail Crew and as a land management intern. He is now an Americorps member serving in the Education Department. His free time is spent exploring the forests and fields of the Northeast Kingdom and playing music.

That winter, Meg worked at the Burke Mountain Ski Resort as a lift attendant until she began at Northwoods as a land management intern at NorthWoods. Since arriving at the Center, Meg has been an intern, a Conservation Corps assistant crew leader, and is now assisting Jayson with land management and science projects as an Americorps Volunteer.

As with all the Center’s past and present staff members, Diana’s job title does not begin to encompass the range of roles she has taken on along the way, which in addition to her financial and administrative duties, have included everything from graphics and publication design to network administration and equipment troubleshooting.

Shortly after she began working at the Center, she returned to college to earn her associate's degree in accounting. She has served in the past as a Cub Scout den leader and treasurer of the Charleston Home and School Association, and was recognized with a Friends of Education award in 1990.

Diana lives in West Charleston with several four-legged household members. Her children and grandchildren live nearby in Charleston and Coventry. She maintains a small bookkeeping business on the side, and in her off time, enjoys reading, kayaking, hiking, gardening, and most of all, visiting with her family and her new granddaughters.

Won over by loons on Spectacle Pond and views from Mt. Pisgah trails during her first visit to the Northeast Kingdom in 2000 (in a tent she earned with oatmeal boxtops as a kid), Colleen and her husband relocated to the area in 2009 and now make their home in Charleston, where Colleen also serves as Assistant Town Clerk & Treasurer.