Justin grew up in a small town in north central Connecticut where tractor jams related to the annual harvest of broadleaf tobacco were an annual problem.  A lifelong lover of nature, he spent his childhood days wandering through the fields, swamps, and forests behind his family’s home. This passion for nature led to a degree in wildlife ecology from the University of Maine and field work in various locations including the chaparral of Southern California and the temperate rainforest of the Pacific Northwest. He continued this focus by earning a master’s degree from the University of Illinois in environmental science with a focus on developing stewardship value in youth. Justin’s passion for sharing nature with others lead him to a career in education where he teaches high school and college level environmental science with a focus on ecological resilience and restoration ecology. He has made it his life’s work to foster ecological stewardship values in young people.  He was selected as a 2018 Grosvenor Teacher Fellow and traveled to Antarctica with National Geographic and returned to work as a naturalist in the coastal rainforest of southeast Alaska. In 2021 he was selected by the NAAEE as a CEE Change Fellow and is currently working with his students to host multi school multi day youth climate empowerment events. In his spare time, he loves spending time with his family, playing and listening to music, and exploring this beautiful planet.

Nicole Freidenfelds is a Visiting Assistant Extension Educator in the Department of Natural Resources and the Environment at UConn. She earned a B.S. in Biology at Eastern Connecticut State University and a M.S. in Natural Resources at the University of New Hampshire. In her previous role as a professional scientist, Nicole’s research mainly focused on studying the behavior, ecology and evolution of amphibians and reptiles. Later, while teaching public high school science for several years, she developed a genuine joy of working with youth. Currently, as program coordinator for UConn’s Natural Resources Conservation Academy, Nicole oversees a wide range of unique and exciting local environmental projects being conducted by teen-adult teams throughout the state. She tries to spend as much of her free time outdoors as possible – hiking, fishing, hunting, and exploring.

Jim Clifford is in his third career, as an environmental educator and organizer, after being a trial lawyer and social studies teacher. He has lived most of his life near the shores of Long Island Sound. Jim received a B.A. from Georgetown University and J.D. from Catholic University. Jim taught high school social studies for 29 years. In 2015, Jim created Exploring Justice, a nonprofit providing social justice experiential learning opportunities for students. Jim studied environmental education with National Geographic, Shelburne Farms, and the Presidio. He is a trip leader for Sierra Club, specializing in youth environmental trips. He served on the steering committee rewriting CT’s social studies standards and later wrote climate and environmental literacy content standards for all K-12 courses. In 2022, Jim presented at the NAAEE annual conference on integrating environmental literacy in social studies. Jim is the lead organizer for the Connecticut Climate Hub, dedicated to providing free educational resources and professional development opportunities for all Connecticut teachers, based on the model established by Subject to Climate. 

Kim is the Co-Director of a non-profit in West Hartford, root2RISE, where she works to ensure all children have access to meaningful and inclusive outdoor learning experiences. She also teaches environmental education classes at Westmoor Park, a local farm and education center, and has worked for many years to develop school programs focused on sustainability and stewardship of the land - our common ground and common purpose.   Kim gratefully acknowledges the wisdom of the indigenous peoples from their enduring connection to this land as the thread that weaves all the pieces of her work together.

Evelyn Kubik is an Environmental Educator at the Ansonia Nature Center. They graduated from Towson University with a Bachelor’s degree in Biology and went on to do several seasons of field research, most notably working on a bluebird study in Montana. However, as much as Evelyn enjoyed the solitude of climbing up mountains at sunrise, they realized that what they really wanted was to be able to share their passion for nature with others and work to promote good environmental stewardship. Thus, they returned to Connecticut to become an environmental educator. When not hiking in the woods, Evelyn enjoys drawing, reading, and board games.

Tim Thayer is a middle school science teacher for the town of Norwich. He earned a B.A. in Child and Youth Psychology from Eastern Connecticut State University, a MAEd in Special Education from Johnson and Wales University and a MAEd in Natural Science and Environmental Education as well as a Climate Literacy Certification from Hamline University in St. Paul, Minnesota. He is a Certified Master Naturalist from the Friends of Goodwin Forest Conservation Center. Tim has been a teacher in the public school system for over 16 years and is a mentor teacher for new teachers in the district. Tim works to bring in outside environmental educators to expose his students to careers in the field of green jobs. He has developed a true passion to empower the youth on how to protect and preserve their environment. Tim strives to bring in more opportunities for environmental education into the public school arena. When not working Tim can be found outdoors hiking, birding, running, cycling or kayaking.

Throughout her career, Shanelle Thevarajah has been driven by a passion for accessible and inclusive environmental education and programming. After completing her MS in Environmental Biology, she joined the non-profit organization Environment for the Americas, where she worked as the Internships Program Manager, overseeing internship programs in partnership with the National Park Service. These internships were designed to support underrepresented young adults entering the conservation field to gain the skills they needed to excel. During her three years in this role, she recruited, hired, and trained over 250 students, maintaining relationships that continue to benefit conservation work today. Shanelle is currently a PhD student in the Department of Natural Resources and Environment at the University of Connecticut. She also serves on the Board of Directors for Bird Conservancy of the Rockies.