Mentors

Co-Director of the Environmental Leadership Program

Katie is an environmental anthropologist with a focus on the interconnections between environmental and social justice. Her courses, projects and publications have explored how to restore connections between students and the more-than-human world, how to translate environmental science to motivate civic engagement, and the reciprocal relationships between plants, people and place. She has worked in Peru, Ecuador, Indonesia, Mexico and the United States. In 2006 she launched the Environmental Leadership Program’s Environmental Education Initiative, which partners undergraduate teams with local nonprofits and school districts to develop and implement place-based, experiential environmental education for K-8 children. She has won multiple teaching awards including UO’s Thomas F. Herman Faculty Achievement Award, Williams Fellowship, and Sustainability Teaching Award.

Katie worked closely with the Wild Wanderers team and saw the progression of the project over 20 weeks.  As the Wild Wanderers team mentor, Katie has guided the team through exemplifying and encouraging continuous integration of the theoretical frameworks, including structuring the Environmental Leadership course to follow the cyclical design of the natural learning cycle emphasized in Coyote Mentorship. In addition, Katie worked to encourage each individual's unique perspective of the Learning in Places frameworks.

Project Manager for Wild Wanderers

Libby Bridges is a current graduate student in Environmental Studies at the University of Oregon, with concentration areas in environmental education, climate justice, and food studies. Before moving to Eugene, she earned her elementary teaching license and taught fifth-grade in Memphis. In addition to classroom teaching in Tennessee, Libby has led outdoor education camps in Montana and assisted teaching in Copenhagen forest schools. In her free time, she loves to run, visit the farmer's market, and admire mosses and trees. 

Serving as the Wild Wanderers project manager, her guidance to the team has provided valuable mentorship and tools for facilitating effective lessons with young students. Over the course of ten weeks together, Libby has generated a warm, uplifting, and productive learning environment, encouraging and supporting each and every member to grow into stronger leaders throughout this experience.