People

I am President of our local Wild Ones Chapter and educate and advocate for native plants and natural landscapes.  I have spent a year and a half converting my grass lawn to a native food forest, so my neighbors stop by often to find out what is going on and get tours of what is new, different and why.  I am also an elementary teacher, and the PTA asked me to form a committee at school to bring native plants to our campus.  It has grown so much over the last year.  We have been awarded a solar panel grant, expanded our composting, created many native gardens, installed a mini pond with the help of the Museum of Natural Sciences and partnered with the Audubon Society.  We are continuing to learn as educators and bring the young people along by creating the Junior Green Team so the children can lead the way. 

Erica grew up in central New Jersey, where she explored coastal barrier islands, forests, mountains, and all the places in between. She has lived in New England for over ten years, falling in love over and over again with its diverse ecology, fascinating history, and wonderful people.

This love for the outdoors has led her through a rich and varied career in the outdoor environmental education world, developing and teaching school-based programs with nature centers, promoting Leave No Trace education to hikers on mountaintops, teaching snowboarding to unsuspecting victims throughout New England, and more.

Most recently, Erica has been working as the Youth Programs Manager at Petra Cliffs Climbing Center & Mountaineering School in Burlington VT.
 

I am the owner of Talkeetna River Guides in Talkeetna, Alaska where we provide daily natural histoy scenic float trips on our local rivers!

An early career higher education professional with a background in Environmental Studies and Education, Project Management and Volunteer Coordination

Emily Alix Fano is currently national Director of Climate Resilience Education at the National Wildlife Federation, based in New York City. She holds a Masters degree in Urban and Environmental Policy from Tufts University and is an experienced climate leader specializing in the design, development, implementation and management of urban climate resilience education programs. Emily manages the award-winning Resilient Schools and Communities (RiSC) program and co-founded the intergenerational Climate and Resilience Education Task Force. The Task Force is dedicated to expanding access to K-12 climate education and teacher training, and mentors high school students to engage them in climate education policy and advocacy through a Youth Steering Committee.

As an educator I work to ensure my students have the opportunity to express their identity and experience hands-on education that utilizes their prior experiences. I hope to empower students to advocate for themselves and others, becoming critical thinkers, stewards of their environment.