STEWARDSHIP

Derek joined the Land Trust team as Land Steward & Staff Biologist in February of 2016. Derek grew up in Ohio, but after gaining as B.S. in Botany from Miami University, he traded the flat-lands of the Midwest for the alluring landscapes of the West. After 22 years working in ecology and habitat enhancement for a number of federal, non-profit, and consulting entities, Derek is excited to help uphold the conservation vision of easement donors and landowners. Above all, Derek enjoys sharing the wonders of the Greater Yellowstone Area with his wife, Jen, and two little girls, Lila and Quinn.

Steffan was born and raised on Colorado’s Front Range. He holds a B.A. in Biology and a B.A. in Environmental Studies from Gustavus Adolphus College in Minnesota, and a Master’s of Natural Resources Stewardship from Colorado State University. Steffan has previously worked at the Aldo Leopold Foundation and in Minnesota for The Nature Conservancy on grassland conservation and management, as well as for the Institute of Ecosystem Studies and the USGS. He draws inspiration from Aldo Leopold’s Land Ethic.

Erica joined the Jackson Hole Land Trust as a Land Steward and Staff Biologist in the winter of 2017. She holds a B.S. degree in Zoology with Honors from Colorado State University, and an M.S. degree in Wildlife Biology from Utah State University. She has conducted research in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem since 2007, and brings experience working for diverse stakeholders including research institutions, consulting firms, and the National Park Service. Erica specializes in the spatial ecology of wildlife, and has worked with a number of iconic western species including mule deer, pronghorn, elk, bison, and Greater sage-grouse. She is passionate about understanding how animals move across our landscape, and how that might change as more people come to enjoy the beauty of the Jackson area. When she’s not in the field, you can find her backcountry skiing, birding, trail running, and trying not to crash on her mountain bike.

Amy joined the JHLT team in January of 2018 as a Conservation Manager for the Green River Valley Program. Growing up in Cheney, Washington, Amy learned to treasure the diverse ecosystems around her. Her love for nature lead her to earn a B.S. degree in Biology from Eastern Washington University. In 2005, Amy moved to Laramie, Wyoming, where she worked for various University laboratories conducting research in plant evolutionary genetics and fungal population genetics. In the spring of 2010 she relocated to Pinedale, Wyoming. Amy has worked in Sublette county as an Ecologist doing reclamation monitoring in the gas field and as a water-quality laboratory technician in industrial wastewater reclamation.

She has a passion for volunteering and has assisted the BLM range and wildlife program with vegetation monitoring, as well as mid-winter eagle surveys and sage grouse capture for tracking collar placement, the Wyoming Game and Fish with elk VIT tracking, and participated in National Public Lands Day for a number of years.

Amy enjoys sharing her love of nature with others. Her hobbies include fishing, hunting, camping, hiking, plant identification, and woodworking.

Liz Long joined the Land Trust in July of 2012 as Protection Manager. Liz was born and raised Birmingham, Alabama and holds a BA from the University of Georgia in Philosophy. She moved to Wyoming upon graduation and fell in love with the Tetons and the community of Jackson. She then returned to the University of Georgia to earn her law degree where she focused in environmental and land use law and gained experience with governmental agencies and numerous non-profits, hoping to return to Jackson. Outside of work Liz enjoys skiing, biking, hiking, yoga, music and time with her two pups, Murphy and Bella.

Growing up in Alaska and Wyoming, Rachael developed an appreciation for open spaces and healthy ecosystems. The outdoors have oriented her throughout her life and played a huge role in her landing in the Tetons in 2014. Rachael graduated from the University of Montana with a BA in Rural and Environmental Change. She has been working in the restoration ecology field for the past ten years throughout Montana and the Greater Yellowstone. During her free time, Rachael enjoys bicycles, backcountry ski tours, trail runs, alpine flowers, old growth forests, canines, and donuts.