Josh is an associate professor of Environmental Humanities at Unity Environmental University, where he teaches courses in history, writing, and environmental ethics. His research connects the histories of slavery and animal husbandry in early America, while dipping into the history of capitalism. It asks a big, perhaps unanswerable, question: How do the ways people treat nature shape how they treat each other?

Prior to academic life, Josh worked on a farm in New Hampshire, then took gigs as a commercial fisherman on a rusty trawler off the coast of Massachusetts, a carpenter, a lawn care professional, and an office worker.

Josh lives in Unity, Maine, with his wife and two kids. He enjoys reading, walking in nature, and taking down opponents in ping-pong.

Randy holds Bachelors in Environmental Science with an emphasis in Conservation Law. Having grown accustomed to the warmer southern climate that Waldo County offered over his native Aroostook County, and his wife having one year left in her degree, he started a career in the Corrections Division at the Waldo County Sheriff's Office in during his final year of college. 25 years (22 with Waldo SO) later, he still finds himself on the western side of Waldo County raising two sons and enjoying the warmth! He is also passionate about the underserved. With that, he currently also serves as the Vice-Chair of the Belfast Soup Kitchen (BSK) as he works to address food insecurity in the Waldo County area. Aside from board membership at BSK and the Ecology Learning Center, his professional pursuits are reintegrating justice involved individuals to an active and productive role in society. Not everyone has an easy start on the journey of life. It is his strong belief that through evidence-based education and connection to the community, we will have a more productive and harmonious society.

Beth was a founding board member of Ecology Learning Center. As a former homeschooling mom and current school parent, she remains stimulated by the quality educational alternatives that ELC offers for a broad diversity of students. Beth has worked as a bookkeeper for several non-profits, and as an income tax preparer. Her BS and graduate study are in Environmental Studies. She loves growing vegetables, fruit, and sheep at Still Roving Farm with her family.

Tia has worked over the past fifteen years in the field of harm reduction. She has supported those with substance use disorders as a licensed alcohol and drug counselor and certified clinical supervisor as well as a regional director over 8 opiate treatment facilities. She is now working with individuals involved in the criminal justice system as the deflection and diversion program manager in conjunction with the district 6 corrections collaborative, serving the four counties of Lincoln, Sagadahoc, Knox and Waldo. Her approach to harm reduction involves facilitating connections in people's lives to reduce the potential for future adversity. Tia is the single mother of two young adults. Her experiences with having high school aged children through the pandemic and the barriers to their success has motivated her to include the youth educational system in her passion for fostering community connections and support systems.

Donyse, a lifelong resident of Unity, enjoys many community connections. She has seen first-hand the growth of her small town and believes that investing in its youth is the only way to ensure a viable future. She has 35 years of experience in the field of education; 25 as a high school English teacher at Mount View in RSU3, and, for the past 10 years, as a school guidance counselor at Mount View and now at Nokomis Regional High in Newport, ME. She currently serves as the Director of Guidance there. She cherishes her work with young adults, helping them navigate their own paths in meaningful and
challenging ways. She enjoys spending time with her grandchildren in many of the same ways she savored growing up; skipping rocks, floating, and fishing on the shores of the beautiful Lake Winnecook in Unity.

Justin moved to Maine with his wife and two children last year. He holds a Bachelor's of Fine Arts in Crafts concentrating in Ceramics as well as a Master's of Science in Counseling Psychology. Justin's many positions in the human services field has allowed him to work together with people across a variety of mental health situations, socio-economic statuses, religious belief systems, cultures, and ethnic backgrounds. He is currently providing residents of Maine and Pennsylvania individual, family, and/or couples therapy, working towards building a blacksmithing and ceramics studio, while also working with residents of Waldo and Knox counties dealing with substance use issues and mental health situations to get connected with resources and get their basic needs met.

Ken Hahn is an experienced operations and IT manager with over 20 years of leadership in diverse sectors, including agriculture, retail, and technology. He currently oversees daily operations and IT infrastructure at Fedco Seeds Inc. and The Pickup. Formerly, Ken was a proprietor and farmer at Buttermilk Hill Farm. His collaborative hands-on approach to leadership, team management, and system integration has earned him a reputation as a results-driven professional committed to enhancing organizational performance. Ken also brings strong governance experience from his role as a Board Member and Treasurer for Pineland Suzuki, a community-focused music school. There, he played a key role in shaping the school’s strategic direction and financial stability. Ken holds a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from The Ohio State University and has earned certifications in Permaculture and regenerative design (Regrarians). He is dedicated to fostering environments where educational initiatives thrive and believes in the power of thoughtful, sustainable growth.

Malcolm taught biology at Davidson College (NC) for 30 years before retiring to Oakland, ME in the summer of 2024. He balanced his career with teaching in the classroom and lab, mentoring students in basic research, developing new curriculum and publishing pedagogical research. Malcolm mentored over 200 research students, most of whom continued their education in PhD programs or medical schools. He helped start two journals (CBE Life Sciences Education and CourseSource.org). Over his career, he served on multiple editorial and governing boards and was treasurer of the American Society for Cell Biology. Motivating his passion for teaching was is belief that “education is everyone’s golden ticket,” meaning that when students become life-long learners, they take control of their lives and futures. Malcolm was married for 34 years until his beloved wife died from cancer. Together they raised two daughters who he tries to visit as often as possible. When he is not helping ELC, he enjoys kayaking, snowshoeing and hiking.