STAFF

Katharine Wood (she/her) Beacon SproutEd Educator and Beacon District Manager, grew up in the Hudson Valley, and was always in love with the natural world, but first truly became interested in gardening through learning about native plants. Her belief in the power of local action to create change has led her to convert her own lawn into a native wildflower meadow to bolster biodiversity and support pollinators. As an educator, Katharine has had the opportunity to travel to both South Korea and Spain to teach English, and become immersed in the wonderful cultures and landscapes of both countries. She brings these experiences into the classroom by incorporating ESL techniques and tools into garden lessons, to help clarify and provide space for English language learners. She has also taught environmental education, working with animals to teach the public about the science of nature. In her free time, Katharine works on expanding her native wildflower garden, adding vegetables, and fending off deer and the occasional groundhog. She also enjoys channeling her creativity into movement through dance, as well as painting, drawing, and sewing.

Email Katharine at katharine@landtolearn.org

Mara Estes (she/her) Program Director, grew up exploring the woods and splashing in the creeks of the beautiful Hudson Valley. Born and raised in Ulster County, one of her earliest memories of falling in love with nature was swimming in the Sawkill Creek with her family. She holds a master’s degree in TESOL from SUNY New Paltz and has a passion for public education. Her past work experience includes working for various outdoor education and food justice non-profits in the Hudson Valley, including Capital Roots and Wild Earth, in addition to seasonal farming and teaching ENL in Albany, NY. She is excited to combine her love for the outdoors with her passion for public education as the new SproutEd educator in Kingston. When not outside, she enjoys cooking, reading, and dancing.

Email Mara at mara@landtolearn.org

Maeve McGee (they/them) Beacon SproutEd Garden Educator and Newburgh District Manager, is an educator, land steward, and Friend. They grew up immersed in farm and nature based education, which began their love for learning about our world. They went on to get a BS in environmental science and ecology from Binghamton University, regenerative agriculture training with the Ecological Citizen's Project, and then a permaculture design certification from the Center for BioRegional Living, which all shaped their holistic and ecological approach to farming and teaching. They see connecting to land and place as a liberating force for folks of all ages and backgrounds, with the ability to grow their own (and their neighbor’s) food as a gift and privilege. This drives them in their role as an educator to offer knowledge, care, and resources to support students towards the most genuine version of themselves. They are grateful to be a part of such an intelligent, compassionate, and communicative team at Land to Learn.

Email Maeve at maeve@landtolearn.org

Meera Connors (she/her) Kingston SproutEd Educator, has always loved being outside, in the dirt, amongst wild things. Growing up just south of Albany, NY, she remembers long days of endless exploring in her backyard. It was here she discovered just how much life can exist in a small, suburban lot. After graduating from UMass Amherst with a B.S. in Natural Resource Conservation, she continued to explore her love of the outdoors through farming, teaching, and bike touring, eventually pursuing a masters degree in Ecological Design from The Conway School in Northampton, Massachusetts. Meera continues to learn from the natural world and all its inhabitants, admiring the web of interconnectedness that exists around her. Much like the symbiotic relationships found in the garden, she is nourished by her time outside teaching young environmental stewards.

Email Meera at meera@landtolearn.org

Thea Björnson (she/her) Newburgh SproutEd Educator, grew up in the Hudson Valley in Dutchess County where her appreciation of nature was fostered from a young age. Thea holds a Bachelor’s degree in Natural Resources from the University of Vermont and a Master of Science in Environment and Development from the University of Copenhagen in Denmark. During her studies, she developed a passion for understanding the ways in which the relationship between humans and nature has been defined by different ways of knowing as well as historic systems of oppression. She views gardening and agriculture as an important site where the connection between humans and the environment is especially strong. She is thrilled to help foster that connection in the next generation and encourage food sovereignty here in the Hudson Valley through the SproutEd program.

Email Thea at thea@landtolearn.org

Hannah Warren (she/her) Newburgh SproutEd Educator - Hannah Warren developed a love of nature and gardening growing up in rural Connecticut, and recently moved to her own beautiful Hudson Valley paradise after twenty-five years in New York City. She received a BA from Barnard College and an MS in Education from City College and taught in NYC public schools for eight years before deciding to pursue a career in landscape design. After getting an MS in Landscape Design from Columbia University and studying horticulture at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, she spent many years creating exciting outdoor spaces for people and habitats for pollinators. She is delighted to be combining her experiences in teaching and horticulture and sharing her passions for growing, eating, exploring and creating as a Land to Learn educator. Hannah can also be found working in her own native plant gardens, reading, or crafting with her daughter.

Email Hannah at hannah@landtolearn.org

Nicole Porto (she/her) Executive Director, was turned on to farming through her service learning experiences at small organic farms throughout the world. As she earned her graduate degree in environmental education with the Expedition Education Institute, she explored the role agricultural systems play in the degradation of the natural world and human health. She then decided she would dedicate her career to building sustainable and just food systems. She has gardened and taught with various programs, such as a school garden in Costa Rica, Farm & Wilderness Camp in Vermont, and City Parks Foundation’s Learning Gardens in New York City. Before joining Land to Learn Nicole ran a small CSA farm in the lower Hudson Valley where she had the opportunity to provide bountiful harvests for her community and hone her skills as a grower. As a founding staff member hired in 2014, Nicole, aka “Colie,” has served the organization in a number of ways and has experienced Land to Learn’s various iterations, successes, and challenges throughout the years. She is thrilled to be Executive Director as of January 2025.

Email Nicole at nicole@landtolearn.org

BOARD

Aja Schmeltz (she/her/ella), is an Afro-Latina raising 3 daughters with her partner of 20+ years, growing food and medicine, creating art, loving hard and strengthening connections in her beloved communities throughout the Mahicantuck (Hudson) River Valley. The Just Transition is central to her work, both personally and professionally, because she strongly believes that a successful community is made up of individuals working collaboratively on all fronts to create avenues to build a healthier, thriving, more sustainable environment. In addition to her role as a Worker Trustee at Good Work Institute, Aja sits on the boards of Wild Earth and the People's Wellness Initiative, is a member of the Hudson Valley Food Systems Coalition and is a thought-partner for many initiatives and organizations throughout the region.

Susan Austin (she/her), is a highly collaborative leader with a focus on community care and ecological regeneration. She brings expertise in narrative storytelling, competencies in climate change and the environment, and progressive professional success in higher education. Before higher education, she worked in script development, screenwriting and documentary production. Susan was deeply impacted by volunteering for hospice as a young adult and her feature-length documentary This American Death took a personal look at the challenges of achieving a so-called good death. Stories, relationships and care are at the heart of Susan’s work and life—which are centered in the Hudson Valley and begin and end with her partner and their child.

Kevin Bertholf (he/him), is a homestead farmer in Beacon, NY. When he isn’t gardening, foraging, or drinking too much coffee he can be found teaching RPG-related content at Compass Arts or photographing performances at local concert venues. To pay the bills, he is employed as an Informatics Architect for Sun River Health and has worked in data analysis and systems development for almost 20 years. Additionally, Kevin runs a small roadside free produce stand called Dennings Ave Farmstand. Follow him on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/denningsfarmstand/) to learn from his gardening mistakes, or come take excess produce from his victories.

Ally Dommu (she/her), is a consultant and board member at Big Duck, a worker-owned communications firm that helps nonprofits build support, shift narratives, and advance their missions. With nearly 20 years in the nonprofit sector, Ally brings deep experience as a strategist, fundraiser, communicator, and facilitator. She earned her Master’s in Nonprofit Management from The New School and previously managed communications and fundraising at Sanctuary for Families. Ally lives in Beacon with her wife and two young kids, who love picking raspberries from their garden. She’s proud to support garden-based education as a board member of Land to Learn.