Team Member Group: Staff

Joel grew up in North Georgia on a small cattle farm, his childhood spent outside learning woodsmanship from his father and in the Boy Scouts. College brought him to Western North Carolina, where he earned his Bachelor’s in Environmental Studies from Montreat College. Most of his career has been with the U.S. Forest Service, under whom he has served as a Wilderness Ranger, Special Projects and Stock-based Trails Technician, and most recently a Timber Sale Prep Technician traveling throughout the states. His love for the Appalachians brought him back to Asheville permanently, where he is excited to be a part of Ecoforesters and their stewardship-focused mission. He likes being part of a motivated team that makes visible improvements to the health of our forests. In his off time, he enjoys mountain biking and backpacking. 

Born in the coastal town of San Pedro, California, Sal grew up in the city. At 12, he moved to Tennessee and later attended the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. He started college as a Civil Engineer but quickly switched over to Forestry having grown to love the mountains and all things nature. While in college he began to appreciate the complexity of various ecosystems and their dependence on fire. Having graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Forestry, focusing on Restoration and Conservation he immediately went on to pursue his passion for fire. Sal traveled back to his home state to work on a fire crew in Whitethorn, California. After spending the summer fighting fires and getting lost in the Coastal Redwoods, he began to miss the Appalachian Mountains and wanted to return. In the spring of 2024, Sal found EcoForesters and has since made WNC his home. Outside of work, Sal enjoys running further and faster than he should, watching Star Wars, building Legos, eating, and relaxing.

Originally from John’s Island, SC, Lily spent her childhood helping her grandmother in the garden, riding horses and doing barn chores, or wandering into the woods behind her house to talk with the trees. In adult life, she’s held many roles, including that of veterinary technician and nanny. But it wasn’t until she moved to Oregon with her husband and son in 2019 that she discovered her true passion for conservation and habitat restoration. Lily earned her B.S. in botany from Oregon State University, focusing on conservation, ecology, and restoration. During her time in Oregon, she worked as a land steward for Howard Buford Park and Mt. Pisgah in Eugene. There, she honed her skills in habitat restoration and invasive species management, fostering a deep appreciation for native ecosystems. Lily now calls Hendersonville home, where she lives with her husband and son. In her free time, she enjoys tending to her native plant garden, botanizing, and engaging in botanical relief printmaking, a creative outlet that merges her love for plants and art.

Mia grew up on Louisiana’s coastline, and because of the environmental challenges affecting her home, she developed a deep interest in ecology. She worked as a ranch  hand and trail guide during high school and college, which only encouraged her  longing for a life spent outdoors. She graduated from the University of Louisiana  with her B.S. in Biology, concentrating in Marine Biology, Ecology, and Evolution.  An internship with the Yellowstone Native Fish Conservation Program pushed her to pursue aquatic fieldwork after graduation, so she secured a position tagging  salmon in Northern Idaho. Shortly afterward, the South called her home, and she  began anew in forestry conservation as an EcoForesters restoration technician. In her  leisure time, she enjoys music, creative writing, hiking, kayaking, and cuddling with her cat, Binx.

Michael grew up in Indianapolis, IN and has always been fascinated by the natural world, especially animals. In 3rd grade for a school project he wrote “when I grow up I want to be a conservationist,” probably inspired to do so from watching Steve Irwin and Jeff Corwin nature shows. Growing up in Indiana, his first introduction to invasive plants was managing bush honeysuckle and autumn olive with his Boy Scout troop. He earned a B.S. in Professional Sales and Marketing from Indiana University in 2018, then worked a variety of jobs including English teacher in Thailand, mailing station clerk, substitute teacher, and election technician. Michael finally transitioned to conservation work in 2021, participating in a season of backcountry trail construction in the Adirondack Mountains with the Student Conservation Association. Since then he has committed to conserving and restoring natural spaces for the benefit of everyone, both human and non-human. In his free time, Michael enjoys puttering in the backyard, riding bicycles, volunteering with local organizations, and adventuring with his girlfriend, Morgan, and hound dog, Luna. Among his favorite trees are sycamores and longleaf pines, among his favorite flowers are goldenrods and yarrow.

EcoForesters is lucky to have a gang of dogs to brighten our office! Skipper, Lilah, Lola, and Blue (and sometimes more!) work hard to welcome everyone that comes into the office. Mostly they are just looking for treats, but either way, they make us all feel loved and have a positive impact on the EcoForester’s community. We know they support our mission because one of all their favorite activities outside of the office is going for hikes in the woods!