Team Member Group: Staff

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!

Max was born and raised in Gainesville, Florida and spent his youth swimming in springs and enjoying the outdoors as a Boy Scout. After earning a BS in Biology from the University of Tampa, he began his career in natural resources management as an SCA NNIS intern at the Huron-Manistee National Forest in Michigan. This sent him down the path of a career in forestry and he field crew positions in Michigan and Illinois before finding EcoForesters and moving to Asheville in July of 2023. Max is a lover of nature, from wetlands to prairies to mountains, and enjoys hiking and exploring Western NC. Max is also a huge nerd! He spends his free time as a connoisseur of board games, a collector of Legos and comic books, and an avid Dungeon Master.  

Annabelle grew up in the heart of Charlotte, North Carolina, always playing in the dirt in her mom’s garden. She went to the University of North Carolina at Asheville and earned her B.S. in Environmental Science with a focus in ecology. During college, she fell in love with all things woody plant related. After graduating, Annabelle did a myriad of jobs, everything from managing a farm to building green spaces on top of roofs to working in a seed warehouse. These job experiences furthered her love of plants, especially native plants, and led her to find Ecoforesters! In her free time, you can find Annabelle exploring caves, finding new waterfalls, looking for flowers, or baking. 

Jordan grew up in eastern Pennsylvania where he watched the open space he spent most of his childhood in get swallowed up by housing developments and urban sprawl. This observation made an impact on him and sparked a desire to protect natural resources. He continued developing a love for the outdoors through activities such as hiking, gardening, fishing, and scouting. These interests led him to pursue an education in Natural Resource Management. After graduating from The State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry he worked for multiple forestry and agricultural programs including The New York State Department of Conservation, The University of Idaho’s Inter- Mountain Forest Tree nutrition Co-op, and Washington State University Puyallup Research and Extension Center. His love for discovering how natural communities function, and the effects management can have on these communities, is continuously exercised here in the southern Appalachian forests.