Erica (she/her) grew up camping, hiking and fly fishing in the Colorado mountains. In her youth she was fortunate to spend most of her waking and sleeping hours outside and in nature. It was the days spent fishing in beaver ponds, identifying insects, hiking to high peaks and sleeping under the stars that she began to understand the important role nature plays on our overall health and well being. This appreciation and awareness led her to professional experiences ranging from WildLand Fire Fighter to Fly Fishing Guide to Rock Climbing Guide to Director of Outdoor Programs. With an Associates Degree in Fire Science Technology, a Bachelor’s Degree in Wildlife and Fisheries Science and a Master Degree in Business she prefers to use her expertise to work with organizations that focus on youth outdoor experiences. For the last 11 years she has had the great privilege of staying home with her daughter and sharing many outdoor adventures together. In her free time she enjoys spending time with her spouse and daughter traveling, backpacking, rafting, mountain biking, fly fishing and camping. The motto in her family is “nature never disappoints.”
Isaac grew up in the great plains of Iowa and Nebraska climbing cottonwoods next to the Missouri River in the summer and visiting the Chihuahuan Desert of El Paso, TX in the winter with his extended family. He received his Bachelors of Science from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln double majoring in Fisheries and Wildlife and Environmental Studies. While at the University, his work with the Outdoor Adventures Rec Center provided his first experience with leading groups in the wilderness and set him on a path towards helping others find space in the outdoors. Now, after years of working with groups in North Carolina, Montana and California, Isaac now calls the Sonoran Desert his home and his community. Isaac is an educator focused on sharing the fulfillment and relevance of environmental stewardship with his students. As a Field Instructor with Ironwood Tree Experience, you can find him guiding students down urban and outdoor interpretive trails around Tucson. In his off time you’ll find him running on the Loop trail with his wife and daughter (in her stroller) or at one of the taquerias or cafes around town.
Suzanne (She/Her) is a native Tucsonan and has established deep, strong roots in the Sonoran Desert Region. Her passion to reconnect children with the natural world is fueled by a lifetime of playing, living, learning and teaching within a dynamic, colorful, and detailed landscape. In an effort to develop authentic, engaging, and educational opportunities in nature for adolescents, Suzanne achieved a Prescott College Master of Arts degree in Environmental Studies, investigating youths’ implicit theories of the natural world and their experiences within. This graduate research project builds upon Suzanne’s academic and professional foundation. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from the University of Arizona and has over ten years professional experience that includes directing, designing and instructing environmental education programs for all ages. Her experiences with local nonprofit organizations foster an ability to collaborate with community organizations, educators, and parents in an effort to enhance learning opportunities for adolescents and children throughout the Tucson area. Suzanne is also trained in Wilderness First Responder and in First Aid/CPR.
Eric (He/Him) began his love affair with the Sonoran Desert and Tucson, Arizona as a child and while earning a B.S. in Wildlife Biology from the University of Arizona. The romance and desire for immersion in the natural world led to several years of field research in such places as Arizona, Alaska and Papua New Guinea. Eric was employed by the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum as an environmental educator and interpretive manager working with community members of all ages. Eric went on to earn an M.A. from Prescott College in Place-Based Education and enjoyed a position as Sustainability Director and professional naturalist at Miraval Resort in Catalina, Arizona. He also served as Associate Faculty for the Liberal Arts, Adult Degree Program at Prescott College Tucson Center before becoming full time Program Director of ITE. He is LEED accredited and a member of the Southern Arizona branch of the US Green Building Council, serves on the Landscape Advisory Committee for the City of Tucson and serves on the advisory board for the Santa Cruz Valley National Heritage Area. Eric’s 30 year passion for sharing the intrinsic bond between nature and humanity has generated many wonderful opportunities to “get the word out” en mass on TV and radio as well as one on one and in small groups with youth over many years in both urban and back country settings. Eric is also trained in Wilderness First Responder and in First Aid/CPR.
Miranda is born and raised here in Tucson and has developed a great love for the Sonoran Desert she calls home through community, culture, and family. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and a Minor in Mexican-American Studies. Passionate about social justice, Miranda has worked and collaborated with various non-profit and youth serving organizations in the Tucson community. Having worked in both reproductive health and environmental education, Miranda understands the necessity of viewing social and environmental issues through an intersectional lens. In her free time, you can find Miranda with family, friends, & fur babies; hiking, walking, reading, enjoying music, & roller skating.
Paige (they/them) is goofy, caring, and curious by nature. They’re in unending amazement that we share this magnificent Sonoran Desert home with all sorts of wacky and wonderful creatures, and they’re ever-eager to connect and be in community with all of them.
Prior to joining the team at ITE, they spent over four years working with children at the Cooper Center (Camp Cooper). During this time, they developed a passion for helping learners of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds feel a sense of belonging in our human and ecological communities. This joy and drive has brought them to ITE where they can continue to support these precious relationships alongside the lifelong practice of keeping accessibility and social justice at the center of their efforts.
Paige can often be found tending their garden plot at Mansfield Park, playing with their dog in their backyard, or riding bikes with friends around town! They hold a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Biology from Kansas State University and will happily talk your ear off about plant taxonomy and molecular biology.
Jak (he/him) grew up in Flagstaff exploring the outdoor spaces in Northern Arizona and Southern Utah with his family. While participating in a Grand Canyon Youth river trip after his senior year of high school, he found a love for spending time in canyons and a drive to seek work in outdoor education. Since 2016 he has been guiding youth trips on the Colorado and San Juan Rivers and has been amazed to see the power that outdoor experiences have to positively impact the lives of young people.
In the time between river seasons, he studied at Northern Arizona University and University of Arizona and graduated with a degree in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. Jak made the Sonoran Desert his home when he moved to Tucson in the summer of 2018, and he is continually amazed with the variety and beauty of life found in Southern Arizona. He can often be found with his dogs getting out on the trails around Tucson.
Deborah was born & raised in the Mid-Atlantic but has called Tucson her home for over a decade. Like many transplants from greener and wetter climates, it took a little while for her to connect with this wildly different low-desert landscape. In many ways, it was through her work with Ironwood Tree Experience, which began in 2014, that solidified her connection and awe to the Sonoran Desert – a place she now wholeheartedly calls home. Prior to working at ITE, Deborah spent a significant amount of time leading wilderness expeditions and facilitating outdoor education experiences at programs such as Outward Bound & Prescott College. Before returning to ITE in 2021 as the Operations Manager, Deborah worked at other nonprofits in the Tucson community such as Watershed Management Group & NOLS, where she continued to cultivate her passion for healthy communication and teams in the workplace as a means for success, happiness and honoring the vision of a mission-driven organization. She has also earned a Bachelor’s degree in Adventure Education from Prescott College. Some of Deborah’s biggest joys in life are laughing, being with her dog Gila, working with animals, planting trees for longterm shade and eating delicious foods.