Anna joined JDCF as a NISC Restoration Technician in February 2023. She graduated from Northern Michigan University in 2021 with a degree in Fisheries and Wildlife Management. After working a variety of seasonal land stewardship jobs from Montana to Vermont, she is...

Mike joined JDCF as a NISC Restoration Technician in March 2023. He graduated from Christopher Newport University with a degree in Environmental Studies in the Fall of 2022. Originally from the East Coast, this is his first introduction to the Midwest. He is excited...

Austin Wachter joined JDCF as a Preserve Manager for Big Sky Nature Reserve in January of 2023. He graduated from River Ridge High School and later went on to graduate from the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point with a Bachelor’s Degree in Forestry...

Before coming to JDCF in 2013, Steve lived and worked in northeastern Illinois nearly his entire life. Steve began his career in conservation in 1986 at the Heller Nature Center, serving first as a teaching naturalist, later as the center’s director. From 1998 to...

Jean Matthiessen joined JDCF in July of 2022 after working for the Galena Historical Society for three and a half-years as an Administrative Assistant to the Executive Director. In her new position as Administrative Assistant for Development, Jean works with Director...