Staff
Peter Michael Bauer, Executive Director
Peter is the Executive Director and lead instructor for Rewild Portland adult programs. A fourth generation Portlander, he has worked as an environmental educator for nearly every environmental education organization in Portland, including Cascadia Wild, Friends of Tryon Creek, Audubon, and Echoes in Time. He loves basketry, playing the banjo and is a fluent speaker of Chinuk Wawa (Chinook Jargon), the Native trade language of the Pacific Northwest. He currently works at Shining Star Waldorf School in Portland as an instructor for their Nature Immersion Program. —>Contact Peter
Sarah Hill, Director of Youth Education
Sarah is a teacher, naturalist, indiscriminate animal lover, and pun master. Her desire to connect young people with the outdoors brought her to Rewild Portland. Raised in Ridgefield, WA, Sarah spent her childhood fishing with her father, gardening with her mother and wandering her families forested property. She holds a degree in Life Science from the University of Portland, has developed educational materials and served as an educator for the National Parks Service, US Fish and Wildlife, and private nature centers across the U.S. Sarah uses her unbridled curiosity, passion for learning, and life-long connection to the wild lands of the Northwest to aid youth in developing their own sense of place.
Jesse Ambrose, Director of Media Production. Jesse entered the Ambrose family, pigeon-toed and white-haired, at the crest of his parents’ child birthing years, number four of six. After receiving a homeschool diploma from his home state of Pennsylvania, he moved to Portland, Oregon, to study Digital Film and Video at the Art Institute. In 2010 he met the folks at Rewild Portland, and was invited on board as media intern. Working with Rewild introduced Jesse to the world of outdoor education and wilderness-survival skills. In the summer of 2012, he worked for Trackers NW. Also in 2012, Jesse started working for Village Video, a local media production company. Continuing to seek out the cultural intersections of sociology, ecology, and art, Jesse spends his time juggling various projects in the media arts and naturalist pursuits. You can visit Jesse’s website at jesseambrose.wordpress.com.
Board of Directors
Heather Harlow, Board Member, Director, Producer, and Plant Nerd.
Harlow holds a BA in Fine and Applied Arts from the University of Oregon, and a double Master’s degree in Botanical Sciences (Ethnobotany) and Conservation Biology from the University of Hawaii. Briefly, her past research includes, identifying and collecting invasive Hawaiian plant species on the island of Oahu for anti-cancer bioassay screening, working with the United Plant Savers performing ecological research studies on threatened and endangered native American medicinal plant species; and working in collaboration with the International Trust for Traditional Medicine (ITTM), located in Northern Himalayan India, where she documented and recorded the cultural significance and specific use of local Tibetan medicinal plant resources. Heather also co-founded and co-directed the Portland-based non-profit, Northwest Documentary Arts & Media. Here, she spent two years teaching documentary filmmaking and collaborating on award-winning documentary projects. Currently, Heather works in the Film and Video industry as both an award-winning producer and an independent film director. Her most recent awards include ‘Rising Star Award’ from Oregon Media Producer’s Association and ‘Best Documentary’ at HollyShorts Film Festival for her last film Nous Deux Encore, which has won a total of 13 awards to date. She is honored to bring her skills to the board of Rewild Portland and hopes to learn more about the concept of rewilding and it’s importance to the health of the earth, ourselves and our future generations.
Calen Kennett, Board Member, Filmmaker, and our resident Post-Apocalyptic MacGuyver. Calen was born on the southern Oregon coast and raised in the creative, nurturing community of Portland, Oregon, where he currently resides. Calen has an extensive background in sound design for concerts, stage plays, and film, for which he has been complimented by Variety Magazine. He can siphon gas from a car with duct tape while rewiring a solar panel to recharge AA batteries while making a video about it. Okay not really, but kinda. He works as a professional sound and video technician for Owlink Media.
Matthew McCarty, Board Member. Matt grew up in North Albany, Oregon and began studying and working in nature at age fifteen. He graduated with a bachelors degree in environmental studies from Prescott College, and worked as a biological technician for ten seasons. He then commenced a multi-year career in the field of wilderness therapy. This integration of people, nature, and healing guides his present career and studies. Matt is pursuing a masters degree in adventure education, again at Prescott College, where he is exploring the therapeutic knowledge and relational skills of outdoor leaders. He is currently employed as a lead staff and administrator at The Center at Heron Hill, a program that utilizes nature for therapeutic purposes. Matt is seeking to expand his personal relationship with nature from mere academic knowledge, to the sustainable use of nature for crafts and sustenance.
Kelila Eichstadt, Director of Communications. Growing up next to the Molalla River, Kelila learned to value the earth from a young age. In high school, she was very involved with environmental advocacy and co-founded the high school’s “Green Team”. She became the communications officer and was a driving force behind the club’s Earth Day event, Greenstock. Over two years, she worked with the club and the community and furthered the success of the event. Leaving the legacy behind her, Kelila now attends Portland State University where she is studying French and globalization. She aspires to learn all she can and master many new skills through her experience with Rewild Portland.
Advisory Council
Willem Larsen, Founder, Advisor, Instructor, Blower of Minds. Willem was born at the mouth of the Rogue River in Oregon. He grew up on the Chetco, Winchuck, Coos, and Willamette Rivers, and is now working and living in Portland, OR. He travels the world teaching the language revitalization method called Language Hunting focused on turning around the global endangered language crisis. He also teaches communities how to become self-sufficient and resilient, and keeps a popular blog about rewilding, www.mythic-cartography.org. His recent fatherhood has only underscored his commitment to family, village, and land.
Lisa Wells, Advisor, Founder, Instructor, Wilderness EMT, Author. Lisa is a long time rewilder and student of Tom Brown jr., Jon Young, and Martin Pretchtel. She has worked as an outdoor educator, theater teacher, and creative writing instructor for the last ten years. She teaches the Spolin Method of improvisation and facilitates Family Constellation. Her writing has appeared in Plazm Magazine, Ecotone, 400 Words, Re:Union, Green Anarchy,Guideword, and Raising our Voices: An Anthology of Oregon Poets Against the War. She is the author of Cedar Rapids, and The Uncanny Valley, and has received fellowships from Caldera Arts, Hypatia, and The Vermont Studio Center. She is very excited to work with Rewild Portland!
Tony Kimbro, Advisor, Founder, Instructor, Musician, Bouncer and provides comic relief. Tony has lived as an avid outdoorsman, naturalist and rewilder for 14 years. He has studied wilderness living skills, tracking and nature observation, traveling to New Jersey at a young age to attend Tom Brown’s Tracker School and has worked as a guide in the remote wilderness of Idaho and Alaska. A love of family, friends and place inspire Tony, and influence his drive to rewild the hearts and minds of Cascadia.
Noah Cardiera, Instructor, Photographer, Electrician, Shirtless T-Shirt Contest Winner. Noah is originally from the east coast where he comes from a long line of ancestral boat builders and woodworkers. An electrician by trade, he installs and performs maintenance on wind and solar energy systems in the Pacific Northwest. He loves back-packing through the mountains and photographing the beautiful landscapes and animals.
