Meet our current 2024-2025 AmeriCorps Cohort!
Samantha G.
Serving with Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge
My name is Samantha Grimes. I am a new AmeriCorps with Appalachian Forest National Heritage Area. I’m from Frederick, Maryland. I graduated from Alderson Broaddus University in 2023 with majors in environmental sciences and natural resource management with a concentration in wildlife. I interned with West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection’s Save Our Streams program. I also interned for Save the Tygart Watershed Association. My last position was as an environmental educator with Pocono Environmental Education Center. On my time off, I enjoy hiking, playing DnD, and reading.
Josie S.
Serving with Beverly Heritage Center
Hi, my name is Josie! I'm from Monongah, West Virginia and I got my degree in anthropology and history from WVU. I did my archaeological field school in Ferns, Co. Wexford, Ireland. I prefer researching workers rights, pirates, property law, and countercultures. I also really like learning about swords! I am serving as the preservation associate for the BHC and it's been great so far! I love reading, playing video games, and collecting board games.
Daniel C.
Serving with U.S. Fish & Wildlife
Hi! My name is Daniel, and I'm serving with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service in the Canaan Valley. I'm originally from the other, easterly version of Virginia, and I recently finished a B.S. in Environmental & Sustainability Sciences at Cornell University. There, my studies emphasized applied ecology and aquatic research, and a summer I spent paddling ponds with a freshwater ecology lab was instrumental in cultivating my love of fieldwork. Here in the Mountain State, I'm thrilled to be getting out and about with the FWS, helping advance projects on stream connectivity, endangered species conservation, and private landowner engagement. When spare time makes itself available, I enjoy reading, cooking, and goofing off outside.
Geneva B.
Serving with The Nature Conservancy
Hi I'm Geneva Brown and I am serving with the Nature Conservancy as their Stewardship Coordinator. I am a recent graduate from West Virginia Wesleyan College with my Bachelors in Biology with minors in music and gender studies. When I am not working I enjoy crocheting and hiking and West Virginia is the perfect place to do this!
Robert H.
Serving with Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge
My name is Robert Halle. I recently graduated from Frostburg State University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Wildlife and Fisheries. I achieved the rank of Eagle Scout during my time in the Boy Scouts of America and until I started in this position I was still active with my troop as an adult leader. This is not my first time serving at the Canaan Valley NWR. Last year, I had the opportunity to serve as an Invasive Species Specialist and for the past 6 months I have been working as the Maintenance Intern/ YCC Crew Lead.
Christopher D.
Serving with the Mon Forest Towns Partnership
Hello, my name is Christopher Downing, and I am serving with the Mon Forest Towns Partnership and US Forest Service. This is my second term serving with Mon Forest Towns Partnership after recently completing a term through WV READY. I’ve lived in Davis, West Virginia for over two years now and love the community that comes with living in a small town. I’m looking forward to continuing my work through AFNHA and contributing to all the ongoing projects in the region. In my free time I can be found hiking, mountain biking, or cross country skiing at White Grass in the winter.
Madeline R.
Serving with Augusta Heritage Center
Howdy! My name is Madeline and I’m serving at The Augusta Heritage Center as the Collections Preservation Coordinator. My service is focused around the collection, preservation, and love of all things cultural and historical. I have a BA in English Literature from Gonzaga University and just recently graduated with a Master of Research in Social Anthropology from The University of St Andrews in Scotland. I come from Indiana and Montana, but my mom was born and raised in Charleston, West Virginia, so the state is close to my heart! In my downtime, I love to read, bake, hike, sing, and learn new instruments.
Trent. T
Serving with AFNHA
Hello! My name is Trent Tolson, and I have the amazing opportunity of being the 2024-25 Associate Curator for the Appalachian Forest Discovery Center, located at the Darden Mill in Elkins. I'm originally from Florida, where I studied environmental science at the University of Florida and Florida Southern College. There, I enjoyed swimming with manatees, wading through wetlands, and tracking gopher tortoises. A personal goal for my AmeriCorps term is to develop lasting AFNHA exploration programs—I want to enable visitors of all age groups to explore the wealth of nature that surrounds them. I look forward to experiencing all of what West Virginia has to offer!
Emma H.
Serving with Monongahela National Forest
Hello, my name is Emma Hamilton, and I will be a Watershed and Fisheries Technician for the Forest Service for the next year. I was born and raised in Charleston, West Virginia and moved to Baton Rouge, Louisiana when I was 16. I have always loved the outdoors and studied Natural Resource Ecology and Management at Louisiana State University. Most recently I was employed at New River Gorge National Park and Preserve in the Fayetteville area. I worked with the aquatics team, performing water quality tests and various inventory and monitoring surveys. My favorite project this summer was snorkel surveys for Candy Darters in the Gauley River. In my free time I enjoy running the river, mountain biking, and camping. I am so excited to be a part of the aquatics team in the Monongahela National Forest and am looking forward to continuing my career in watershed management and restoration!
Kelly S.
Serving with Save the Tygart Watershed Association
My name is Kelly Smalley, and I am serving with the Save the Tygart Watershed Association (STTWA) in Philipp, WV. I am a licensed PreK-6 teacher from Chesapeake, VA who moved to Philippi at the end of the 23/24 school year. My main task with STTWA is to create and implement a watershed curriculum that can be used in various K-12 educational settings to raise awareness about issues affecting our local watersheds and to foster stewardship among youth. My other roles will be to conduct water quality monitoring to assess the health of local streams, increase outreach at community events, promote ecotourism by planning and participating in paddle events, and partner with members of the Buckhannon River Watershed Association to assist with the implementation of a proposed 45 mile interpretive water trail through Upshur and Barbour counties. It’s going to be a busy year, but also an exciting and rewarding one!
Taylor A.
Serving with Tucker Community Foundation
I'm Taylor, serving with the Tucker Community Foundation. I'm a Parsons, WV native and graduate of West Virginia University. I taught English in WV, PA, and abroad before deciding to return home and pour into my community. The Foundation serves as a resource hub for 9 counties in WV and MD, impacting individuals and organizations in these communities through scholarships, grants, and designated funds. I have the privilege of assisting with various projects within the Foundation from major fundraising events to marketing and promotion.
Adrianne T.
Serving with Monongahela National Forest
I’m Adrianne and I'm thrilled to serve with Monongahela National Forest. I’m from South Carolina but I grew up visiting family in West Virginia. While completing my Bachelors in Environmental Studies, I researched legacy sediments in a local floodplain, igniting my passion for watershed management and restoration. I previously completed two other AmeriCorps internships, one in New York as a Stream Stewardship Assistant with Greene County Soil and Water Conservation District, and another in Georgia as a Forest Technician with the Fish and Wildlife Service. In my free time I love backpacking, bird watching, knitting, and practicing wildlife identification.
