Khavin Debbs was born in Sacramento, California. After teaching preschool and elementary school for homeless children he relocated to Washington in 2013. There he finished his bachelors degree in Environmental Education from the Evergreen State College. He then later received his Urban Environmental Education Masters from Antioch University, where his thesis focused on decolonizing the outdoors for families of color. He is currently working as an Education Professor at North Seattle College. In his spare time Khavin enjoys watching and playing soccer, mycology, rock climbing, cooking, and art. Khavin goes by the pronouns He, Him, His.      

Sarah Collins, MS, MA, LMT, dreams of long days outside, deepening their relationship with the natural world. In her work life, Sarah serves in a fellowship position with the U.S. Forest Service. Her Fellowship focuses on guiding the transition towards sustainable operations in wildland fire emergency management and across the agency through education and outreach. To balance work, Sarah spends her days backyard homesteading with her family in Ann Arbor, MI, connecting folks to nature-based mindfulness practices, birding, and engaging in sustainability education research. At Hog Island, Sarah strives to bring her background in sustainability, research, nature therapy, and education to provide participants tools for integrating sustainability in any setting. Sarah uses she/they pronouns.

Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, Nicole Jackson (she/her) is an alumna of the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences of The Ohio State University. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Education and Interpretation (2011) and has worked in different capacities throughout the past decade as an environmental educator, facilitator and freelance consultant for various non-profit organizations across Ohio. An urban environmental educator, park advocate, and birder, Nicole developed her love for nature as a young girl. Her interest in environmental education was sparked by her being selected as a TogetherGreen Youth Fellow with the National Audubon Society in 2011 and interned as a summer camp counselor with the Grange Insurance Audubon Center. In 2018 she joined the Next Generation Advisory Board of the National Parks Conservation Association. This council of diverse leaders and advocates explore effective methods of engaging younger generations in national park advocacy and protection. Nicole has worked with various national organizations such as Natural Leaders Network and North American Association for Environmental Education as well as universities such as Cornell University and University of Illinois. 

In June of 2020, Nicole along with a small group of Black STEM professionals and students co-organized Black Birders Week. The event was a week-long series of online events that highlighted Black nature enthusiasts and increased the visibility of Black birders, who face unique challenges and dangers when engaging in outdoor activities.  Nicole currently lives in Columbus, Ohio and is a new board member of the Columbus Audubon and hopes to get more communities of color connect to nature in their neighborhoods. In her spare time she likes to bird, read, take nature walks, and has recently taken up nature photography.

Lindsay Strout is a Maine high school science educator who is very passionate about the outdoors and all it has to offer! She studied at the University of Prince Edward Island majoring in Biology and minoring in Environmental Studies. She then left North America and headed to South Korea to teach English for a few years, then traveled for an additional year to 9 other countries, living out of a backpack, exploring the various cultures, food and languages. Upon returning to Maine, she was introduced to nature journaling and currently teaches wildlife biology at Sanford High School. Last year, Lindsay finished her year-long course to become a Maine Master Naturalist as well! She grew up in a very outdoorsy family, from hiking and bicycling to canoe camping. She can’t wait to share her passion for the outdoors and nature journaling with you this summer!