Bay Area Staff

Codenames Chicharrones
Guild Wilders
Place of Origin The west coast, from California to Washington
Team Affiliations Montessori, the Oregon Country Fair, Alameda County Master Gardeners, Makers of the Bay Area

Superpowers Meat smoking, being an organizational ninja, leveling up, connecting people

Origin Story Jess grew up in a scattering of places across the west coast, exploring the woods of the Pacific Northwest and the coastlines of Sonoma County. She studied education, literature, and medieval history at Portland State University before jumping over to London to train as a Montessori early childhood educator and finally settling down in the Bay Area. After two years teaching at The Renaissance School in Oakland, she joined Trackers first as an instructor and then as the Bay Area Regional Director. In her alleged spare time, she tries be outside as much as possible with her toddler son, mad scientist husband, and their menagerie of assorted animals and plants.

Philosophy Children AND adults are capable of more than our culture often asks of them! When you give someone real tools, a deft bit of guidance, and the space to pursue their interests, amazing things happen.

Codename Kite
Guild (do i have to choose?) Wilder, Mariner
Place of origin Pennsylvania
Team Affiliation Team Faerie, Trackers, East Bay Parks, Cal Sailing
Superpower Wildcrafting, making herbal potions, helping green things grow, flying with the wind

Since her youth Joanna has been drawn into The Nature. She grew up galavanting through the forests of Pennsylvania and the mountains of Colorado. Since then she has devoted her career to the natural world; working in environmental restoration and conservation in southern California and Alaska. After moving to the Bay Area she was kidnapped by faeries and initiated into their ranks. They taught her the arts of permaculture and herbalism. She enjoys sustainably harvesting wild foods and preparing medicinal brews from forest herbs. Her newest passion, introduced to her by the faeries of water and wind, is exploring the area's water ways and sailing on the bay.

In 2010 she began working for Trackers as an instructor for the home school and afterschool program, and an assistant with the adult immersion program.

Codenames Farnsworth
Guild Rangers Guild
Place of Origin Anchorage, Alaska
Team Affiliations Tryon Life Community Farm, City Repair, Trackers Teams

Superpowers Baskets, Permaculture, Milking Goats

Origin Story Gabe’s love for the wilderness and the outdoors was born through the hiking, camping, fishing, kayaking and snowboarding he did growing up in Alaska. After high school he headed South for school, first for a stint in Idaho and then further South to Ecuador for a year where he studied Spanish and Environmental Studies. It was there while working on a coastal organic farm that he started studying and practicing permaculture.

Since living in Portland, Gabe has worked as an organizer for various environmental organizations and as a volunteer for City Repair and Tryon Life Community Farm. He graduated from the TrackersTeams Outdoor Immersion Program and now works as an instructor for both youth and adult programs with the organization teaching various skills from tracking to permaculture to collaborative team skills. He spends his free time tanning hides, tending the gardens and milking goats at his home at TLC Farm in SW Portland.

Codenames Boss
Place of Origin Eugene, Oregon
Team Affiliations Trackers Earth

Superpowers Tracking, Operational Logistics

Origin Story Tony has studied outdoor skills and concepts of sustainability since a very young age. As a teenager he cultivated a 3/4 acre market garden based on principles of permaculture design and the study of ecology through tracking. The extensive Italian family Tony grew up with was one of the greatest influences on his core philosophy of the value of community and family. At the Evergreen State College his focus was how humans connect to the land around them through participatory experiences.

This, coupled with over 20 years of extensive work and cutting edge development as a contractor and consultant in the field of environmental education, lead him to found Trackers Earth. Based on his work, research and experience in survival, bushcraft, traditional skills and tracking, Tony also taught extensively for the graduate sustainability program at Portland State University, including founding their Naturalist Training Program. He has facilitated wildlife tracking, outdoor entrepreneurial and adventure education workshops for the Forest Service, Audubon Society of Portland, countless parks and interpretation agencies, universities, colleges and much more. He is also a high end consultant for other outdoor education organizations concerning their safety, organizational and outreach policies. In his free time, Tony enjoys exploring the wilderness near his home, tracking bobcat, bear, elk and deer with his new son, Robin, strapped in his snuggly pack.

Codenames High Elf Queen of Admin
Guild Wilders Guild
Place of Origin Salem, Oregon
Team Affiliations Willamette Falls Symphony, Central Oregon Symphony, Davidson College, Tulen Center Bend, Swirves Utopia (online text based game), The Goats at the Trackers Homestead

Superpowers Milking Goats, Beekeeping, Puttering in the Garden, Online Gaming, Finding Treasure, Sci-Fi Nerddom, Admin, Cheery Phone Conversations

Origin Story A native Oregonian, Molly received her Bachelors degree in German from Davidson College in North Carolina and spent a year in Germany, also traveling throughout much of Western Europe. She spends her time between Portland and Sandy, where she and her husband (Tony) live, and keeps busy herding goats, wrangling chickens, planning gardens and wandering the woods.

Molly is also an avid cellist and plays in the Willamette Falls Symphony. One of the "voices of Trackers" you probably spoke with her regarding any one of the Trackers programs. Molly and Tony welcomed their first child, Robin, during the 2010 holidays and he sure keeps them busy!