The Team
Unleashing Curiosity, Sparking Scientific Wonder
Meet our Trailblazers
Leadership
Julie Rieder, M.S., PH.D.
Executive Director
Julie grew up in the Midwest, but once she crossed the Mississippi, she stayed, and now she and her family call Sheridan home. She has a bachelor’s degree in biology and chemistry from Northland College (WI), a master’s degree studying the mating system of the endangered leatherback sea turtle at The Ohio State University (OH), and a doctoral degree studying what makes a weedy invasive plant so good at being a weed from Utah State University (UT). She has researched plants, birds, bugs, reptiles, rodents, contaminated groundwater, and dirt. Julie loves learning, teaching about the sciences, and watching young people get excited about nature, from mucky mud to high-flying birds.
Molly Kinsey, M.S.
Assistant Director
I was born and raised in the Wyoming Bighorn Basin, spending most of my time outdoors. Oh, the adventures my best friend Meg and I had together! After earning a Bachelor’s Degree at the University of Wyoming, I left the state. My absence from Wyoming impressed upon me the wonders of my native state, and I returned to never leave again. Wyoming is real. After sending my three children to public school, I changed direction and headed toward a license in elementary education and followed that with a Master’s Degree in Reading and Literacy. During my career in education, I served on the Wyoming Teaching Standards board and sat on multiple Wyoming legislative education committees. After twenty-three years of teaching students in grades K-5, I retired from public education; however, the education of youth remains my passion. Sparking curiosity in “kids” of all ages and helping them build new knowledge fills my soul—as well as laughing and playing with my grown children and one granddaughter.
Sarah Mentock, M.S.
Founder
Sarah received her bachelor’s degree in Biology in 1988, then a master’s degree in 1994 in Cell and Molecular Biology, both from the University of Wyoming. Though born in Colorado, Sarah wishes that her mother, a Wyoming native, would at least have had the courtesy to drive to Cheyenne to deliver her, as she believes there is no better place on earth than the Cowboy State. Sarah enjoys a variety of outdoor pursuits, as well as jewelry-making, reading and talking things into the ground. She lives in Sheridan with her husband, son, and various animals.
Educators
Mike Bloodsworth, DDS
I was born and raised in rural east Texas. It was birds that became my first serious interest, soon joined by mammals, fish, insects and nature in general. My undergraduate majors were biology and chemistry, with a focus in the medical sciences. My medical career began during my junior year of high school when I worked for some pathologists. There I was exposed to microbiology, histology, blood chemistries, and even medical and legal autopsies. Just your typical high school experience! After college I attended the University of Texas Dental Branch in Houston, and was in private dental practice for 40 years. After retirement, we moved to Sheridan and I added fossils, geology, and other Earth Science subjects to my never-ending interest in all-things-science. My true passion with Science Kids is to share the fascinating topics in nature with young people, and instill in the kids the confidence to be able pursue these subjects as both a profession and a life-long learning opportunity.
Becki Butterfield, M.S.
The world around us intrigues me everyday. I continue to stay curious, love learning, and adore exploring from large scales to the microscopic. I'm fascinated by anything from the complexity of a wing under a microscope to the mesmerizing night sky. As an educator I’m passionate about teaching students to love and understand the ecosystems in our community, because they are the future of conservation. This year marks my seventh year teaching elementary school and instilling a passion for seeing the world through the lens of an investigator. My journey in education led me to a Masters of Natural Science for educators that I recently completed. I grew up in Buffalo, WY and have spent the last 13 years in the big city of Sheridan. When I’m not teaching I dabble in the arts and spend my time traveling around the world. My latest adventures took me to Machu Picchu, a sail trip in Belize, and Whitewater rafting on the Snake River outside of Jackson Hole. I share this wonderful life with my adventurous husband Trav and two fur babies, Frankie and Pearl.
Emily Emond, M.S.
Emily grew up in Minnesota and experienced nature firsthand, from the time she could walk, in rivers, lakes, ponds, and forests. When she and her husband moved to WY, she added mountains to that list. Her love for nature has been a constant thread throughout her life earning a degree in Environmental Science in Biology from Hamline University and then pursuing her Master's degree in Education. Emily has been involved in science education in Sheridan for over 20 years now, sharing her love of exploration and getting kids outside. Her favorite part of passing on her passion for science and nature is seeing where her students are able to take it; whether it is into the ocean as a marine biologist, collecting rare and beautiful insects, or making the world a better place through environmental engineering. When she isn't teaching at Woodland Park or for Science Kids, she is coaching figure skating and exploring National Parks with her family.
Sarah Flores, M.S.
Sarah (Hackworth) Flores grew up in the Pacific Northwest and studied biology at Western Washington University, where she focused on botany and entomology. After doing botany field work for the Forest Service in California, she relocated to Wyoming to work for the Bureau of Land Management. During an outreach event, she realized how much she loved connecting kids with their local environments. She spent a season snowshoeing with students at Casper Mountain Science School and then went on to spend a year teaching and attaining her Master’s in Education through Teton Science Schools and the University of Wyoming. Sarah has been teaching all things science, from geology of the Bighorns to patterns in moon phases, at Sheridan Junior High School for the last five years. Her passion for spending time outside and helping students build meaningful connections to the world around them continues to grow every year!
Tina Krueger, Professional Hydrologist
Tina is the principal owner of Steady Stream Hydrology, Inc. based in Sheridan, Wyoming. Her passion for the outdoors comes to life in her work as she restores and conserves riparian/riverine environments. With her Bachelor’s degree of Environmental Science in Biology and certification training in professional hydrology, geomorphology and stream function/habitat, she has woven her natural, artistic skills into the profession to design and construct stream restoration projects throughout the region. Her observations of precious water habitats began at an early age and she is ever grateful to the teachers and mentors who contributed to her LOVE of nature. That’s why she teaches any chance she gets! When she is not working on a river project or educating all ages about stewardship of waterways, you can find her hiking through all kinds of weather with her dog, or reading the water of a stream to improve her fly fishing skills.
Breanna Mills, M.S.
Breanna (Powell) Mills is a Sheridan native and has been teaching at Highland Park Elementary School for the past 8 years. She received her Bachelor's Degree and a Master's Degree in Education while working with youth in the community of Sheridan in STEM and outdoor education. Her passion for outdoor science comes from experience as a camper, camp counselor, camp director, and elementary teacher. She is so appreciative of the opportunities she had as a child to learn and grow in the majestic Bighorn Mountains. Much of her free time is spent in nature with her family and their two dogs, Dingo and Ava. She partnered with Science Kids during their first year in Sheridan and is proud to be a part of the team once again in a new and exciting role.
Lauren Mills
As a kid growing up in Granbury, TX, Lauren Mills had a deep love of science and the outdoors. While earning her Bachelors of Science in Early Childhood Education from University of Texas at Austin, she spent the summer months happily steeped in the mountains near Almont, Colorado as a backpacking guide. After teaching 3 years of elementary education back in Austin, Texas, Lauren moved to Buffalo, WY, and has been teaching kindergarten and 2nd grade there since 2013. In 2022, Lauren earned recognition as a National Board Certified Teacher. Lauren’s eyes sparkle when she gets to share the intersection of science and outdoors with young people. When Lauren and her husband aren't chasing around their two young sons at sporting events, you can find them outside—camping, trail running, mountain biking, rock climbing, skiing, and backpacking.
Jenae Neeson
Born at the base of the Big Horn Mountains, Jenae is a FUNslinger of the highest order, bringing tall tales to life through art direction, design and photography. She received a BFA from Montana State and has 22 years of design experience from Chicago to the Pacific coast. Her client experience includes Mattel, McDonald’s, Kawasaki, OPI, along with local staples, the Sheridan WYO Rodeo, The Mint Bar, Bought Beautifully, and Sheridan & Johnson County Tourism boards. With design as a foundation, Jenae looks at the world with a mindful eye and vibrant empathy, considering how the story can unfold. Upon returning to Wyoming, she found that her big, beautiful, native state gave good face and from there on out she has clung to her camera... there is always a story to tell or a moment to capture. She considers herself to be a wandering local, exploring countless miles in the Bighorn Mountains & Cloud Peak Wilderness, taking her camera to the coast lines of Thailand and coffee fields of Costa Rica, capturing artisans in Haiti, and exploring every which way the U.S. highways and byways will take her.
Dave Nicolarsen
Dave graduated in Geology and Mining from the Mackey School of Mines in Reno, Nevada. During college, he worked for the NASA Remote Sensing Project doing Geology and testing and developing ground truth equipment that later went into Sky Lab. Currently he works for SWCA Environmental Consultants in water quality and soils compliance in the Oil industry. Another fun job Dave has is at Sheridan College as the Museum Curator working on dinosaur displays that are being placed throughout Sheridan. Three times each summer, the Museum of Discovery leads field trips to a dinosaur quarry south of Buffalo in the Morrison Formation of the Jurassic period, about 152 million years old, to uncover dinosaurs. It’s a guarantee both kids and parents have an exciting time!
Betsy Peterson
I am a Wyoming native, and grew up in the expansive views from Basin, Wyoming. I have five children, ages 8 to 17, and we love camping and hiking in the summers. The mountains are my happy place. I feel at peace in them. My bachelor’s degree is a dragonfly wingbeat away! On May 3rd in 2024, I will have earned my degree in Elementary Education and Special Education. Right now, I’m an elementary school music teacher, and I get to share music of all sorts and teach piano. There is some magic in the correlation between science and sound, and I have a deep passion for both. Can’t wait to share science learning with you!
Diane Ramey
Diane grew up in Southern Illinois on the mighty Mississippi. Summers found her paddling a canoe in the boundary waters, camping, and clearing trails at a state park. After high school, she went to college in St Louis to study graphics and worked for a seed company designing their catalogs. Always suffering from wanderlust, she moved to Wyoming in 1984 and never looked back. Several years later she went to school at UM and eventually got a degree in art education minoring in geology. She taught art and reading at Holy Name School for 20 years. Diane works as a gardener and leads art and outdoor camps, too. She travels for several months in the winter, camping in her Transit Connect van, and exploring her favorite place, the middle of nowhere.
Kaitlin Shaw
Kaitlin Shaw is a 2023 recipient of a Bachelor’s degree from Montana State University. She has been interested in outer space since seeing an IMAX film about it as a child, which fueled her interest in physics. She has lived in Sheridan for most of her life on a farm, and enjoys baking and working with the fiber from her sheep. She also performs as a member of the Bozeman Symphony Orchestra.
Gail Vanderpoel, M.A.
Gail Ryan Vanderpoel is a Sheridan native who spent her last 22 years on the prairies of Illinois, learning about native plant restoration, local land conservation, and detail-oriented community science programs. Combining her 30+ years as a teacher with her love of the outdoors, Gail developed a passion for nature education. Gail graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Social Science from University of Oregon in 1976. She taught and counseled students of all ages and ability levels in public schools and non-profit organizations. In 2001 Gail received a master’s degree in Arts from St. Xavier University in Chicago. Gail taught nature classes and camps for young people with her local conservation group, Citizens for Conservation in Barrington, Illinois, for over 10 years and worked with the local school district to include more nature education in public schools. Gail continues to enjoy hiking, bicycling, bird-watching, singing, and spending time with family and friends, and is happy to have returned to the beautiful wide-open spaces of Wyoming.
Arin Waddell, M.A., M.F.A.
Arin Waddell is a professional fine artist raised on a Black Angus cattle ranch west of Billings by an artist and a psychology professor. She has 3 degrees in art: a B.A. from Hamilton College in New York; an M.A. from California State University Chico; and an M.F.A. from the University of Texas San Antonio. Since 1990, Arin’s paintings have been featured in over 150 solo and group art exhibitions throughout the Western United States. Arin came to painting from a lifelong love of learning, and oozes her passion when teaching drawing, painting, sculpture, design, and installation art to learners of all ages and abilities. Besides making art and teaching, Arin is a philanthropist, deeply committed to preventing hunger and illiteracy in Sheridan County. Arin lives in Sheridan with her husband and three children, the Coops de Gras full of chickens, a weedy and wild garden, 2 huge, fluffy dogs, and a bouquet of beautiful friends.
Hanne Wellborn
Hanne Wellborn grew up in northwest Washington in the rich farming soils of the Skagit valley, later moving to southern Virginia where she completed high school and college. After receiving her B.S. in Wildlife Biology and a minor in Forestry from Virginia Tech, she held various positions throughout the United States working in endangered species conservation, natural resource management and environmental restoration before landing in Sheridan ten years ago. She has worked with amphibians, reptiles, aquatic invertebrates, bats, wolves, wetlands, and rangeland ecology throughout her career. In Sheridan, Hanne runs a small business providing pastured meat chickens, fermented foods and seasonal produce to the community. Hanne is very passionate about the local foods movement here in Sheridan, and educating kids in the intersection of taking care of their land and understanding where their food comes from.
Education Partners
Dusty Downey, Jacelyn Downey, and Zach Hutchinson
Audubon Rockies
Rachel Woita, M.S. and Staff
Buffalo Field Office, Bureau of Land Management
Ian Cannon-Wallace
Rooted in Wyoming
Chris Vrba and the Staff
Sheridan Community Land Trust
The Shaw Family
Shiloh Valley Farms
Mason Lee, M.S. and Brett Addis, Ph.D
University of Wyoming Biodiversity Institute
Board
Camden Easterling — Chair
Sarah (Hackworth) Flores — Vice Chair
Jennifer Will — Treasurer
Leslea Huhn — Secretary
Taylor Crosby
Emily Emond
Stephanie Stalker
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Molly Kinsey, Sheridan, Wyoming
Vanessa Hoene, Cody, Wyoming
Ryan Fuhrman, Sheridan, Wyoming
Porter Koury, Cody, Wyoming
Faith Model, Cody, Wyoming
Arianne Mason, Cody, Wyoming
Mathers Heuck, Sheridan, Wyoming
Mike Fink, Cody, Wyoming
Karen Skoric, Cody, Wyoming
Mark Skoric, Cody, Wyoming
Tom Maechtle, Sheridan, Wyoming
Arin Waddell, Sheridan, Wyoming
Michelle Sullivan, Sheridan, Wyoming
Annie Bergman, Laramie, Wyoming
Julie Rieder, Sheridan, Wyoming
Colin Betzler, Sheridan, Wyoming
Oakleigh Thorne, II, Boulder, Colorado
Nan Fogel, Sheridan, WyomingKen Schuster, Big Horn, Wyoming
Nathan Doerr, Cheyenne, WyomingLori Dickinson, Sheridan, Wyoming
Timberly Fiskum, Mohave Valley, Arizona
Catharine Reinitz, Cody, Wyoming
Susie Smith, Cody, Wyoming
Amanda Morris, Sheridan, Wyoming