Palouse-Clearwater Environmental Institute Palouse-Clearwater Environmental Institute
Welcome to the Palouse-Clearwater Environmental Institute's website!   Celebrating seventeen years of 'connecting people, place and community'.
Our main program areas include Watershed Restoration, Environmental Education, Transportation, Community Food Systems, and Energy.  Check them out!
Find out about upcoming events, links to useful websites, local issues, and answers to some of your pressing questions.
Vist the issues and events surrounding some special places around the palouse...
Make a donation, become a PCEI member, sign up to volunteer, or learn about fellow supporters of this rapidly growing organization! Learn about our history, download and read our past newsletters, and find out about possible internships or job openings. Get directions to our office, or contact our board or staff members.
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Our Staff



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(Scroll down page for complete staff list and Program areas)


Thomas C. Lamar, Executive Director
PCEI's Executive Director since 1990. His twenty-eight years of experience in the public interest sector has helped PCEI increase citizen involvement in environmental issues. Tom has also taught Conservation Leadership at the University of Idaho, Conservation Social Sciences Department for the past six years. In 2007 he was elected to the Moscow City Council. Tom holds an MS degree in Environmental Science from Washington State University (1985). He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology and Anthropology at the University of Delaware in 1982. While at Delaware and WSU, Tom studied the medicinal use of Plants by the Shipibo Indians of the Peruvian rainforest. Tom's background includes Central American peace organizing in the 1980's. He also worked with the Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides for two years as an advocate for pesticide exposure victims. Tom enjoys swimming, running, bicycling, triathlons, and gardening. Email Tom


Greg Fizzell, Education Program Director
Greg earned a MS in Forest Resources from the University of Idaho, a BS in Forestry from the University of Illinois, and has been working in the field of environment and education for fourteen years. In 2001, he co-founded the University of Idaho McCall Outdoor Science School (MOSS) along with Dr. Steve Hollenhorst. Greg now manages PCEI environmental education efforts and is Program Director for MOSS.
In addition to environmental education, Greg's interests include dogs, guitars, college football, and being outdoors with friends and family.Email Greg


Tracy Brown, Watersheds Program Director
Tracy joined PCEI's Watershed Program in August of 2004. Tracy completed her Masters in Natural Resources (MNR) at the University of Idaho. At UI, Tracy focused her energies and coursework on understanding the ecological, social, political and economic issues surrounding natural resource management. Her final master's project reflects her interest in freshwater management and restoration and involved the development of a monitoring plan for PCEI restoration sites. Prior to living in Moscow, Tracy and her husband, Alan, were enjoying the mountains of Colorado where she completed her undergraduate degree in Environmental, Population and Organismic Biology at the University of Colorado at Boulder. This degree and her love for wildlife led to numerous jobs in the wildlife research field. One of her most exciting experiences was working with The Peregrine Fund releasing Harpy eagles into the rainforrest of Panama. In May of 2007, Tracy and Alan welcomed their first baby boy into the world. Kobe Finch Stubbs Brown is an amazing new addition to the Brown Family. They hope to include him on all (or most) of their outdoor adventures! Email Tracy


Erin Rishling, AmeriCorps Placement Director
After graduating high school in McLean, Virginia, Erin moved back out west to attend the University of Idaho. She graduated in 2000 with a degree in English Literature and her secondary teaching certificate. For the past four years, she has been teaching Language Arts at Kendrick High School. Erin is now extremely excited to be part of the PCEI team working as an Outreach Program Assistant. The opportunity to travel throughout Idaho, visiting our AmeriCorps members and seeing firsthand their contributions, dedication, and hard work in our Idaho communities is one she greatly appreciates.

In her free time, Erin loves traveling the world, reading good books, attempting to write a publishable children’s book, hot springing, and being with friends and family.

Email Erin

Karla Bradley, MOSS Director of Education
Karla teaches CSS565 - Instructional Methods for Environmental Educators. She is a Doctoral student in Conservation Social Science in the College of Natural Resources at the University of Idaho. She has been working with the McCall Outdoor Science School (MOSS) program since 2002.

Karla has worked as a crew leader for the Student Conservation Association, a field instructor at Teton Science School in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, and led conservation service projects with the OutDoor School Alternative High School, part of Northwest Youth Corps. She loves playing music, biking and skiing.

Email Karla


Laurie Gardes, Financial Manager
Originally from San Diego, Laurie has been a Moscow resident since 1990. She holds an MBA from California State University, Sacramento. Her BA is in Diplomacy and World Affairs with an emphasis in economics from Occidental College in LA. She volunteers with numerous community organizations and enjoys running, gardening reading, and biking around town in nice weather.

Laurie and Henry Gardes (see staff picture below) have commuted on foot to PCEI since 1997. Actually, Henry's only been on staff since 2002, but before that Winston Gardes was the PCEI guard dog. With 2 grown children off in college in New Zealand and Hawai'i, Laurie and husband Kevin are spending as much time as possible traveling to see friends and family, and in Sonora, Mexico at La Mariposa Azul, their rental house on the beautiful Sea of Cortez. Laurie appreciates being able to do much of her PCEI work telecommuting from home and from fun places. She might want to be a snowbird once the college tuition bills are paid. Email Laurie


Jen Hiebert, Office Manager
Jen was born and raised in northern Manitoba, Canada, where she developed a love for the outdoors and a passion for environmental issues. A convoluted career path has led her to her current position at PCEI. She has been a field assistant working with everything from fish eggs to seal pups, has taught self-defense for women, and most recently was Front End Manager at a natural foods co-op in southern Illinois.

Jen also has a B.Sc. in Ecology and a Master’s in Watershed Ecosystems. She has enjoyed living in many places (including France and New Zealand) but thinks Moscow just might be the perfect picnic spot. Jen loves cold weather, photography, music, spending time with her husband and family, and spoiling her dog, AJ. Email Jen


Sara Robson Cucksey, Watersheds Project Manager
Sara is no stranger to PCEI, she worked with PCEI as a watershed restoration technician during the 2003 field seasons. A recent graduate of the University of Idaho with an M.S. in Rangeland Ecology and Managment with an emphasis in restoration ecology, Robson re-joined the PCEI watershed team in April 2006. Robson has a diversity of experience including serving in the Peace Corps in Nepal from 2000-2002 and working with the Whitman County Noxious Weed Control Board Assistant Coordinator from 1999-2000.

At home in Moscow, Robson’s allies include Ellis,and Jaeger, Henna, and G.G. (one husband, two dogs and a cat). Like any good ecological restoration specialist, Sara enjoys growing and planting native plants, and getting really dirty. In her spare time she enjoys reading, learning new plants and birds, knitting, and baking. Email Sara



Jenica Wood-Beauchamp, Education Program Manager
Jenica’s roots lie in upstate New York, where she grew up playing outside and spending long hours exploring her family’s garden, pond, and stream. After earning her B.S. in Natural Resources Planning and Interpretation at Humboldt State University, Jenica taught at several non-formal education settings: two residential outdoor schools, Yellowstone National Park, Mount St. Helens, the Santa Barbara Zoo, and the Pacific Science Center. In 2005 Jenica returned to school for her M.Ed. in Environmental Education through Western Washington University. This program included a year-long professional residency at the North Cascades Institute’s Environmental Learning Center in which she lived, worked, learned, and played within sight of glaciers. Jenica joined the PCEI community in August 2007. When she’s not working in the office, you might catch her hiking, plunking away on her guitar, knitting Christmas presents, or practicing her cake decorating skills through Jenica's Caketastic Creations.
email Jenica!

Laura Milewski, Volunteer Coordinator
Laura's roots lie in the beautiful and lively city of Chicago. It was as an undergrad at Lawrence University in northern Wisconsin that she fully developed her passion for environmental work, social activism and educational event planning! During her last year at LU, she worked in the Volunteer & Community Service Center as a coordinator of environmental and social justice programs. This experience, along with her work as a quasi-environmental educator through Jane Goodall’s Roots and Shoots program, fueled her passions and Laura now strongly believes that she really can begin to change the world. She worked as an AmeriCorps member in the role of Community Outreach Specialist at PCEI for 1 1/2 years before transitioning to Volunteer Coordinator. Overall, Laura enjoys rocking out on her flute, keeping in contact with her little brother and sister back home, playing with her beautiful and oh-so intelligent dog Mya, spending time with her wonderful fiancé, and stargazing. Most of all, she hopes to someday do service work in Africa. "Be the change you wish to see in the world." ~ Gandhi Email Laura


Aly Lamar, Membership Coordinator
Aly is a proud Colorado native. Studying in Durango, Colorado (where Aly received her BA in Political Science) increased her passion for the outdoors, leading her to work in wilderness areas throughout the Northwest, Southwest and Alaska. She has served as a Youth Corps Leader for 3 years, guiding outdoor work projects in trail construction and watershed and habitat restoration. Aly is an accomplished backpacking and mountain biking instructor having treked extensively on the Colorado Trail and in Copper Canyon, Mexico. Aly is also the founder our Women's Mountain Biking Clinic. Aly has served as an Environmental Educator at PCEI for 2 years, our first Volunteer Coordinator and now as our first Membership Coordinator. Aly Lamar spends her free time triathloning and running, mountain biking, swimming , playing hockey, teleing, and snowshoeing. She is an active member of the Moscow community, serving on the boards of the League of Women Voters of Idaho, the and the League of Women Voters of Moscow. Aly is a proud member of the Palouse-Clearwater Environmental Institute, the Moscow Food Co-op, the Moscow Giving Circle, the Latah County Historical Society. Friends of the Clearwater, Radio Free Moscow and the Moscow Area Mountain Biking Association . Email Aly aly@pcei.org.


Sandi Billings, Grants Coordinator
Sandi Billings has been a non-profit fund developer and manager for more than 14 years. Other than that, she’s never concentrated on one area for too long—there’s too much more to do. She’s part space cadet, with a masters’ degree in planetary science and undergraduate in space science; part river rat, having worked as a guide on the Salmon River; and part earth mother, with a love for animals, seasons, and places with few humans per acre. From KRFP Moscow, Sandi produces and hosts Yin Radio, a syndicated community talk show featuring women’s voices, stories, and concerns. She lives in Moscow with her partner of 14 years—Albert the dawg—in a household of three women, four cats, and three dogs. Email Sandi


Rachael Goetzelman, AmeriCorps Placement Coordinator
Originally from Chicago, Rachael’s love for wildlife, beautiful landscapes, and environmental education brought her to Idaho in the summer of 2005 for a seasonal internship at the Wolf Education and Research Center. She loved the area and people so much she hasn’t left and now calls Idaho home. A graduate of the University of Dayton, Ohio, with a B.S. in Environmental Biology and Environmental Geology, Rachael shared her passion for science and the environment with students throughout Idaho while participating as an AmeriCorps member in the Mobile Environmental Education Corps in 2005-2006. Rachael is now excited about the opportunity to support and visit AmeriCorps members while they serve communities throughout Idaho. When not at work, Rachael can most often be found outside, playing with her pup, and enjoying a good laugh with good company. Email Rachael


Colleen McColl, AmeriCorps Placement Coordinator
Colleen grew up in Southern California where she learned the value of water at an early age. Water resource quality and quantity continue to be major points of interest for her. She has received a Master’s in Soil, Water, and Environmental Science from the University of Arizona and a Bachelor’s in Natural Resources and Environmental Management from Ball State University. In her free time, Colleen enjoys spending time outdoors, dancing, and singing karaoke in the comfort of her own home.

Email Colleen

Adrienne Boland - MOSS Program Coordinator
Adrienne is a Moscow, Idaho native that started out as an art major and turned to science. After a tour of many colleges in the west she came back to Moscow to finish her degree. She came to McCall to participate in the Graduate Residency in Environmental Education program at MOSS. She has completed two AmeriCorps positions through Friends of the Clearwater and PCEI, both of Moscow, Idaho. The last two summers have been spent monitoring Coeur d’Alene Salamanders in the Clearwater National Forest. She has a passion for learning and research and passes this along to all that she meets. Adrienne enjoys hiking, biking, rock climbing, mountaineering, snowboarding, skiing, knitting and art. One day she would like to guide women’s adventures. She hopes to continue her schooling and study salamanders or alpine ecology. Email Adrienne



James Blakely, Community Outreach Specialist
AmeriCorps Member
James Blakely is originally from Graham, WA but now calls Moscow home. He graduated from the University of Idaho in 2008 with a B.S. in Environmental Science. While attending UI James became interested in sustainability and environmental activism. He served as President of the Environmental Club for almost two years before taking a job at the UI Sustainability Center as their Event Planner/Volunteer Coordinator. James currently sits on the Board of Director's for UISC. After graduating from UI, James spent the summer working as a crew leader for the American Conservation Corps in Grand Lake, CO. In September James headed for Maine for a month where he spent several weeks hiking and biking Acadia National Park and Baxter State Park. James enjoys spending time outdoors hiking, biking, backpacking and snowshoeing. James hopes to land a job with Greenpeace after his term of service with AmeriCorps. James is pictured here at the Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse, Acadia National Park, Maine. Email James



Rosalie Bienek, Watershed Restoration Technician
Americorps Member
Rosalie Bienek grew up and went to school in Michigan, where she learned to appreciate wetlands and lakes like the one in the back of her parent's house where she went canoeing early on. While she was earning her B.S. in Biology at the University of Michigan, she spent a semester at the University of Michigan Biological Station where she got to do some research on the aquatic ecosystems and participate in scientific fieldwork for the first time. After graduating, she got a Student Conservation Association (SCA) internship working at Yosemite National Park, in California. Monitoring alpine meadows and visitor impact on rivers in the park got her interested in restoration. At Yosemite she also gained an appreciation for mountain ecosystems and took up rock climbing. Rosalie also loves to play her violin, run, backpack, and learn about interesting plants and animals. "We must learn to reawaken and keep ourselves awake, not by mechanical aids, but with infinite expectation of the dawn...I know of no more encouraging fact than the unquestionable ability of man to elevate his life by a conscious endeavor."—Thoreau, Walden. Email Rosalie


Bethany Anderson, Watershed Restoration Techinician
AmeriCorps Member
Bethany was born and raised on Burley, Idaho. Growing up, she was very involved in school and extra curricular activities; among these were service clubs, various sports, ballet, and playing the saxophone. She has always loved to work hard, stay busy, and help others. She graduated from the University of Idaho with a degree in Psychology and to help pay for school fought fires in the summer. This background in fire fighting has provided her with outdoor experience and, because of this, she has become passionate about about conserving the land and restoring it to its’ natural habitat. She has volunteered for organic gardens, worked at a natural food store, and participated in many restoration projects. She completed an AmeriCorps service term after receiving her degree and enjoyed her experience so much she decided to fulfill another term. Bethany loves the outdoors and enjoys rock climbing, running, swimming, biking, and hiking. She also likes taking part in sprint triathlons and is training to run a half marathon. Email Bethany


Stephen Mead, Watershed Restoration Technician
AmeriCorps Member
Stephen grew up in Boston, and was raised on hockey, and the four major sports in the Boston area. Like most Bostonians the Red Sox hold a special place in his heart. He graduated with a B.S. from the School of Natural Resources at the University of Vermont, majoring in Outdoor Recreation Management and minoring in Forestry. Since graduating, he has bounced around the west looking for more snow and bigger mountains and found shangri la in Silverton, Colorado. There he became an avid backcountry skier, finding great satisfaction in trying to find the right line for the right day. During his time in Silverton he spent his summers fighting fire out of Durango and doing odd jobs in the winter. In the fall of 2008 he moved to Moscow with his fiancé who is working towards her masters in Conservation Social Sciences. He is excited to be working for PCEI and looks forward to a year of service as an AmeriCorps Member. Email Stephen


Will Troxler, Watershed Restoration Technician
AmeriCorps Member
Will is a transplant from the far away lands of North Carolina. Having grown up in Salisbury, NC he spent a great deal of time outside in the woods. In 1999, Will attended the Outdoor Academy in Brevard, NC and developed interests in the environment and outdoor recreation. He later returned to the Appalachian Mountains to pursue a B.S. in Environmental Studies with a concentration in Earth Sciences from the University of North Carolina at Asheville. During this time, Will assisted with hard mast production research at Bent Creek Experimental Forest, helped bring together the first intercollegiate disc golf club in Western North Carolina, and spent his time in between traveling when he could. After a stretch of meaningless jobs, Will realized his idea of a successful career was to somehow improve and conserve nature, which brought him to PCEI. Striving to live simply, Will enjoys live music, playing disc golf, hiking, skiing, and enjoys long walks with his dog, Luna May Gladys. Email Will


Caroline Pechuzal, Environmental Educator
AmeriCorps Member
Caroline is a child of the sun, born and raised in the Sonoran desert of southern Arizona. She completed a B.S. degree in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Arizona. Between her studious moments in Tucson, Caroline became passionate about wild and natural areas as an avid hiker, backpacker, and rock climber. Her love of languages and travel led her to complete a semester abroad in Ecuador. After college she honed her outdoor leadership skills working as a trail crew leader. She has led trail crews for the Student Conservation Association in Alaska, the Olympic Peninsula, Lake Michigan, and the Appalachian Mountains, as well as leading for the Southwest Conservation Corps in southern Arizona. Caroline just completed her first year of AmeriCorps service as an environmental educator at PCEI and is now serving a second, 6 month term of service. In her spare in Moscow she enjoys crocheting, experimental cooking, sledding, doing yoga, reading spirituality books, and being a DJ for Radio Free Moscow Wednesdays from 7:30-9:00p.m. on 92.5 fm. Email Caroline


Jacob Dolence, Environmental Educator
AmeriCorps Member
Jacob Dolence hails from Laramie, Wyoming. Most of his life has been spent playing in the outdoors. His passion for outdoor recreation has driven him to devote much time to the preservation of wild areas. Jacob attended University of Idaho earning a B.S. in Conservation Social Sciences and completed a graduate residency at the McCall Outdoor Science School in Environmental Education. Jacob believes that education will play a humungous role in solving the world’s problems. His past few jobs include being a field instructor at MOSS, a rock climbing guide, a conservation intern at a nonprofit, and an interpreter at a state park. Jacobs’s current goals include trying to save the world, being a positive influence on children, and getting out rock climbing as much as possible. Other interests are sustainable living/design, mountain biking, and eating cookies. Email Jacob


Elizabeth Schulz, Environmental Educator
Americorps Member
Born and raised in the Land of 10,000 Lakes, Elizabeth is a true Midwestern girl at heart. She grew up swimming competitively and spent most of her summers exploring the waterways of Minnesota and out to the far reaches of the arctic Canadian territories by canoe. In college, she began to guide canoe trips and also took up cycling when she rode for charity from coast to coast across the country. By spring of 2008, Elizabeth graduated with a degree in Language, Literature & Writing, accompanied by minors in both Biology and Chemistry. With interests spread across the spectrum, Elizabeth came to PCEI in 2009 as an AmeriCorps member to pursue her love for the environment and to fuel the next generation of children with their own passions for the world they live in. When not teaching environmental education, Elizabeth loves being a book nerd, being active outdoors, traveling, sleeping on the ground, and finding ways to make use of her many useless kitchen gadgets!
Email Elizabeth


Mama Cat, Director of Purring

Henry Gardes, Director of Chewing
Henry has his work cut out for him at PCEI, he chews. Currently he is working on a large chunk of rawhide expected to last for about a week or two.

Jaeger Robson, Director of Fetching
Jager chases sticks. Life is good.

Ukaya Fizzell, Director of Listening
He's all ears and waiting for instructions.
(Scroll up page for staff photos and bios)

Administration
Executive Director Thomas C. Lamar lamar@pcei.org
Financial Manager Laurie Gardes gardes@pcei.org
Grants Coordinator Sandi Billings sandi@pcei.org
Membership Coordinator Aly Lamar aly@pcei.org
Volunteer Coordinator Laura Milewski laura@pcei.org
Office Manager Jen Hiebert jen@pcei.org

Watersheds
WS Program Director Tracy Brown tracy@pcei.org
WS Project Manager Sara Cucksey sara@pcei.org
Restoration Technician (*AC) Bethany Anderson bethany@pcei.org
Restoration Technician (*AC) Rosalie Bienek rose@pcei.org
Restoration Technician (*AC) Ali Jo Hart alijo@pcei.org
Restoration Technician (*AC) Stephen Mead stephen@pcei.org
Restoration Technician (*AC) Will Troxler will@pcei.org

Education
Education Program Director Greg Fizzell fizzell@pcei.org
MOSS Director of Education Karla Bradley karla@pcei.org
MOSS Program Coordinator Adrienne Boland adrienne@pcei.org
Education Program Manager Jenica Wood-Beauchamp jenica@pcei.org
Environmental Educator(*AC) Jacob Dolence jacob@pcei.org
Environmental Educator(*AC) Caroline Pechuzal cpechuzal@pcei.org
Environmental Educator(*AC) Elizabeth Schulz elizabeth@pcei.org
Community Outreach Specialist(*AC) James Blakely james@pcei.org

AmeriCorps Placement
AC Placement Director Erin Rishling rishling@pcei.org
AC Placement Coordinator Colleen McColl colleen@pcei.org
AC Placement Coordinator Rachael Goetzelman rachael@pcei.org

(*AC)=AmeriCorps Members


last update: 6/17/2009

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Palouse-Clearwater Environmental Institute
P.O. Box 8596 • Moscow ID 83843 • (208) 882-1444 • info@pcei.orghttp://www.pcei.org