The Crew

Clint Patterson is the College Forester. He and the two other Forestry staff members work together to keep the Berea College Forest in tip-top shape! Clint grew up in Illinois in the small towns of Brownstown and St. Elmo where he spent most of his time outdoors, exploring the land around him with his grandpa and step-dad. This time is what originally made Clint interested in forestry work. Appropriately, when Clint entered college, he decided to get his B.S. in Forestry at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale and then his Master's degree in Forestry at the University of Kentucky. He was a District Forester for 9 years, and has been with Berea College's Forestry Department now for 7 years. A creative, big-picture thinker, Clint likes to draw and write, and finds an appreciation for the enchantment of forests, knowing that an open-minded approach to learning can break barriers and make new strides in fields of science such as forestry. Here at Berea, Clint loves working in the College Forest because of the beauty and history of this land and the enjoyment that other people can take from this place because of his work.

Warren has been an interdisciplinary educator for over thirty years, working with kindergartners through graduate students. Wendy holds a doctorate in Educational Leadership and currently serves as Director of the Forestry Outreach Center. She also works as Regional Seminar Coordinator for The Olga Lengyel Institute for Holocaust Education and Human Rights (TOLI). As a writer and educator for social and environmental justice, Wendy has published articles, book chapters, and is currently writing a book for publication by UK Press. Wendy notes the importance of a creative approach to education that creates conditions through which students might learn and practice empathy. Her dual focus on human diversity and biodiversity is a continual reminder that the world operates as an interconnected whole.

Dandeneau is the Assistant Forester at Berea College. Born into a military family in Manchester, New Hampshire, Glen moved around a lot before settling in Berea, where he was lived for the past 34 years. Glen graduated from Berea College in 1987 with a B.A. in Agriculture. Glen loves reading, playing sports, and music. In fact, he's been in three separate bands, and even released two CDs! However, his love for the outdoors is what drew him to his eventual career in forestry. Glen says he is passionate about life, and he loves the work he does in the natural environment, getting to learn about the dynamic and complex biological world around him. Glen loves that his work in forestry allows him to work with so many people. As the department's labor supervisor, Glen works closely with labor students and enjoys learning from them and sharing his knowledge. Glen is a joyful, upbeat person and shares his joy wherever he goes!

Trey Prather is a Forestry Technician at Berea College, Trey earned his B.S. in Forestry from the University of Kentucky before coming to work at Berea in April 2017. Trey appreciates the work he does with his labor students, being not-so-removed from his college experience. Trey loves that forestry is a career that will keep you on your toes. He likes getting lost in his work and finding that he can have so many new and unexpected experiences in the forest. Outside of forestry, Trey loves his family! He and his fiance, Kennedy, recently welcomed baby Juniper in September of 2017. As a new father, Trey is passionate about leaving the world a better place than he found it. Through his work in forestry, he often finds ways to do just that.

John Abrams is a Berea native working at the Forestry Outreach Center as a Program Coordinator through the Americorps VISTA program. He attended Eastern Kentucky University where he earned a Bachelor's Degree in Wildlife Management. John has worked professionally on research involving bats, birds, and reptiles. In his free time, John enjoys hiking, birding, kayaking and just being outdoors. If you have any questions involving the wildlife or plant life of the forest, feel free to email him at

A graduate from Kent State University with a degree in Zoology, Kayla Zagray has a strong passion for animals and environmental education for all people. As an AmeriCorps EELCorps with the Forestry Outreach Center, Kayla uses her skills to develop the inner workings of the Center that will help it have effective programs that can be sustained once her AmeriCorps time is complete in August 2020. Being from Ohio, Kayla has found the transition to Kentucky to be a somewhat new, but incredibly rewarding experience. Kayla is excited to keep expanding her skills in environmental education.

Stephen is going into his fourth year at Berea College as a Business major with a minor in Communication! He is a non-traditional student from Nigeria who worked for years in his field and is excited to graduate from Berea with even more knowledge and expertise. Stephen volunteered his time in 2017 and created this great website you're reading from right now! He loves photography and cinematography and is currently working on creating more content for our website and display area. He will be continuing into the fall semester with us, and we're happy to have him!

Blake Day is a sophomore chemistry major with a minor in mathematics. He enjoys making and drinking a variety of teas and sharing them with his friends. He also likes to hike through Brushy Fork where he can relax and de-stress from his classes. This is Blake's first year working at the Forestry Outreach Center and he hopes to get involved in the maintenance of the website.

Chase is a Junior studying Political Science and Religion at Berea College. When outside, he enjoys hiking and taking in everything we take for granted daily. One of his favorite things to do is hike to an outlook, find some shade, and read a book while taking in all that the Earth has to offer. At the center, he focuses on bridging the gap between Berea College and Berea, KY. He also works with the Boy Scouts of America to establish a connection between the BSA of Kentucky and the Forestry Outreach Center.

Hunter is a junior at Berea College. He is passionate about environmental conservation and is the founder of the Brushy Fork Nature Coalition and a labor student at the Forestry Outreach Center. When outside he enjoys hiking and rock climbing.

Lucas Collett is currently a junior at Berea College studying agriculture and a labor student at the Forestry Outreach Center. He also works for the Forestry Department. When outside he enjoys hiking and making eco-bricks.

Elijah moved to the Red River Gorge Kentucky in 2010. A wild place of looming trees, rugged cliffs, and rushing streams.  The surroundings of his home instilled in him and awe of the natural world.

Elijah currently works as a research assistant for John Abrams, the resident naturalist at the forestry outreach center. Elijah is interested in both English, for learning how to think and communicate effectively, and Biology as a continuum of his fascination with plants. 

In his free time, you may find him roaming the trails of the pinnacles, taking in the natural wonder of the woods. If you meet him, ask about what interests you. He loves to share what knowledge he has garnered over the years.

Michelle Berendsen worked at the Berea Forestry Outreach Center through the AmeriCorps Kentucky Environmental Education Leadership Program. She is currently pursuing two master's degrees at Eastern Kentucky University for counseling. Michelle holds a Bachelor's of Arts in English Teaching and until recently taught high school English in Northern Kentucky. When she is not busy with her academics, Michelle enjoys reading, cycling, fly fishing, hiking, and traveling. Michelle has worked many hours building and maintaining trails throughout the Allegheny Forest in Pennsylvania, has volunteered time maintaining mountain bike trails throughout NKY, and has volunteered some time in the Daniel Boone National Forest.

Alison Adkins worked at the Forestry Outreach Center from 2018-2019 through the Americorps VISTA program. She graduated from Georgetown University in 2018 and is currently pursuing more education at the University of Kentucky. She loves hiking, canoeing, nature photography, and learning about wildlife.

Jordan Byrnes is a lover of the outdoors from Louisville, KY. He graduated from Berea in 2019 as a non-traditional student with an independent major in public health education. He spent his last summer and school year working at the Center! His interests include rock climbing, hiking, swimming, cycling, paddling, slacklining, music, art, and, of course, dogs. His favorite part about nature is its' simplicity. He looks forward to being an outdoor educator and passing along his passion for nature. 

Rachel worked at the FOC as a sophomore at Berea College majoring in Agriculture. She loves the outdoors and hiking. She has an interest in sustainability and helped improve the environmental impact of the Forestry Outreach Center.

Aloyce Riziki worked during the summers of his second and third years at Berea College as a chemistry major with a concentration in biochemistry. He grew up in Tanzania near Mount Kilimanjaro. He has adventurous interests such as cycling, running, hiking, and yoga, to name a few. He is also very in tune with nature and the environment. Eager to learn more, Aloyce took a focus in educating himself on the birds in the Berea College Forest, and also has an interest in flowers. He looks forward to leading hikes at the Center on these topics, as well as lead yoga sessions. In addition to his work here at the Center, Aloyce was also a T.A. at the College for a math class. In his free time, he enjoys learning Spanish and working on his fitness.

Being a Berea College graduate herself (Class of 2017), Ashley Mike joined the Forestry Outreach Center staff as an AmeriCorps VISTA from 2017-2018 with the hope that she could use her background with the College to connect with students, faculty, and staff to get them excited about environmental education. While at Berea, Ashley was a Sociology major, and used her skills to connect with people both in the Center and regarding the Center. She sees her work with the Forestry Outreach Center as social justice work and helped to create programming that uses outreach to bring environmental education to students who wouldn't otherwise have the opportunity to learn about the environment in a creative, hands on way.

Eunice started a labor position with the Forestry Outreach Center in January, 2018. Eunice as since graduated with a degree in Agriculture and Natural Resources, and a minor in Forest Resource Management. This forest-centered perspective helped Eunice bring her passion of learning about and reconnecting with the natural world to the Forestry Outreach Center. Eunice speaks three languages (Spanish, English, and some Mandarin Chinese) and enjoys learning about various cultures and connecting through language and food. Eunice is also worked at the Berea College Greenhouse.

Alex Wilson worked at the Center in 2018 and majored in psychology, with a special interest in neuroscience. Originally from Easley, South Carolina, Alex lived in Alaska for 5 years at Fort Richardson, contributing to the fact that his favorite part of nature is anything to do with the arctic and snow. His work at the Center focused on getting out and hiking, especially at Brushy Fork behind the College, and inspiring other students to do the same!

Trent Powell worked at the Center in 2018. Trent enjoys spending time outdoors and experiencing nature, specifically caves. He also spends time outdoors running, and represents the College on their track and cross country teams. 

Gabriella Epley is a Berea College student who is double majoring in Sustainability and Environmental Studies, as well as Spanish. Gabriella was specifically interested in the outreach aspect of working at the Forestry Outreach Center, saying, "What's so cool about the FOC is that there is so much opportunity to grow that appreciation [of natural surroundings], especially within the youth community." Gabriella used her talents of working with energetic children and her passion of teaching and learning, especially about the preservation of nature, to bring a unique approach to outreach from the Center.

 Nhan worked at the Forestry Outreach Center her freshman year and where helped with various tasks to make the Center run smoothly. Aside from basic tasks such as cleaning and stocking, Nhan helped the team to create programs and lesson plans that can be used for class visits or outreach initiatives. Nhan is also an incredible artist, and her major at Berea is in Studio Art. She found a passion in identifying plant species (both native and non-native) that can be found in the Berea College Forest, and then painted or drew each species. The Center has already used Nhan's artwork in projects ranging from the Fall 2017 Friends of the Forest Newsletter, to creating flashcards that Center staff and visitors can use to learn about the flora in our Forest. The Center hopes to continue using her lovely work in future projects to broaden our understanding of the environment through art.

Imelda, Nhan, and Armando were the first group of student employees that worked at the Forestry Outreach Center! They were with us in Fall 2017, and Nhan continued into 2018.

Emily graduated in the summer of 2018! She loves the outdoors and brought many talents to the FOC during her time here.