Our Team

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Jill Silver Executive Director jsilver@10000yearsinstitute.org (360) 385-0715 ext. 1

Jill is an ecologist with project experience in natural resources planning, watershed analysis, habitat restoration, and development of watershed-scale conservation programs. Jill’s academic training is in riverine and wetland ecology, geomorphology, and community planning. Jill assists communities in shaping regulatory priorities and advocating for sustainable land management practices that protect ecosystem services and provide net environmental benefits. Her experience includes development of natural resources management programs and applied research relative to forested watershed ecosystems. She has worked extensively on the west Olympic Peninsula of Washington State in the Hoh River watershed where she coordinates multi-disciplinary teams to address the complex issues of sustainable resource management, including forestry, mining, and rural development. She has led regulatory and educational forums addressing habitat protection in forested wetlands, old forest and riparian ecosystems, and channel migration zones; successfully interacting with a diverse group of resource and regulatory professionals.

Mike Hitchner GIS Specialist mhitchner@10000yearsinstitute.org (360) 385-0715 ext. 3

Mike Hitchner is a GIS Specialist and sUAS pilot at 10,000 Years Institute, where he uses his skills to facilitate local conservation and restoration work. Mike's background includes working for the NASA DEVELOP program where he studied the impacts of drought on juniper in Grand Canyon National Park, analyzed bull kelp health in Washington’s Puget Sound, and performed habitat suitability analysis for bighorn sheep in Grand Teton National Park. He has also worked with Conservation Northwest’s wildlife monitoring program and the SeaDoc Society to help connect local communities and educators to accessible and local marine science education opportunities. He received his bachelor's degree in Environmental Studies from Western Washington University, where he also received a certificate in Geographic Information Science and a minor in Disaster Risk Reduction. At 10,000 Years Institute, Mike's work primarily focuses on invasive species removal and habitat restoration in riparian and riverine ecosystems. In his free time, Mike enjoys landscape photography, as well as going on hiking, camping, and backpacking adventures with his family.

Allison Frick Office Administrator admin@10000yearsinstitute.org (360) 385-0715 ext. 4

Bio coming soon.

Sarah Watkins South Crew Lead swatkins@10000yearsinstitute.org (360) 809-2713

Sarah Watkins is the 10KYI Restoration Crew Lead for the southwest Olympic Peninsula. As the South Crew lead, she plans and carries out the daily and weekly restoration work, survey and reconnaissance work, and managing and training field technicians. Sarah has a background in professional gardening and landscaping, and has been studying plants, especially native and wild non-native plants, for 30 years. She received a Bachelor's in Forest Management from Grays Harbor College, with a focus on biology, stream ecology, and a little musical theater. Sarah enjoys hiking alone, working in her garden, and photographing plants. She frequently teaches ecology and plant identification skills to others, both in the classroom and beyond.

Alana Gonczar Program Coordinator agonczar@10000yearsinstitute.org (360) 385-0715 ext. 2

Alana performs a variety of tasks at 10,000 Years Institute, including project management and coordination, data management, and field supervision. Having grown up in the woods of the Pacific Northwest, she has a great passion for plants and holds a Bachelor of Science in forest science from the University of British Columbia, with a specialization in disturbance ecology. From the cloud forests of Ecuador to the Rocky Mountain foothills of Alberta, Alana has almost a decade of ecological work and research experience. Her research projects have included a study on bark beetle parasitoid distributions, predictions of bark beetle outbreak post-fire, and fungal species associated with yellow cedar decline in coastal northern British Columbia. In her free time, Alana enjoys reading, hiking, going to the gym, and collecting bones.

Jens Ericksen Project Coordinator jericksen@10000yearsinstitute.org

Bio coming soon.

Field Crew

  • Alana Gonczar, Blake Hinchen, Brian Afterbuffalo, Caleb Hunt, Dale Saenger, Damien Dreher, Devin Chastain, Eli DeMatteis, Elijah Tabor, Furdogg Jackson, Jens Ericksen, Jose Gomez-Bos, Justin Wasankari, Keven Miles, Logan Larson, Matthew Houghton, Reese Gomez-Bos, Ricardo Barragan, Sarah Watkins, Tristan Tumaua, Wyatt Hultenschmidt

    WA Conservation Corps: Brendon Rager, David Rivera, Excalibur Moore, Griffin Steele, Jennifer Perez-Arocha, Jens Ericksen, Kristin Kirkman, Lena Wigger, Madison McKeown, Mari Johnson, Mathew Winter, Olivia Tejeda, Riley Scott, Sloane Armstrong, Thomas Keefe

  • Alana Gonczar, Alejandro Cendejas-Montoya, Alex Garcia Vasquez, Blake Hinchen, Caleb Hunt, Carter Windle, Damien Dreher, Devin Chastain, Eli DeMatteis, Elijah Tabor, Furdogg Jackson, Justin Wasankari, Keven Miles, Leonel Avila, Logan Larson, Matthew Houghton, Ricardo Barragan, Sarah Watkins

    WA Conservation Corps: Brendon Roger, Caden Frizzell, Darrel Borden, David Rivera, Daymian Holzinger, Enrique Valenzuela, Griffin Steele, Jens Ericksen, Kristin Kirkman, Lena Wigger, Lucius Holzinger, Maddie McKeown, Mari Johnson, Mathew Winter, Noah Mohmand, Olivia Britain, Riley Scott, Sage Carson, Sam Miller-Indresano, Sloane Armstrong, Thomas Keefe, Yvette Gustafson

  • Celia Thurman, Colleen Purefoy, Danny Ray, Devin Chastain, Domonyk Qunneke, Eli DeMatteis, Fischer Davis-Hagen, Justin Wasankari, Keishaun Ramsey, Keven Miles, Lara Hakam, Logan Larson, Matt Nichols, Miguel Rodriguez, Nathan Flores, Raena Anderson, Reece Blattner, Rose Greene, Sarah Watkins, Seth Miles, Scott Stubblefield, John Southard, Carter Windle, Caleb Hunt, Brax Kersavage

    WA Conservation Corps: Chloe Carson, Denver George, Kristin Kirkman, Noah Mohmand, Rylee Phillips, Sam Miller-Indresano

  • Aaron Bennett, Brax Kersavage, Celia Thurman, Colleen Purefoy, Cort Prose, Danny Ray, Devin Chastain, Domonyk Qunneke, Eli DeMatteis, Fischer Davis-Hagen, Justin Wasankari, Keishaun Ramsey, Keven Miles, Lara Hakam, Leo Avila Barajas, Logan Larson, Matt Nichols, Matt Faller, Miguel Rodriguez, Nathan Flores, Onyx Yskamp, Raena Anderson, Reece Blattner, Sarah Watkins, Seth Miles, Scott Stubblefield, Tristan Tumaua, Veronica Gomez-Bos

    WA Conservation Corps: Chloe Carson, Denver George, Kristin Kirkman, Noah Mohmand, Rylee Phillips, Sam Miller-Indresano

  • Alva Deakins, Ashley Baltrusitis, Bree Obi, Breyanna Waldsmith, Carson Lillard, Celia Thurman, Colton Grafstrom, Devon Jasper, Devin Chastain, Eli DeMatteis, Gina Sansom, Jonah Daugherty, Justin Wasankari, Karys Downes, Keishaun Ramsey, Keven Miles, Leo Avila Barajas, Matt Nichols, Matt Faller, Miguel Rodriguez, Raena Anderson, Sarah Watkins, Tristan Tumaua, Veronica Gomez-Bos