Ryan comes to SBFC from Ashland, Oregon where he wore many hats including founding and operating businesses in the outdoor recreation sector. Ryan also served as the board treasurer for Siskiyou Mountain Club. In addition to business and nonprofit work he is also an avid outdoor recreationist and has pursued many different avenues of mountain travel. He has travelled around the US and the world as a professional ultra-marathon runner. Ryan and his family have relocated to McCall, Idaho and look forward to exploring the Selway-Bitterroot and Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness areas.

Caitlin Straubinger is a Florida native who cultivated her love of the outdoors by leading backpacking and paddling trips throughout the Southeast and the Appalachian Mountains. After a stint working in the Colorado high country, Caitlin moved to Idaho in 2014. Since then, she has been busy exploring Idaho and Montana on foot, bike, and boat with her husband, daughter, and dog. Caitlin brings over a decade of experience in communications, development, event management, experiential education, and community engagement. In her spare time, she enjoys trying out new hobbies, most recently, playing the banjo and fly fishing. She is always happy to connect over a shared love of Wilderness!

Originally from Philadelphia, Ian moved to Montana in 2010 to attend the University of Montana. He has an academic background in nonprofit management and environmental policy, and has worked in conservation since 2017. After leading youth crews in Montana and Idaho for three years, and a stint with the Montana DNRC Fire Bureau, he spent two years traveling for his wife’s professional disc golf career before joining the SBFC team in 2023. When not in the mountains for work or pleasure, Ian can be found at the movies or with a good book in hand.

Growing up on rural Michigan farmland, Josh had a life-altering opportunity in 2015 to join the California Conservation Corps' Backcountry Trails Program, where he spent 6 uninterrupted months in Wilderness, learning and falling in love with backpacking, trail work, and the wonderful community they hold. Since that first formative season, Josh has spent the last eleven years leading and teaching crews in the Frank, Selway-Bitterroot and surrounding wildlands. He spent 2018-2020 as an SBFC Crew Leader, and is thrilled his winding trail brought him back to SBFC as Wilderness Program Director in 2022. In his free time, Josh can often be found playing with his three cats and beagle. When the pets aren’t demanding his attention, exploring Montana, Idaho, and occasionally beyond with his wife Erika is a favorite pastime.

Krissy is a dedicated steward of the Selway-Bitterroot and Frank Church–River of No Return Wilderness areas. Her journey began in New England and took her through the University of Vermont and the University of Washington, eventually leading her to Montana after years of conservation work across North America. Today, she connects volunteers and staff with impactful opportunities to experience over 3.6 million acres of wildlands and Wild & Scenic Rivers. Outside of work, she enjoys hiking, skiing, reading, and yoga, though she is most often found on the sidelines of her two children’s sporting events.

Thomas grew up among the pine forests of central Mississippi but has called Missoula home since 2017. He earned a BA in Parks, Tourism, and Recreation Management from the University of Montana and spent several years doing trail work, first in the Bob Marshall Wilderness and later in the Sawtooth Mountains of central Idaho. When he’s not on the trail, you can find Thomas skiing, reading, or whitewater kayaking. During the winter months, he often heads to warmer parts of the world to paddle rivers or explore by bicycle. Thomas cares deeply about the wild landscapes that SBFC stewards and is thrilled to be joining SBFC for his first season. He believes trail work grounds people, builds character, and reminds us of the shared responsibility we have to care for wild places.

Berkeley has spent the first 27 years of her life beep-bopping around the Western US. Originally from Seattle, she went to school in Salt Lake City where she spent her time taking dance classes and playing in the Wasatch Mountains and nearby desert. Her first experience with fieldwork was with the Montana Conservation Corps in 2019 and after working trails and outdoor education jobs in Utah, Idaho, and Wyoming, she is stoked to be back for her second season with SBFC! On her off time, you might find Berkeley skiing, biking, trail running, crafting, and offering glitter (plastic-free!) to strangers on the trails.

Brendan grew up in Rocky Mount, North Carolina and found his love for nature through trips to the Outer Banks and his grandad’s cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains. After a brief stint in the Tetons, he moved to Missoula in 2022 and has spent the last 3 seasons working for Montana Conservation Corps as a Member, Leader, and Senior Crew Leader. He has worked all over Western Montana and Central Idaho doing a variety of work but continues to be drawn to the wilderness and its rugged, remote beauty. In his free time, Brendan can be found wherever the live music is!

Caitlin grew up in the Bitterroot Valley and fell in love with the surrounding mountains and rivers at a young age. After her first year working for Montana Conservation Corps in the Selway Bitterroot, she was hooked on dedicating her time to wilderness stewardship. She has been working wilderness trails in the Frank Church and Selway Bitterroot for the past 8 years and couldn’t be more grateful for the experiences, views and people she has met along the way. When she’s not working on the trail you can find her reading in the sunshine, swimming in the river and day dreaming of all the dogs she will adopt one day.

Caleb grew up in the Boston area and spent a lot of skiing and hiking in New Hampshire’s White Mountains. He started working in residential construction in Boston, but decided to move to Montana four years ago for the skiing and public lands. During the summers, he’s worked trail crew for the Montana Conservation Corps and the Great Burn Conservation Alliance, with some time in Utah doing fuels reduction and other conservation work. In the winter, he’s a ski instructor, most recently at Whitefish Resort, and he’s an avid backcountry skier.

After spending a season with the Montana Conservation Corps in 2021 clearing the West Side Canyons in the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness, Emma’s passion for wilderness stewardship and trail work blossomed. She returned to her home state of Michigan to complete her Environmental Studies degree before dedicating two years to the Huron Pines AmeriCorps program. As a Land Steward for both Leelanau Conservancy and Little Forks Conservancy, Emma focused on stewardship, trail maintenance, habitat restoration, and volunteer collaboration. Montana has always called her back, and she’s thrilled to return to the Wilderness as part of the SBFC team. Off hitch, you can find Emma paddleboarding, birdwatching, or reading at a coffee shop.

Enzo grew up in Boise, Idaho. As a city kid, he was blissfully unaware of the adventure and excitement of the wilds that lay just a few hours to his north. In college and lacking direction, a dear friend placed a fly rod in his hand, unintentionally setting into motion a lifestyle of dirt baggery and woods-wandering previously unforeseen. After his graduation from BSU with a BA in Environmental Studies, he was graced with an opportunity to work with SBFC as a Wilderness Ranger Fellow in 2023. Following his initial season, Enzo's luck continued and he worked with the USFS as a Wilderness Ranger in the Frank Church, based out of a remote backcountry station. Enzo hopes to follow his passion for wild places working in the boonie bushes and plans to pull saw for the foreseeable future.

April grew up in Eastern Kentucky. After graduating high school, she moved to Utah and spent a year with a conservation corps doing trail work, invasive species removal, and more. She then spent four years as a wildland firefighter with the Forest Service in Arizona, California, and Montana. Next, she went back to Kentucky to get a degree in Natural Resources and work as a backcountry ranger. She graduated in spring 2024 and moved to Missoula to work for SBFC as a crew leader. After an inspiring season, she is returning in 2025 to lead our Youth Expeditions hitches. She loves Wilderness because it represents nature in its truest form and provides mental and physical well-being to all who access it. She is passionate about maintaining these places for ecological health and access for all people.

Marlena's path to SBFC has been diverse and varied as the landscapes she loves. Starting with her birthplace in Seattle, Washington, to growing up in Connecticut and Germany, to studies in Gainesville, Florida, and a return to the West with her first field season in southwestern Utah in 2023. The plateaus and canyons of Utah is where she gained her foundations in trail work, and in 2024, she expanded these foundations to include Wilderness work as an intern with SBFC. After spending another season in the desert in 2025, she is thrilled to return to the Foundation to work with the youth program, and help inspire the next generation of Wilderness stewardship.

Kate grew up in Iowa and has always loved the outdoors. In 2019, she visited the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness with Johnson County Conservation and SBFC. Kate couldn't get enough and returned as an SBFC Wilderness Ranger Fellow. Since then, she has completed her degree in Environmental Science at Drake University and worked a handful of seasonal conservation jobs in Iowa. Most recently, Kate completed two AmeriCorps terms of service with the Great Burn Conservation Alliance where she led backcountry volunteer projects and taught environmental education to local communities. She is thrilled to return to SBFC and continue caring for our wild places alongside other passionate folks.

Dylan grew up in McCall, Idaho where he grew to love outdoor recreation through a childhood filled with backpacking, skiing, and rafting. He has done five seasons of trail work on the Payette National Forest starting in 2019. This is where he found a love and appreciation for the hard work, remote nature, and serene beauty of trail life. He believes that working in trails is one of the best ways he can support his local community, by giving them access to wild and scenic areas. When Dylan isn't out on trail you can usually find him climbing up a rock or skiing down a mountain!

Emma is super excited to be returning to SBFC in a new role after spending the summer of 2024 as a Wilderness Ranger Fellow! In the interim period, she has completed service terms with conservation corps in Washington and her home state of Minnesota as well as worked for the Appalachian Trail Conservancy as a Ridgerunner. Emma is thrilled for the opportunity to return to wilderness focused work this season and looks forward to sawing up a lot of trees and working hard with the amazing people in the SBFC community!

Nathan grew up in the driftless region of wisconsin, hiking and camping. He discovered a love of wilderness in the Boundary Waters, where he worked as a guide. He spends his summers working outdoors, and mushes alaskan huskies during the winter seasons.

Tara grew up in Boise, where her dad first introduced her to the rivers and mountains of Idaho. She moved to Missoula in 2019 and earned a degree in Environmental Science from the University of Montana. Since then, she has spent seasons doing trail work in the Bob Marshall Wilderness and rangering in the Swan and Mission Mountains. She has also supported university research focused on post-fire forest recovery. Outside of work, you can find Tara whitewater kayaking, skiing, and running. Tara feels deeply grateful to spend time in these wild places and believes they offer a rare chance to slow down and be reminded of what matters most in this life!

Abe grew up in Grangeville, Idaho, where he spent much of his free time hiking and backpacking in the Selway-Bitterroot and Gospel-Hump Wilderness areas. Through these experiences, he developed an appreciation for Wilderness and the outdoors. Now a student at the University of Idaho, Abe spent his last summer with SBFC as a Wilderness Ranger Fellow maintaining trails while further developing his knowledge, skills, and passion for Wilderness stewardship. He looks forward to another season on the trails where he can continue helping make Wilderness accessible to others who may come to appreciate all that it has to offer.

Being from San Diego, CA, Kara grew up with a great appreciation for the outdoors and natural spaces. Kara got her bachelors degree in Wildlife Biology from Colorado State University, which furthered her passion and dedication to the environment, wildlife, and outdoor education. Last summer was Kara’s first season with SBFC as a Wilderness Ranger Fellow. That experience allowed her to become connected to the most remote parts of the wilderness and made her excited to continue to pursue trail work!

Raegan is entering her fourth year as a dual major in Forestry and Wildlife Ecology at Michigan Technological University. She has a profound love and appreciation for the Earth and its natural systems, which was reinforced after her first season on a trail crew in the Selway-Bitterroot and Frank Church Wildernesses. She is stoked to spend another summer in the wildest places in the lower 48, stewarding the land and opening up pathways for more to appreciate the land.

Sophia’s work in conservation began early in life, when she would volunteer with her dad on community trail builds. Growing up in Southern Illinois, the two were avid climbers, cyclists, and backpackers, leading Sophia to later move west and be closer to the mountains. When she’s not chasing seasonal jobs, she is a preschool teacher at a Montessori school in Missoula, and has previously worked as a youth expedition leader with the Montana Conservation Corps. She is excited to be working with the SBFC again after her fellowship season! In her free time, she enjoys skiing, camping, hiking, climbing, and cycling.

As an Idaho native, Brian spent his summers growing up exploring mountains, rivers and all of the in between with family. His passion for nature and the outdoors led him to a career with the USFS in Fire and Aviation, where he spent many years fighting wildfires across the country. Those experiences built a commitment to land stewardship, guiding him toward helping sustain the landscapes he enjoys recreating upon. Brian currently resides in Salmon, Idaho where he tries to balance work and play.

Jenny grew up exploring the rivers and canyons of Alaska and the Colorado Plateau where a lifelong connection to wild places began. With her years of experience as a professional whitewater boatman and expedition trip leader, she's led multi-day trips across the West, managing commercial operations, research expeditions, and educational programs. Her background includes fieldwork in fish, wildlife, and botany, as well as a public educator. Drawn to SBFC’s mission of stewardship and education, she's passionate about protecting Wilderness as a place for reflection, connection, and resilience—both for people and the landscapes that inspire her.

Ben grew up in Montana and developed a connection to stewardship and serving public lands. He has spent a season serving as trail crew leader for MCC, followed by leading a backcountry crew for the Bob Marshall Wilderness Foundation and brief stint in Alaska with the NPS. Ben has worked all over Montana and slices of Idaho and cherishes each second spent outdoors. This will be Ben’s second season as a river checker for SBFC and he cannot wait to immerse himself at Boundary Creek. In his free time, you can find Ben riding his bike pretty okay or frolicking with gnomes. Ben will be attending Alaska Pacific University in the fall seeking an MS in Outdoor and Environmental Education.

Codi grew up loving the outdoors in Northern Wisconsin. She went to college for Outdoor Education Wilderness Therapy and worked as a Park Ranger. She has worked at the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore and the Bighorn Recreation Area in Wyoming, and also as a park tour guide, trail worker, and doing invasive species removal.  She later ended up in Idaho, working for the Salmon-Challis National Forest. She is excited to work with SBFC and to help spread the love for our wild places and public lands.

Deanna found her love for rivers over 15 years ago when guiding on the wild and scenic Chattooga river in the southeast. Deanna has lived and guided all over the states and with it, her passion for wild places grew and landed her out in the PNW. She recently went back to school in the environmental science field to find work in stream restoration and river health. In her free time you might find her jumping in alpine lakes and rivers, playing hockey, exploring all things entomology or hanging with her best furry friend, Gilly. Deanna can not wait to meet everyone at Corn Creek and inform on how to be good stewards of our land and rivers. She might even teach you fun facts about the local insect residents!

Born in Salt Lake City, Utah, John was raised in a family rooted in camping, scouting, and a deep appreciation for the outdoors. Over the years, his passion has grown to include skiing, climbing, hiking, rafting, and kayaking. He has explored iconic rivers such as the Grand Canyon and Idaho’s Middle Fork and Main Salmon, and completed a 2.5-month expedition on the South Nahanni River in Northern Canada, including climbing in the Cirque of the Unclimbables. He has also adventured through the Wind River Range, Sierra Nevada, and Tetons. He enjoys sharing his enthusiasm for the Salmon-Challis region and promoting responsible land stewardship.

Growing up in Portland, OR, Clarinne spent her childhood riding horses, playing outside, and hiking in the forests surrounding her hometown. After moving to Spokane, WA to attend Gonzaga University, Clarinne continued to develop her love of the outdoors, becoming a trip leader and taking students into the backcountry of the Inland Northwest. Clarinne spent a summer as a Wilderness Ranger Fellow with SBFC, where she learned the importance of protecting wilderness spaces. Now, after graduating with degrees in Journalism and Sociology, Clarinne is excited to return to SBFC as a stock assistant, where she can combine her love of horses and the wilderness.