Foster Creek Conservation District
Foster Creek Conservation District Staff
Becca Hebron
Natural Resource Technician
Programs:
- Direct Seed
- Soil Health
- Education & Outreach
Contact Information:
rhebron@fostercreekcd.org
509-699-8344 (c)
509-888-6374 (o)
Originally from Fargo, North Dakota, Becca Hebron graduated from North Dakota State University with a BS in Natural Resources Management and Soils. She has 4 years’ experience conducting soil research through tracking soil and microbial responses to Best Management Practice implementation, saline soil mitigation with use of cover crops, and many other research projects as a soil technician with the NDSU Soils Department and Soil Health Extension. As the new Soil Health and Direct Seed Program Lead, she is eager to lend her expertise to North Central Washington farmers in helping them adapt sustainable farming practices to enhance the area’s crop production, economy, and surrounding environment. Soil is one of Earth’s most precious resources, and helping to properly maintain and care for it to ensure a better future is one of Becca’s main drivers for her passion for soil. When she’s not looking at the dirt, she’s doing any other activity outside enjoying nature with her family and dogs.
Ryan Lefler
Natural Resource Specialist
Programs:
- Douglas County Cooperative Weed Management Area
- Biological Controls
- Habitat Restoration
- Noxious Weed Control and Mapping
Contact Information:
rlefler@fostercreekcd.org
509-423-5990 (c)
509-423-6376 (o)
Ryan was born and raised in Royal City in Grant County, Washington. After graduating from Western Washington University with a BS in Environmental Science in 2014, he spent 5 years in California working for non-profits, state agencies, and private consulting in habitat restoration, wildlife biology, and large infrastructure construction projects. Ryan lives in Waterville, and enjoys the pace of life and open space in Douglas County. He also enjoys the opportunity to work on solving local environmental problems while working with Producers to increase the profitability of their operations.
Angela Orpet
Natural Resource Specialist
Programs:
- Multiple Species General Conservation Plan
- Water Quality Monitoring
- Education & Outreach
Contact Information:
509-449-5021 (c)
509-888-6374 (o)
Angie is from Westminster, Colorado where she earned a BA in Ecology and a BS in Business at the University of Colorado. After graduating, she spent several years working adventurous biological jobs researching ticks, frogs, and small mammals in a variety of settings like alpine Colorado, forests of the eastern U.S., and the marshes in Australia. She earned a master's degree in Watershed Management from the University of Arizona where she focused on improving water capture in desert cities. She continued to work with water, soil, and plants in cities around the U.S. until moving to Washington to join her husband while optimizing tree fruit cropping systems with Washington State University. Angie joined the FCCD team in 2018 and is happy to have more opportunities to work with the people and the natural resources in Douglas County. She enjoys meeting and talking to residents about their water and their land while sharing gathered information with all ages.Outside of work, Angie spends time cooking, walking, biking, urban foraging, and volunteering.
Nate Schmidt
Natural Resources Technician
Programs:
- Restoration and weed management
Contact Information:
n.schmidt_fccd@outlook.com
509-630-2369 (c)
Nate found his spark for natural resources as a youngster playing in the woods, creeks and shorelines of the Great Lakes. He went to college in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains where he graduated with a B.S. in Environmental Biology. From there he drove west, working a handful of seasonal jobs in several states before landing in Washington, where he's been for 7 years. He's spent his time working for a few non-profit environmental organizations leading diverse crews of professionals and volunteers in conservation best practices, habitat restoration, and trail building. He's excited to get his hands dirty in a new landscape and leverage his learnings from the Master's program he’s currently enrolled in to assist the Foster Creek team.
Amanda Ward
District Manager
Programs:
- Administration and Finances
- Direct Seed
- Farmed Smart Audits
- Grants
Contact Information:
509-449-2158 (c)
509-888-6373 (o)
Amanda has over 20 years of project management and planning experience. She has a degree in Environmental Science (Land and Water) from Charles Sturt University and an Advanced Diploma in Land Management from the University of Sydney in Australia. Amanda worked as an environmental consultant and restoration ecologist for a private company in the Chicago region for six years, and has also managed or been involved in many restoration projects in both Australia and New Zealand. A keen photographer, Amanda moved to Washington in 2015, and enjoys exploring the side roads and natural areas of the west coast.
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