Zoe Jorgensen, Board Chair Person
Zoe (rhymes with Joe) was born and raised in Idaho Falls, leaving only to attend college. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Educational Psychology from Brigham Young University and started teaching for Idaho Falls School District #91 in the fall of 1983. Zoe has taught for 35 years, the last 26 teaching a multi-age class with 4th, 5th, and 6th-grade students. She achieved National Board Certification in 1998, recertification in 2008, and finished a Masters of Education from Idaho State University in 2007. Zoe received the Governors and Industry Award for Notable Teaching of Science (GIANTS award), a National Science Teachers' Association award for science and technology, and was a state-level nominee for the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching twice. . She joined the Board of Friends of Camas in June 2016. In 2018 she retired from teaching in the classroom but is still activily supporting education. “I have had a great career and I am paying it forward through the Idaho Education Association at the local and state level, the Idaho Science Teachers' Association, mentoring new teachers and teaching in-service and pre-service classes. I believe the more we work together the more we can do for the children”
Alex Bell, Board Vice-Chairperson
Originally from Pocatello, Alex grew up appreciating the semi-arid landscape of Southeastern Idaho. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Ecology at Idaho State University, where he focused his
learning and research in freshwater ecology. After few years spent in Washington State, where he worked in the fisheries field, he moved to Ontario, Canada to attend Trent University. His research focused on nutrient dynamics and freshwater zooplankton. He received a Master of Science degree in Earth and Environmental Science and moved back to Idaho, where he is currently the Idaho Falls regional water quality manager with the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality. Alex is a forever student of the natural world. In recent years, he developed an interest--some people could call it an obsession—with birding. He is a board member of the Snake River chapter of the Audubon society. He also enjoys discovering new music to listen to, travelling, and playing outdoors.
Jessica McDermott, M.F.A., Board Secretary
Jessica McDermott is an educator and writer from Rigby, Idaho. As a fifth-generation Idahoan, she spent much of her childhood wandering the valleys and mountains of her home state with family, where she developed a deep love for the outdoors. She received her B.A. from Utah State University and her M.F.A. in creative writing from the University of Idaho. While at the University of Idaho, she was Nonfiction editor for Fugue Literary Journal and received a fellowship to write in and explore Idaho’s Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness. This trip solidified her passion to preserve and protect Idaho’s landscapes and wild places. She is an avid hiker who loves spending time outdoors identifying plants and animals, camping, swimming, and backpacking. She has over a decade of organizing and writing experience, and she is excited to use her communication and organizing skills to support the Friends of Camas NWR.
Kit Struthers, Board Treasurer
Kit Struthers started birding in 1964 soon after moving to Webster Groves, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis, and camping in the Missouri Ozarks. During that time she was active in the Webster Groves Nature Study Society. In 1972, while living in Park Forest South, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, she was one of four founding members of Thorn Creek Audubon Society, a chapter of the National Audubon Society. She was the editor of the monthly newsletter, writing it out by hand, then typing it, and literally cutting and pasting illustrations drawn by another of the four founding members. She also was involved in the successful effort to save Thorn Creek Woods, a favorite local birding spot, from the development of high-end housing.
After moving to Idaho Falls in 1980, Kit sought out the local Audubon chapter and was soon in charge of the newsletter. Luckily, the advent of computers with word processors made this job much easier and quicker! She also served as acting treasurer for a year after the previous treasurer moved away.
Kit has gone on birding trips to Mexico, Costa Rica, and Panama as well as many destinations in the U. S. Kit and her husband Richard retired in 1999 and have since traveled in New Zealand, Norway, Slovenia & Croatia, and Spain on motorcycle tours and on scuba diving trips to Fiji and several Caribbean islands. She spends as much time as possible birding while on these trips. Kit and Richard have a daughter and son-in-law in Idaho Falls and a son and daughter-in-law in San Diego plus three granddaughters and now a new great-grandson.
Timothy D. (Tim) Reynolds, Ph.D.
Tim joined the Friends of Camas Board in April 2013 and served as President from November 2013 through November 2017. He grew up in the Midwest and came to Idaho in 1974 to attend graduate school at Idaho State University. During his career, he was a visiting professor at Boise State University, a radio-ecologist for the US Department of Energy, a Research Ecologist for the Environmental Science and Research Foundation, and the principle of TREC, Inc., an environmental consulting firm. He retired from the Teton Regional Land Trust in 2012, and along with his wife, Patty, occasionally provides environmental consulting services as PaTT Enterprises.
He has been involved with conservation organizations and issues throughout his adult life. He enjoys hiking, birding, fly-fishing, camping, old-time music, working with his dogs, cross-country skiing, and other non-motorized recreation. He and Patty reside in Rigby, Idaho.
Mark Delwiche
Education: California Maritime Academy BS Marine Engineering 1967, Second engineer’s license, unlimited horsepower steam, and motor. Sonoma State University, BA Life Science 1975; Ornithology, Santa Rosa Jr. College, 1986; MS Life Science, New Mexico Highlands University, 1992, thesis Molecular Biology.
Employment: ship’s engineer, Pacific and coastal Americas 1973; self-employed maintenance 3 years; food processing industry, dehydration plant foreman, boiler and burner service and repair, 1989. Research assistant and tutor, NMHU, 1993. Worked for a prime contractor at INL as Senior Scientist (environmental microbiology) since 1993, retired in 2011.
Environmental work: Done multiple CBC's since 1975 wherever I’ve lived; extensive volunteer time for UWF&WS on SF Bay in the ’80s. Have been doing 2 BB surveys (Mud Lake and Ririe) for USGS since 1997. The supreme leader of Snake River Audubon since forever.
Danae Romrell
Danae Romrell grew up in Sugar City, Idaho. She graduated from BYU-Hawaii with a BS in Mathematics, from BYU with an MS in Mathematics, and from Idaho State University with a PhD in Instructional Design. Danae is the Associate Academic Vice President for Student Success at BYU-Idaho where she is also a professor in the mathematics department. Danae enjoying birding, camping, hiking, and spending time outdoors. She loves to explore new places, both here in Idaho and further from home. She has traveled to over fifty countries. Danae currently lives in Rexburg.
Erika Mittermaier
Since Erika was a child running around the forests of Lake Tahoe and tide-pooling the California coast, her passion for ecology has remained steady. She has an undergraduate degree in Biology-Ecology from Humboldt State University (Arcata, CA) and a master’s degree in Soil Science from Oregon State University (Corvallis, OR). Her work experiences range from technician positions (wildlife, forestry and vegetation) for various government agencies to teaching skiing in Tahoe. Currently she is playing a dual role: working for the NGO, Pheasants Forever, as a Rangeland Wildlife Conservationist II and a Farm Bill Conservationist for the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS-NV). Erika’s main interests lay in the science of wildlife management but most of all in interdisciplinary work including restoration, watershed and rangeland management. She also loves helping with outreach/interpretive programs that FofC puts forth. In her spare time enjoys backpacking and hanging out with her dogs, husband and housemates.
Sue Evans
Samantha Tacket
Advisory Board Members
Amandine Barre
Amandine is a passionate wildlife conservationist from Maryland with a strong academic background and a deep love for the outdoors. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Animal Science in Canada and went on to complete a master’s degree in Wildlife Biology in Australia.
During her time at Camas National Wildlife Refuge, Amandine developed a passion for wildlife photography, which she now pursues as a creative hobby. In her free time, Amandine loves hiking, camping, and exploring the natural world—often accompanied by her dog. An avid traveler, she’s always seeking new adventures and opportunities to learn more about wildlife and the environment.
Michael Mecham