Educators

Educators are integral to the NorthBay program. Educators provide the foundation upon which our lessons are built, and act as the key to ensuring the NorthBay experience remains relevant and present in the students' lives. Therefore we are committed to ensuring educators have resources at their disposal to help make NorthBay the best education it can be.

Joshua Bennett
Joshua Bennett, a native to Maryland, has grown up around the Chesapeake Bay and loved every minute! As a child, he also took many trips to the mountains of West Virginia, and as a result of the two, Josh has developed a passion for the outdoors. By no surprise, he pursued a bachelor's degree in environmental science with great success at West Virginia Wesleyan College. Josh spent his college breaks getting acquainted with NorthBay as an intern during the camp's construction. Between a deep desire to make positive environmental impacts and his commitment to see the success of young people, NorthBay was the perfect fit for Josh. He has since, been a Graduate Educator and now looks forward to an exciting career as a Permanent Educator.

Josh now has an open opportunity to teach a variety of children to love the great outdoors; and understand the environmental impacts occurring in our society. He equally values the education of leadership and personal development in today's youth. Josh has plans to pursue his Captains License, refine his blacksmithing skills, and continue to increase his environmental knowledge. Being outside in the wilderness as well as on the Bay, Josh is right at home. When not working, Josh continually enjoys fishing, snowboarding, hiking, playing guitar and being on the water.

Jordan Bostik-Clarke
Jordan was born in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, and grew up in the D.C. area. His parents were his role models growing up. They were always encouraging him to be outdoors and to help others as much a possible. As a result, he began volunteering his time feeding the homeless and volunteering as a Counselor for several years before he landed his first paying job as a Life Guard. Later, Jordan earned a Fine Arts degree from Shepherd University, West Virginia and took an interest in serving young people.

Jordan Bostik-Clark is fulfilling his dream of working outside doing what he loves to do: In August of 2008, he became an Educator for NorthBay. He enjoys the opportunity to shape young lives and encourages students to dream. He believes that with hard work, doing right by others, and helping your community is a stage set for success.

Rick Garber
Rick Garber has been working to improve the lives of youth through outdoor education for over ten years. He began this path at George Mason University’s Hemlock Overlook Outdoor Education Campus in Virginia, his native home. In 2000, Rick came to Baltimore for a year of national service in Americorps. Rick’s service found focus at the Carrie Murray Outdoor Education Campus in west Baltimore’s Leakin Park. Through after school environmental programming, teen mentoring and service-learning projects, Rick provided hundreds of Baltimore City students with an opportunity to make a lasting positive impact on their local environment and community. His commitment to the youth of west Baltimore earned him a Governor’s Citation for Excellence in Service to the Community. After his year of service, Rick attended Frostburg State University earning a Bachelor’s degree in Recreation and Parks with a concentration in Therapeutic Recreation. For the next two years Rick dedicated himself to working with at-risk youth at the School of Urban and Wilderness Survival in the mountains of North Carolina. This intensive wilderness based program provided the ideal environment for Rick to further develop his skills facilitating youth toward healthy choices and away from the behavior patterns that lead to hardship.

Rick is excited to once again have the opportunity to impact the lives of Maryland’s youth as an educator at NorthBay. Rick lives in Charlestown, MD with his wife Salena, a NorthBay educator who shares his passion for teaching and the outdoors. He enjoys backpacking, mountain biking, fishing, hunting and all things outdoors.

Salena Garber
Salena is from Cecil County Maryland and has recently returned to be close to her family and the beloved Chesapeake Bay. She is currently pursuing a B.S. degree in Ecology and Environmental Biology at the University of North Carolina at Asheville. She has been at NorthBay since the summer of 2007 when she was first hired as the Sailing Instructor. Later, she became an Educator and officially found her niche.

Salena says, “Every Monday brings a sense of thrill and excitement when I meet my new class. The adventure we share through teaching environmental lessons and character education provides me with hope in a better future. NorthBay has given me the gift of wonderful friendships, vast experiences, and the opportunity to convey my feelings for the natural world to all of my students.” Salena enjoys hiking with her dogs, lying in the grass, and spending time with her husband, Rick. Salena believes that everyday at NorthBay is a rewarding experience in more ways than one!

Dylan Fitzsimmons
Dylan Fitzsimmons was born in the Phillipines and during his childhood traveled to and lived in many different places in the United States and abroad.  He returned to the U.S. in 1996 where he attended school in western New York.  He graduated from Mount Morris Central School in 2002 and went on to Canisius College, where he earned degrees in Childhood Education and Special Education.  Following undergrad, Dylan found an interest in teaching about the natural world while working as a Counselor/Naturalist at Camp Wildwood in New Hampshire.  From there, he spent two years in Lake Tahoe, California, snowboarding and working for the Boys and Girls Club. He recently began working towards his Master's Degree in Ecological Teaching and Learning and moved to Maryland to work more directly in the field of Environmental Education.  He enjoys working at NorthBay and seeing students learn to experience, enjoy, and protect our natural world.

Jessica Green
Jessica is a graduate from Frostburg State University, in western Maryland where she earned her degree in Biology with a concentration in Environmental Science and a minor in Geography. Following college she worked for Irvine Nature Center where she found her passion for teaching environmental education. There she worked with Baltimore City youth teaching them the importance of conducting research, schoolyard habitat projects, and natural science activities. She is currently working to obtain her Maryland State Teaching Certification. A native to Maryland Jessie enjoys giving back to natural environment that she grew up in. Being a part of the NorthBay team gives her the opportunity to give back to the environment by teaching environmental and character education. In her free time, Jessie enjoys making people laugh, spending time with family and friends, following Maryland sports and exploring the outdoors.

Erin Groth
Erin, originally from New Jersey, has been an Educator at Northbay since August 2007. She enjoys watching the seasons change as she teaches the kids about the environment. Her favorite class to teach is Vernal Pools. During summers at NorthBay, Erin is the Mountain Biking instructor. She loves single-track riding around local Fair Hill in MD and White Clay Creek State Park in DE. She graduated from the University of Delaware with a degree in Wildlife Conservation, with minors in Entomology and Economics; and, has taken course work in Education. She has worked in the Environmental Education field since 2005.

Erin has traveled all over the United States and to Costa Rica. Erin also spent time living in post-Katrina New Orleans (in Lil' Wayne's old neighborhood) helping with clean up. She enjoys long walks in the woods, amphibians, the Philadelphia Eagles, and her husband-to-be, Bryan Adams.

Meghan Luttrell
Meghan Luttrell holds two positions at NorthBay, Co-host of NorthBay Live and Follow-on Coordinator. Meghan has been a part of the Education Team since NorthBay's first year. Meghan's goals were always to work with children in a meaningful and beneficial way, and NorthBay allows for her to do that in a setting she loves!

Meghan graduated from Towson University with bachelor's degrees in both Psychology and Sociology. Throughout college Meghan had different jobs and internships, and volunteered with organizations such as Young Life allowing her to work with children in different settings. One of the biggest lessons that she learned from these experiences was that kids from all different backgrounds and situations need a lot of support, and to now be able to be a part of that as a career is, seriously, a dream come true. Working at NorthBay also enables Meghan to enjoy many of the things she finds exciting and fulfilling such as hiking, being on stage, and learning alongside her students.

Sarah Maglove
Sarah joined NorthBay’s Education Team in March 2008. She graduated from Towson University with a degree in Environmental Science specializing in Biology and Outdoor Environmental Education. Sarah has worked in a variety of environmental settings, but her true passion is for kids and the outdoors—a great fit for working at NorthBay.

This summer Sarah will be on the waterfront as a Paddling Instructor helping students and campers navigate NorthBay’s waterways. She has always loved paddling through small creeks at sunset and would one day love to paddle down the Amazon River when it is flooded to the tree tops. While being outgoing, adventurous, and loving the outdoors, a little known fact about Sarah is that she is also an airbrush artist.

Adina Nielsen
Adina Nielsen grew up in rural PA with her three sisters and variety of animals. Camping and being in the outdoors have always been a key part of her pursuits. It comes as no surprise that Adina earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Camp Management, focusing on Outdoor Education and Recreation. After graduating, Adina helped start a children's camp in southern Australia, and then returned home to work as an outdoor educator and facilitator at education and adventure centers in New York and Pennsylvania. Adina has worked at NorthBay for several years and has feels privileged to be part of the changes and growth that have taken place. Currently, Adina is working on a program that will bring fun and education to the local community!

When not sharing her knowledge and excitement about the outdoors with others, or traveling the world with her husband, she and her dog can often be found roaming around in the woods.

Daksha Patel
Daksha Patel, born in Zimbabwe, Africa, knew the importance of attaining a higher education early. She pursued studies in Biology with an emphasis in Ecology from the University of Utah and at Morgan State University. Wanting to make a positive impact on youth about the importance of sustaining the environment and succeeding in life, she chose to be a NorthBay Educator. She believes that being an Educator is an integral part of teaching students how to live life by developing their minds and equipping them to deal with reality. She plans to continue her education by entering a Master’s degree program in Environmental Science and Education.

While she was in Utah she spent most of her time backpacking during the summers and skiing during the winters. She enjoys spending time with her family and friends, reading, traveling, tennis, the outdoors, and having new experiences.

Brandi Perkins
Brandi Perkins is a veteran of the Education team. She has worked at NorthBay since it opened in 2005 and has progressed her way up through the ranks. She was born in California and settled in Pennsylvania with her family. She studied Art History at Eastern University, is an avid reader, and cares about the environment as much as the students she teaches.

William Richardson
William Richardson has also been involved in shaping the lives of young people. Educated at Towson University, William received a Bachelor's degree in Political Science and Legal Theory in 2000. While on campus, he held positions as the president of the Black Student Union and Relations of Equality, a group that he re-chartered to improve diversity on campus. He was awarded the Vice President's Leadership Award for Student life for his contributions to the university and nominated for Towson's Man of the Year.

William has a passion for teaching and has taught middle school in Baltimore City for five years. He has taught math, science and social studies and has developed curriculum in Social Studies while at Federal Hill Preparatory, a Core Knowledge school.

He has also helped to create and implement before and after school basketball programs to increase attendance and academic achievement. His main passion however is for that of his two lovely children Zaire (4) and Lydia (2). He is also a singer, songwriter and guitarist for his band, Righteous Soul.

Braden Spells
As a former member of the United States Marine Corps, Braden understands the importance of teamwork and hard work. “I try to show students how important these principles are to achieve goals.” Braden shares his philosophy, “Potential is only potential until steps are taken to succeed. My goal as a teacher is to equip students with the tools needed to succeed. Empowering students to see they have the power to change the world is a key ingredient to my teaching style”. Braden believes that exploration and fun are as essential to the classroom as are traditional subjects. He loves music, football, skateboarding and sometimes he can be caught hanging out with his 8 foot Burmese Python.


Michael Uhl
Michael is an Educator, native to Coopersburg, PA. After receiving his Mechanical Engineering degree from Penn State University, he spent a year traveling internationally in Belize, Uganda, and Australia meeting many diverse and interesting individuals and cultures. During this life changing time, he executed humanitarian engineering projects with Engineers for a Sustainable World and studied alternative energy and "green" buildings technology. Now he carries on these passions through graduate studies and the Green School process for NorthBay's facility and the affiliated schools. Michael values stewardship of the planet and its people's lives. His work with NorthBay speaks to real needs of students' health, intellect, and aspirations as well as global environmental issues. In between saving the world, Mike loves to spend time outdoors playing sports, guitar, games with family and friends, reading and learning. Mike is eager to continue challenging, leading, teaching, and laughing with this generation of young minds along the way.

David Watts, NorthBay Live Co-Host and Media Arts Assistant
David Watts Jr. was born July 11th 1984 in Elkton MD. He grew up in Elkton and Graduated from Elkton High School in 2002. David attended Lincoln University in PA to pursue a degree in Music Education. David has just as much passion for music as he does for the students here at NorthBay. At the age of twelve he discovered he had a talent for being able to listen to a song and quickly learn to play it on the piano. Along with his ability to play he also enjoys singing, writing songs and poems, and acting as well. He is the vice president of the youth department at his church as well as choir director and musician.

David’s journey at NorthBay started out last year as an overnight counselor. He enjoyed the interaction with the students and the important cabin discussions they had. That same summer he was promoted to a media arts assistant where his duties included filming and editing various projects, as well as hosting meals and the talent show. Even more recently he is now the Co-host of our night time program, NorthBay Live!, opposite Meghan Luttrel.

David is very passionate about his responsibilities here at NorthBay. He loves being able to directly speak into the lives of the students, and enjoys being a filter for them. He believes very much that the few days the students are here supply a lifetime of life lessons for them as well as environmental education.

Naeema Watts
Naeema was born in New York, New York and was raised in Brooklyn for 18 years. As a young child, she was a member of the Girl Scouts and summer day camps, which opened her eyes to the beautiful outdoors. She attended the High School of Art and Design for Architecture, but quickly changed direction to study Biology at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania. While at Lincoln University, Naeema was part of the Lincoln University Gospel Choir and the Lincoln University Drill Team.

During her high school and college years she traveled most of the East Coast, including Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Boston, and Upstate New York. After graduating, she married the keyboardist of the Lincoln University Gospel Choir, David Watts Jr., and soon after had two beautiful children--a girl, Nyla; and, a boy, D.J. She was a substitute teacher for Cecil County Public Schools for two years before joining the NorthBay Education Team.

Currently, she enjoys having fun with family and friends, and teaching at NorthBay, hosting meals, and entertaining the students. Working at Northbay enables her to expand her knowledge about the environment and the outdoors--which teaches her more and more everyday of how to step outside of the box. Working at NorthBay is her “everything” and she could not picture herself anywhere else.

Lee Wigley
Lee Wigley is a proud native of Virginia. His love of the outdoors was inspired by his father who introduced him to Nature at a very young age. He grew up hunting, fishing, and hiking with friends and family. His fascination with “all things outdoors” has continued throughout his life. He graduated from Virginia Tech in 2007 with a focus in Natural Resource Recreation and Business Management. Lee says, “I work at NorthBay because I believe in the responsible stewardship of our only home, Planet Earth! Educating the next generation of leaders in our communities is the way that we can do that, and that is what NorthBay is all about! Lee enjoys spending his spare time playing music, being outside, and spending time with his wife, family, and friends.