Our Staff
I joined the District in May 2013 as the Educational Coordinator. I grew up in Southern Maine loving everything and anything having to do with animals. My summers were spent on my grandfather’s farm in West Gardiner, ME, with June being particularly busy as his big crop was pick-your-own strawberries. All those summers spent assigning picking rows to customers, I never realized just how much of an impact that would have on me personally and on my future. My love for animals inspired me to study Animal Science at University of Maine. There, an animal science degree taught you everything you would ever want to know about livestock and dairy management. I graduated with my degree in animal science and a minor in Biology.
Throughout my college years, I worked as a seasonal employee for the Maine Department of Environmental Protection in their overboard discharge division. I did field inspections and covered the entire coast of Maine. After I graduated college, I wrapped up one more season with the DEP and then was hired in October 2006 by the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association as their administrative assistant. By 2008, I worked as the Database Manager and Membership and Development Assistant and learned so much about organizational development. My years at MOFGA, my schooling and my childhood at my grandfathers farm sparked my love for helping farmers and local agriculture. I realized that what I truly wanted to do with my life was help people, especially farmers.
My entire 8 year career at MOFGA, I commuted from Piscataquis County. My husband and I purchased our first home in Sebec in 2009. We felt so at home here, surrounded by wonderful people and beautiful scenery. Finally, months before having our first daughter, I took a chance and applied to the position at the District. I was offered the position and to this day, 8 years later, I am so grateful to have landed here.
Over the 8 years with the District, I have learned SO MUCH about natural resource conservation, forestry, ecology, soils, sustainable agriculture and more. My love for agriculture is now equally matched by a fascination and passion for sustainable forestry. I have met and worked with incredible people and am grateful to be living and working in Piscataquis County.
My husband, myself and our two daughters live in Dover-Foxcroft. We enjoy the outdoors and love hiking, snowshoeing, fishing and hunting in this beautiful area of Maine. We have two vizslas (pointers) and our favorite time of year is bird hunting season.
I love learning alongside all of you and bringing together stellar programming to help connect people with information to help us all conserve and sustainably use our natural resources. Reach out to me, I would love to work with you!
Throughout my college years, I worked as a seasonal employee for the Maine Department of Environmental Protection in their overboard discharge division. I did field inspections and covered the entire coast of Maine. After I graduated college, I wrapped up one more season with the DEP and then was hired in October 2006 by the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association as their administrative assistant. By 2008, I worked as the Database Manager and Membership and Development Assistant and learned so much about organizational development. My years at MOFGA, my schooling and my childhood at my grandfathers farm sparked my love for helping farmers and local agriculture. I realized that what I truly wanted to do with my life was help people, especially farmers.
My entire 8 year career at MOFGA, I commuted from Piscataquis County. My husband and I purchased our first home in Sebec in 2009. We felt so at home here, surrounded by wonderful people and beautiful scenery. Finally, months before having our first daughter, I took a chance and applied to the position at the District. I was offered the position and to this day, 8 years later, I am so grateful to have landed here.
Over the 8 years with the District, I have learned SO MUCH about natural resource conservation, forestry, ecology, soils, sustainable agriculture and more. My love for agriculture is now equally matched by a fascination and passion for sustainable forestry. I have met and worked with incredible people and am grateful to be living and working in Piscataquis County.
My husband, myself and our two daughters live in Dover-Foxcroft. We enjoy the outdoors and love hiking, snowshoeing, fishing and hunting in this beautiful area of Maine. We have two vizslas (pointers) and our favorite time of year is bird hunting season.
I love learning alongside all of you and bringing together stellar programming to help connect people with information to help us all conserve and sustainably use our natural resources. Reach out to me, I would love to work with you!
Caitlin is a seasoned adventurer and conservation enthusiast with a passion for the great outdoors. Originally from Rhode Island, Caitlin ventured north to Maine, where she lived off grid in the North Maine Woods for four years working with the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry. She holds a degree in Animal Science and Technology from the University of Rhode Island, coupled with a Master’s in Sustainable Natural Resource Management from Unity College.
With a profound love for nature, Caitlin has explored the wilderness through fishing, hunting, kayaking, traveling the Allagash waterway and conquering every peak among New Hampshire’s renowned 4,000-footers. Her dedication to conservation and wildlife preservation blossomed during their tenure at Roger Williams Park Zoo, where she played a vital role in the breeding, habitat management, and reintroduction efforts of iconic species like the American Burying beetle, New England Cottontail, and Timber rattlesnakes.
Beyond the wilderness, Caitlin has a flair for the culinary arts, managed restaurants and also enjoys gardening, foraging and preserving her own foods. With a wealth of diverse experience and a heart dedicated to conservation, we are excited to welcome Caitlin to the PCSWCD team!
Our Valuable Board Members
Jensen has been volunteering with the District since 2020 and has shown himself to be deeply interested in Conservation and Maine Forests – a very suitable personality for our team. He comes to us with 30 years experience at Baxter State Park, home of Katahdin. We are so pleased to have him join our team and help navigate and manage District forests in Piscataquis County!
Jim is originally from Rowley, MA. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Forestry from the UMass Amherst in May 2012. His family owns a wood lot in Corinna, Maine, where he has spent a lot of time enjoying outdoor recreation such as hunting and fishing and where Jim developed a fascination with trees, the forest and where he has honed his passion for practicing silviculture. Jim joined the Maine Forest Service in the fall of 2020, after relocating from New Hampshire, where he worked for a small family-owned forestry consulting company. He has a great deal of experience in both invasive plant and insect species mitigation and control, timber harvest supervision, as well as forest management planning. In his spare time, Jim is a passionate angler, and enjoys spending as much time outside as possible with his wife and two dogs, and daughter.
Molly is a licensed forester and helps to run a family business, William W London & Son in Milo, ME. Molly and her young family also operate a small farm with pasture-raised livestock.
Carolyn is originally from Maine’s MidCoast region and relocated to Piscataquis county in 2022 to begin a position as Research Forester for the Appalachian Mountain Club. Since moving to the region, Carolyn has become involved with the District through helping with the Land Management Committee and assisting with different events. Her position with AMC is centered around the organization’s 114,000 acre ownership in Piscataquis county. Carolyn’s work helps achieve AMC’s land management objectives of preserving forestland in the region while also encouraging the growth of more resilient forests.
Welcome Kent Black! Ken was born in 1950, hailed from Indiana, Nebraska, Lesotho and Boston. Kent spent some time in Africa, involved in the construction of schools, University buildings, food storage depots
and town water supplies. In Boston, Kent worked in commercial construction as a contract manager
and site building superintendent on an array of office spaces, theaters and museums and outdoor areas for the public. Clients included the New England Aquarium, Peabody Essex Museum and the National Park Service. Kent is presently retired with his wife on a large woodlot in Medford, Maine. He spends his day engaged in forest improvements, mushroom cultivation and maple syrup production.
and town water supplies. In Boston, Kent worked in commercial construction as a contract manager
and site building superintendent on an array of office spaces, theaters and museums and outdoor areas for the public. Clients included the New England Aquarium, Peabody Essex Museum and the National Park Service. Kent is presently retired with his wife on a large woodlot in Medford, Maine. He spends his day engaged in forest improvements, mushroom cultivation and maple syrup production.
Steve hails from Willimantic and has a long-standing interest in the forests and rivers of Piscataquis county. Attending Foxcroft Academy before earning BA in History from Colby College, he has worked in the land conservation field since 2010. Joining the Appalachian Mountain Club in 2012 as its Director of Maine Conservation and Land Management, Steve manages AMC’s 100,000 acre ownership in the 100 Mile Wilderness region of Piscataquis County. A registered Maine Forester he services on a number forestry research boards and cultural organizations. Steve’s work in the Maine woods seeks to leverage the ecology and economy of the North Woods to enhance quality of life and the protection of place for the region and its people.
Mike has an extensive background in forestry education from the University of Maine, with a masters of forestry and is a licensed forester who is currently the Chief of Silviculture with Bureau of Public Lands. Mike has worked on past projects with New England Forestry Foundation (NEFF), Penobscot Experimental Forest, US Forest Service, Maine Mountain Collaborative, Acadian Forest Ecosystem Research Project (AFERP), Baxter State Park and so much more.
As a 5th generation Christmas tree farmer, I have always been concerned about maintaining our water and soil quality. I have attended many workshops over the years sponsored by Cooperative Extension and PCSWCD. Additionally, my farm has benefited from the NRCS Programs (control of invasivess, wildlife habitat, soil nutrient application and maintainance, best management forestry practices). What excites me about working with the board is having a say about its new direction, working on development of special projects such as the high tunnel and volunteering at the Demonastration Forest in Williamsburg and at the Law Farm in Dover-Foxcroft.
I love the opportunity to advance intelligent and adaptive agriculture and forestry in our area with a talented, dedicated, progressive, and fun group of people. Piscataquis county’s potential is just being developed, and the District’s an important voice in directing that course.
Alani and her husband Arthur moved to Piscataquis County in the hopes of building local community through food and agriculture. She is originally from northern California, where she worked in trails, forestry, and fuels reduction before relocating to the East Coast. She loves walking in the woods with their two dogs when not promoting sustainable forestry at work.
Arthur moved to Piscataquis County with his wife, Alani, in 2022 to build a small farm and homestead. Arthur is passionate about local food systems, regenerative agriculture, and low impact forestry. He’s been an avid attendee of the PCSWCD’s educational opportunities and is thrilled to be part of the board.
PCSWCD wants to give a warm welcome to Elisa Schine! Elisa moved to Maine to build wood-and-canvas canoes at Northwoods Canoe Company in Atkinson. Over nearly nine years in the shop, trips to sawmills and harvest sites as well as northern canoe trips sparked her interest in forestry. Programming at the PCSWD that was specifically geared toward women drew her to the Law Farm for the first time and gave her an appreciation for the District’s work in the area and in the community. We are so excited she has taken on the role of our Community Forestry Representative and will be working closely on our upcoming Williamsburg Forest project with forester Molly London this year. Elisa will be assisting in the forest management plan, under the supervision of other consulting foresters, while she gains her masters degree in Forestry at University of Maine with a focus on conservation. We are thrilled to have her on board!
The Piscataquis County USDA Service Center Staff
