PLT State Coordinators
Danielle Ardrey
Danielle Ardrey joins the Colorado Forest Service as the new Conservation and Youth Education Specialist. She graduated from Cornell with a bachelor’s degree in Animal Science and a Master of Arts in Teaching for Biology and Agricultural Education. In between completing her degrees, she had the opportunity to work with outdoor education facilities in Maryland, California, and Colorado. Danielle spent the next five years teaching middle school science at public schools in Arizona and Colorado and then went on to become a Program Coordinator with CSU Extension. There, she worked with 4-H afterschool, school enrichment, and camp outreach. She also coordinated the statewide Colorado Building Farmers Program. Her passion lies in connecting people with resources in their community and empowering youth to make informed decisions about how they impact the world around them. She strongly believes in the vision of PLT and is excited to work with you all!
Katie Navin
Katie has been active in the field of environmental education for over 15 years. She studied Natural Resource Interpretation at Colorado State University and went on to receive a Masters degree in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in Environmental Education from Florida Atlantic University. Katie has served as an educator and developed curriculum at organizations ranging from museums to residential outdoor facilities in seven different states. She joined CAEE in May of 2008 and since then has led Environmental Literacy Plan efforts in collaboration with the State Department of Education, was selected to sit on both the Colorado Academic Standards and Assessment review committees, and is active in the environmental education community both in the state and nationally. Katie also serves as the chair of the North American Association for Environmental Education Affiliate Steering Committee. Katie has used Project Learning Tree as a resource since the beginning of her career and was first trained in 2003.
PLT Advisory Council
Samantha Agoos
Samantha Agoos is the Science Content Specialist at the Colorado Department of Education. She lives in La Veta, CO with her spouse and two sons. Prior to her current role, she worked as a Science teacher for about 9 years. Most recently, she was a Science Teacher and Science Department Chair at Denver East High School in Denver Public Schools. Following that, Samantha worked as a curriculum specialist for FOSS, helping districts across the Western US implement three-dimensional, anchor phenomenon driven instruction. Samantha is passionate about ensuring all students have equitable access to high quality science education.
Cathy Dolder
Cathy Dolder is an outdoor education professional specializing in train-the-trainer facilitation who treasures the magic of human connection through audience-centered experiences. Her first experience with PLT was at a facilitator training in college, where she earned a degree in Forestry in her home state at the University of Tennessee. Cathy has spent a decade with Colorado Parks & Wildlife supporting outdoor engagement initiatives including formal and non-formal education, interpretation, volunteer, and wildlife viewing programs. Her happy things in life include her blended family of 6 (and wiener dog, Scout!), ice fishing, college football, and anything “bats or owls.”
Felicia Evans
Felicia Evans is a dedicated educator and the K-8 STEM Coordinator at STEM Launch, a choice public school in Thornton, Colorado. A proud Colorado native, Felicia has built her career around fostering curiosity, innovation, and environmental stewardship in traditionally marginalized students. She is passionate about empowering learners through authentic, real-world Problem-Based Learning (PBL) experiences that connect students to their communities and natural environment.
Felicia holds a deep commitment to environmental education and has successfully led numerous initiatives that merge STEM and ecological awareness. Under her leadership, STEM Launch has developed engaging, hands-on projects like the “Save the Niver Creek Beavers” PBL, which earned recognition at BeaverCon for its focus on riparian ecosystem restoration and coexistence. She also spearheaded the “River-vention” project, guiding students in designing and iterating habitat solutions to enhance local waterways and biodiversity.
With a love for outdoor learning and cross-disciplinary collaboration, Felicia works closely with industry partners, community organizations, and families to provide her students with meaningful experiences. Her efforts have not only inspired her students to take ownership of their learning but also emphasized the critical role of environmental conservation in STEM education.
Felicia lives in Colorado with her husband, a high school science teacher and musician, and their two boys. As an avid traveler and outdoor enthusiast, she finds joy in exploring the natural world and bringing those experiences back to her students.
Nikki Horrocks
Nikki (Natalie) Horrocks is an educator and environmental leader with extensive experience in fostering academic and environmental learning. She holds a Master of Environmental Management from Western Colorado University, emphasizing entrepreneurial and systems-thinking approaches to addressing environmental challenges, a Master of Secondary Science Education from Adams State University and a Bachelor of Science in Geology from Adams State University.
As a long-time volunteer with Colorado River Watch, Nikki has trained citizen scientists and community groups across Colorado in water quality testing and data collection. Her contributions include integrating river science programming for conservation non-profits, ensuring data-driven decision-making for watershed management.
Currently, Nikki serves as an educator at the Upper Rio Grande School District, where she develops career and technical education programs in partnership with organizations like Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Forest Service, Rio Grande Watershed Conservation & Education Initiative, and more. She teaches collegiate-level courses for Western Colorado University in Environmental Biology, Geology, and Water Quality through concurrent enrollment programs, inspiring students to pursue careers in natural resource conservation. Her dedication to environmental literacy aligns seamlessly with Colorado PLT’s mission to advance stewardship and sustainable practices through education.
Heather Hubbard
Heather Hubbard is the Statewide Education Coordinator for Colorado Parks and Wildlife where she focuses on formal education programming and resource development. She holds a Master’s degree in Biology, with an emphasis in Ecology and Evolution along with a Master’s degree in Education. Previously, she taught in K-12 classrooms and supported elementary educators as a content specialist for 14 years in both Colorado and New Mexico. Heather grew up in the mountains of New Mexico, which is where she developed her love for the outdoors. She loves hiking, golfing, and exploring the outdoors with her sons who are 3 and 5 (just to name a few things)!
Michele Mandeville
Michele is a certified educator in Colorado and has taught formally at the elementary and middle school levels for over 20 years. Throughout her tenure as a formal educator, Michele has inspired students, faculty and communities alike to get outside and connect with their local wild spaces. She was the lead in building a native outdoor classroom at her local school, has provided PLT trainings for teachers in Thompson School District as well as for pre-service teachers at UNC- Greeley. She has a B.A. in English from Radford University and a M.Ed from George Mason University located in her home state of Virginia. Currently, Michele is the Farming Director, Facilities Manager and Nature Educator at Hiatt Farms Montessori School in Loveland, CO. In addition to the farm school, Michele is a part-time environmental educator for Rugged Research, a nature-based education group founded by Rocky Mountain Park Rangers. Michele also has a passion for health and wellness and is a certified yoga teacher. She teaches weekly in Loveland and also helps facilitate trainings at her alma mater, Holistic Yoga School of Colorado. When Michele is not sharing her passions for nature and wellness, you can find her spending time with her husband and four adult children, playing with her two Australian Shepherds, watching pollinators in her wild garden, painting with watercolors, traveling for adventures, or meditating to find peace, calm and gratitude in the present moment. May all beings find their true, authentic selves through their connection with the natural world.
Claudia Meeks
Claudia Meeks is a 4-H educator in Arapahoe County, Colorado. She graduated from the University of Kentucky with a bachelor’s degree in Agriculture Education, Communications and Leadership and a Master of Science in Community and Leadership Development. She has always had a love for the outdoors and working with youth. Prior to moving to Colorado, Claudia was the State 4-H Animal Science Specialist at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. Claudia has been a 4-H educator in Colorado since 2018 working with youth in Douglas and Arapahoe counties where she works with outreach, school, and camp programs. Her passion lies in inspiring youth to get out and explore their outdoors and learn to be stewards of nature. In her free time, Claudia enjoys horseback riding, backpacking, hiking, mountain biking, and traveling to national and state parks.
Brooke Morehardt
Brooke Morehardt has been working in the outdoor and environmental education field for over a decade. She is currently the School Year Programs Director at Keystone Science School, where she leads science-based outdoor education programs that inspire curiosity and critical thinking through the lens of science. Previously, she was the Director of 100 Elk Outdoor Center in Buena Vista, CO focusing on adventure and experiential learning. Brooke now lives in Silverthorne, CO, and loves spending time outdoors with her husband, two kids, and dog, whether cross-country skiing, hiking, or mountain biking in the beautiful Colorado mountains. She is excited to bring her love for the outdoors and experience in outdoor education to Project Learning Tree, supporting its mission to foster environmental stewardship and education
Molly Pitts
Molly Pitts is a forester by trade and has her BS in Forestry from Northern Arizona University (1998) and a MS in Natural Resources from Oregon State University (2014). Molly worked for the White Mountain Apache Tribe from 2000-2004. She then moved over to consulting where she served as the Executive Director for the Northern Arizona Wood Products Association from 2004-2012. Upon moving to Colorado, Molly continued her work as a consultant and served as the Executive Director for the Colorado Timber Industry Association, Colorado Programs Manager for Intermountain Forest Association, and staff for the Federal Timber Purchasers Committee. In July of 2023, Molly was hired to serve as the Wildfire Crisis Manager for the National Wild Turkey Federation. Molly and her husband Jim have two adult sons and two bird dogs and live in Pueblo West, Colorado. Molly is a very active person and enjoys camping, backpacking, mountain biking, fishing, hunting and in general spending time outdoors.
Viviana Zavala
Raised in the desert Southwest and having lived in Mexico City, Viviana is passionate about water resource education and environmental justice matters. She serves her community by educating APS and CCSD youth and K-12 teachers on water resource and conservation matters. With a background in art, Viviana reaches her audience through interactive and multimode learning.
Viviana currently works as an Environmental Education & Outreach Specialist for the City of Aurora in the water department during which she has received a teaching certification from CAEE and is a certified interpretive guide through NAI.