Contact
Mailing Address
Insight Wildlife Management/Grizzly Bear Outreach Project
PO Box 28656
Bellingham, WA 98228
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GBOP Directors and Field Representatives
Click on name to view individual bios
| Chris Morgan, GBOP Founder and Co-Director | Gus Bekker, Highway 2 Field Representative |
| Sharon Negri, GBOP Advisor | Wendy Gardner, Seattle Field Assistant |
| Colleen Teevin, Program Co-Director | Cathy Macchio, Field Representative, Interstate 90, Issaquah, Washington State |
| Rose Oliver, Field Representative, Skagit and Whatcom Counties Marblemount, Washington State |
Tim Layser, Selkirk Field Representative Washington and Idaho |
| Adelle Waln, Okanogan Field Representative Okanogan, Washington State |
Biographies
Chris Morgan
GBOP Founder and Co-Director
Bellingham, Washington State
360.734.6060
email Chris
Ecologist Chris Morgan is the Director of Insight Wildlife Management – a small ecological and educational organization based in Bellingham, Washington. He is also a frequent lecturer at Western Washington University’s Huxley College of Environmental Science in Bellingham and Co-Founder of the non-profit group Canopy. Morgan has worked internationally as a biologist and educator for the last thirteen years on more than 20 wildlife projects, many of them self-initiated. His training and professional experience have emerged through work in Spain, Ecuador, Pakistan, Canada and the USA. Focusing on bear research, management and education, his responsibilities have ranged from project design and management, grizzly bear habitat analysis, bear capture, safety and training courses, methodology design, and environmental education/outreach. Much of his work looks at the relationship between bears and humans – seeking pragmatic approaches to co-existence. Morgan recently received the 2002-2003 Outstanding Environmental Educator Award from the Environmental Education Association of Washington. He has a Masters Degree in Advanced Ecology from the University of Durham, England.
Sharon Negri
GBOP Advisor
Bainbridge Island, Washington State
206.780.9718
email Sharon
Sharon Negri’s passion for wildlife and wild places has guided her work for the past 29 years. While acting as an advisor to the GBOP, Sharon also directs WildFutures, a non-profit organization working to bridge the gap between science and conservation. Sharon seeks to find innovative solutions to large carnivore issues and works with a variety of wildlife agencies, biologists, conservation and animal organizations. As director of WildFutures, Sharon co-edited Cougar Ecology and Conservation with internationally renowned biologist Maurice Hornocker and co-produced award winning film On Nature’s Terms; people and predators coexisting in harmony with filmmaker John de Graaf. She also produced Cougar Management Guidelines for wildlife managers in 2001. Sharon co-founded the Mountain Lion Foundation in 1986 and served as its director until 1990. Currently she serves on the board of the Wild Felid Research and Management Association, an organization she helped establish in 2008, Sharon also has a consulting business which provides a wide range of organizational and program planning services. She has a Bachelors of Science Degree in Environmental Planning and Policy from the University of California, Davis.
Colleen Teevin
Program Co-Director
Sandpoint, Idaho
208.263.0901
email Colleen
Colleen grew up hiking and camping in the North Cascades of Washington and developed an appreciation for wild places at an early age. Her bachelors degree in cultural anthropology and masters degree in natural resources management broadened her interest in understanding other people’s perceptions of and experiences with wildlife, especially carnivores. Colleen’s background includes outreach, education and research on Yellowstone and Bitterroot grizzly bear recovery, and on collaboration and conflict resolution. Colleen is based out of the Selkirk Ecosystem of Northern Idaho. When she isn’t engaged in GBOP work, Colleen is either hiking with her dog in the mountains, or experimenting with new gluten-free baking recipes.
Rose Oliver
Field Representative, Interstate 20, Skagit and Whatcom County
Marblemount, Washington State
360.873.4203
email Rose
Rose received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Environmental Education from Western Washington University, Bellingham. She recently moved back to her hometown of Marblemount, Washington, nestled in the majestic mountains of the North Cascades. Prior to her move, she spent the last 6 years as the Outreach Coordinator for the wildlife group, Conservation Northwest, based out of Bellingham, Washington. There she managed hundreds of volunteers, several interns and an e-list numbering in the thousands. She combined her passion for wildlife with her event planning skills to organize the well attended community celebration, “Groovin for Grizzlies”, during Bear Awareness Weeks 2007 and 2008. Rose is now the proud owner of a Woodmizer sawmill and the small business, North Cross Wood Products. She enjoys all that nature has to offer, whether it’s exploring the rugged Cascades, floating the magic Skagit river or sailing the San Juans.
Tim Layser
Selkirk Field Representative
Washington and Idaho
509-671-2501
email Tim
Tim gained his passion for wildlife and the outdoors at an early age while living in rural Pennsylvania. After serving in the military Tim and his wife moved to the state of Washington and has resided in the northwest ever since. Tim attended Washington State University where he received both his Bachelors and Masters degrees in Wildlife Biology and Natural Resource Management. He began his Forest Service career in the late 1970’s when he received his first appointment on the Gifford Pinchot National Forest of Washington. He has also worked on National Forest in Oregon and northeastern Washington and northern Idaho before leaving the Forest Service. He have served as a member of the Selkirk Mountains Woodland Caribou Recovery Team and also served as chairmen and member of the International Mountain Caribou Technical Committee. In addition to working with woodland caribou recovery issues, Tim has worked with issues revolving around the recovery and management of grizzly bears and their habitat within the Selkirk Ecosystem of north Idaho and northeast Washington for the last 20 years. While working within the Selkirk Ecosystem of northern Idaho and northeastern Washington, Tim has worked alongside many biologists from the States of Idaho and Washington and in British Columbia.
While working for the Forest Service, Tim helped outfit many of the Forest Service and Idaho State Park campgrounds within the Priest Lake area with bear resistant hardware such as dumpsters, trashcans and food storage lockers
Tim is trying to make some progress in remodeling his home, remodeling his sailboat and trying to get their two sons through college. He enjoys backpacking, motorcycle riding and trips to the Oregon and Washington coasts and obviously wildlife.
Gus Bekker
Highway 2 Field Representative
509.667.8681
email Gus
Gus has worked in the natural resources field as both a Forester and Wildlife Biologist since the late 1970′s. He started his natural resources career on the Boise National Forest in Idaho working as a U.S. Forest Service Silviculturist and then went on to the Helena National Forest in Montana where he worked several years on a fire crew. He then moved to Washington and was a Research Wildlife Biologist at the U.S. Forest Service’s Pacific Northwest Research Station in Olympia. In Olympia Gus conducted a small mammal prey base study for the Northern Spotted Owl at research sites on the Olympic Peninsula and on the Umpqua National Forest in South Central Oregon. Gus followed up that study with a two year research project on the habitat and ecology of pine martens on the Mt. Baker Snoqualmie National Forest which involved trapping and radio-collaring live martens. Gus completed two years as a Peace Corps Volunteer where he worked as an Extension Forester and Environmental Educator in Northern Ecuador. Gus is the founder and president of “El Sendero”, a Wenatchee based Backcountry Ski and Snowshoe Club and leads backcountry winter trips for the club during the winter. Currently Gus serves as a board member of the Washington Water Trails Association, and committee member of the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest’s Provisional Advisory Committee and the U.S. Forest Service’s Region 6 Recreational Advisory Committee. Gus has a Bachelors of Science degree in both Wildlife Management and Forest Management from the University of Idaho.
Wendy Gardner
Seattle Field Assistant
Seattle, Washington State
206.363.1052
email Wendy
Wendy Gardner has spent 12 years working as a zoo keeper in Colorado , Montana , Georgia , and Washington working with primates, canines, felines, and ursids. She also worked as a volunteer with an Andean bear researcher in Venezuela and with Georgia DNR helping with black bear field studies. Working with Andean bears, Asiatic black bears, brown bears, American black bears, and giant pandas has enabled Wendy to compare and contrast the various bear species. Wendy has acted as the Bear TAG institutional representative and collaborated with Chinese colleagues on giant panda husbandry and operant conditioning. She has several giant panda articles in publication. Bear conservation, education, and outreach are extremely important parts of her work and what she is most passionate about. Wendy is currently a keeper at Woodland Park Zoo.
Cathy Macchio
Field Representative, Interstate 90
Issaquah, Washington State
206.234.1729
email Cathy
Cathy has been a resident of Washington for 23 years and in 2004 moved to Issaquah Highlands. In 2008, she founded the NW Wildlife Stewards, a volunteer wildlife awareness group. Cathy has been instrumental in educating her community about co-existing with black bears and wildlife. She designed and posted “bear smart” signs on the mailboxes throughout Issaquah Highlands. Cathy organized yearly town hall meetings at the community center which were hosted by GBOP and the Washington Department of Fish Wildlife with the goal of teaching residents how to live safely with black bears. In addition, Cathy was a catalyst in convincing the Issaquah Highland’s homeowners association, the city of Issaquah, and Waste Management to invest in bear resistant garbage cans. As a GBOP field coordinator and wildlife steward, Cathy’s goal is to make Issaquah Highlands a model community where residents and black bears can co-exist. Cathy takes advantage of living close to the Cascade Mountains. Whenever she has free time Cathy enjoys the outdoors tracking wildlife, hiking, skiing, biking or kayaking. Cathy has a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Washington.
Adelle Waln
Okanogan Field Representative
Okanogan, Washington State
email Adelle
Adelle has a degree in Forestry, is a retired arborist and an Oregon Master Gardener. She worked in silviculture for the U.S. Forest Service, has experience in the horse and cattle industry, and more extensively worked in the nursery industry specializing in the cultivation of native trees and shrubs. While instructing classes for the community college and civic organizations, she realized that sharing one’s passion with others becomes beneficial to all. While living in OR, CA, ID, or AZ, she developed an intimate understanding of local environmental issues and concerns. Since moving to Okanogan County, she can be found restoring her historic home, volunteering at the local animal hospital and writing about life in Omak.
