We are grateful to our very knowledgeable volunteer docents who lead hikes and spread our message at our preserves and natural areas. Training is extensive and being a docent requires a large commitment of time. Would you like to have a docent to visit your property to tell you what natural wonders are present? Arrange for a group hike or school field trip to one of our properties and have a docent lead our group? call Gayle: 231-256-9665 or email: gayle@theconservancy.com.

Alice VanZoeren email: sandhill_ed@hotmail.com I've worked as a naturalist for more than 30 years. I enjoy sharing my interest in nature with people of all ages. I have a degree in Natural History Education from U of M. Birds, animal tracks, aquatic life, phenology, spiders, and frogs are special interests. Being a student of nature is fun because there is always a new surprise; I'll never run out of new things to learn and discover. I volunteer as a Docent to help the Leelanau Conservancy because I appreciate the work it has done to protect land in our county.

Tom Dunfee email: dunfee@centurytel.net Following semi-retirement from the practice of medicine, I have been a Docent with the Conservancy for several years. Although I am not a naturalist by training, I have a love of County and a reverence for all of its landscapes, flora and fauna. This interest has motivated me to learn as much as I can about the balance and the uniqueness of our land and its inhabitants. I especially enjoy geologic history, wildflowers, trees and learning from you why this place is so special. Tom is also the Conservancy Board President.

Marsha Buehler email: buehlerm@earthlink.net Like many who are in love with the Leelanau,ever since I was a small child I have always been happiest here. I have enjoyed being a docen and over the years I have acquired a fair knowledge of our area. Much of my training as a naturalist has been through the Docent Program. I have a decent knowledge of wildflowers and native plants, and am fascinated by the lore and history of our natural areas. I most often take groups to Kehl, Whaleback, and Houdek Dunes, and especially enjoy the energy of school groupsMy hikes are often pretty leisurely, as there is always something worthy of discussion, a story to hear, a log to look under. I learn something new on every hike and have found participants' willingness to share their knowledge and expertise to be one of the joys of being a docent. Another joy is the opportunity to introduce another, child or adult, to the pleasures of a walk in the woods.

Jack Schultz email: nwoodpc@chartermi.net Leelanau County, as we all know, is truly a special place. Its varied landscapes and plant and animal life make it a wonderful place to live or visit. I became a docent so I could use my professional forestry and ecological knowledge to help others appreciate the county and understand how to preserve and protect its unique features. I have a Ph.D. in forestry and worked at three different universities before settling in northern Michigan in 1977. Since 1995, I've been involved in the docent program and I enjoy leading people of all ages on hikes.

Bobbie Poor email: jtpoor@peoplepc.com From the grandmother who kept "pet" snakes in her woodpile, the stepfather who patiently helped classify a 100-insect collection, the botany teacher who sizzled fungi over a high school Bunsen burner to the college prof who inspired awe in diversity, great teachers have blessed my life. I have been warped by the wonders of the natural world and infected by enthusiasm for them. In one capacity or another for most of a long life, I have shared information about things buggy, leafy, feathery, scaly or furry with anyone who will listen -- as scout leader, zoo, Audubon & Saving Birds thru Habitat docent. Being a docent offers a way to share the wonders of this very special part of the world with those who seek delight, wisdom or solace outdoors. And from them, as all docents know, I will learn more than I can teach.

David Harris email: harris_david@charter.net Although not a naturalist by background, I have an abiding respect for nature. I know of no better way to express that respect than to serve as a docent for the Leelanau Conservancy and to learn to support its mission of preserving the land, water, and scenic beauty of this uniquely splendid county. My wife and I, both teachers, recently retired to Leelanau, she from Cranbrook Schools in Birmingham and I from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. As a retired professor of teacher education whose emphasis has been on the teaching of social studies, I look forward to instilling an environmental ethic in my new role as docent.

Ann Mason email: hefalump@umich.edu I grew up in Nebraska and lived in Iowa for quite a few years before moving to Michigan in 1979. I simply fell in love with northern Michigan's lakes, streams, dunes, views, and wildlife, and knew that I wanted to spend large amounts of time here. As a retired university professor, speech-language pathologist, and health-care administrator, I have some background in biology and neuroscience, but no formal training in forestry or wildlife management. Still, I've always loved the "out of doors", and I am an avid gardener and back yard birder. Training to be a Docent has given me a wonderful opportunity to learn more about this beautiful part of the world, and I look forward to sharing that knowledge with others who I hope will come to love Leelanau County as I do.

Ann McInnis email: dmcinnis@tir.com I am a retired Cranbrook Schools science teacher and currently a part-time Interpretive Naturalist with Oakland County Parks. I love to share my life-long, keen enthusiasm for all things science/nature with folks of any age, and aim to make their outdoor experience a treasured one of learning and fun. Through guided questioning, I try to engage participants in making perceptive observations and exciting discoveries while sharing tidbits from my own quite extensive background. I like to enhance my hikes with hands-on learning tools, appropriate artifacts and sometimes special activities, and always welcome additional input from everyone.

Pam Schmidt email: schmidt.pam@gmail.comI found my way back to Leelanau a few years ago, having been fortunate to have grown up in this beautiful place, enjoying the water, forests, and yes -- even the snow! My background includes a variety of pursuits, including: teaching inner city kids; three years in the rainforest of Ecuador with the Peace Corps; running an ecology-based field trip program in the Western UP; developing environmental ed. materials for statewide use; and most recently, working with MSU Extension as the Home Horticulturalist for Leelanau County. As a docent, I hope to help others develop a “sense of place,” appreciation for, and connection to our local environment. I particularly look forward to working with folks of all ages, including school groups and families. My specific interests: wildflowers, insects, wildlife tracking, and invasive species.

Sharon Oriel email: shoriel@aol.com Wow! I am so fortunate to be a Conservancy Docent. I get to learn from staff and fellow docents and then share our collective knowledge about the special natural areas and preserves. I truly love the seasons of Leelanau with the changing flora and fauna. I live on the Crystal River and have a special appreciation for its unique dune and swale ecosystem. As a docent, I look forward to sharing what I have learned about some special places in the county and to learning from the knowledgeable people who join our explorations. I am a biologist by training but took a detour and worked in the chemical industry. As a volunteer docent, I feel like I have literally returned to my roots. The wildflowers and geology of the area are of special interest but you will also find me looking at animal tracks, gazing in awe at the birch trees of Houdek Dunes, and listening for the maniacal call of the pileated woodpecker. Let’s go explore!

Ed Arnfield email: edacja@yahoo.com I consider the Conservancy to be the primary organization responsible for the preservation of so much that is unique about our county. I am pleased to contribute to that effort as a docent. I am a professional biologist with BA(biology) and MS (Ecology) degrees fromWayne State University, and a Ph.D. from Ohio State University. I am Professor Emeritus at Macomb College where I taught the biological sciences for 32 years. I occasionally work as an ecological consultant and am the author of three textbooks and field and laboratory manuals in the environmental sciences. I have a book pending publication highlighting 50 common roadside plants and flowers in Michigan meant for the occasional visitor to our state/region. I have spent a life and a career in the outdoors.

Holly Pharmer email: pharmerhol@aol.com

Bio and photo coming soon!

Lou Ricord email: louricord@hotmail.com

Bio coming soon!

Lisa Myers email: myers5th@charter.net

Photo and bio coming soon!

David Amos email: mideamos@hotmail.com

Bio coming soon!

Roland Drayson email:drayson@umich.edu

Bio and photo coming soon!

Judy Hoeffler email: jshoeffler@hotmail.com

Bio and photo coming soon

Judy Smart email: jsmart3@earthlink.net

Bio and photo coming soon!

Tom Dunfee

Marsha Buehler

Jack Schultz

Bobbie Poor

David Harris

Ann Mason

Ann McInnis

Pam Schmidt

Sharon Oriel

Ed Arnfield

Dave Amos

Lou Ricord