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 Alf Berry
A native of Petersham and the North Quabbin Region, Alf has always had a love
of the outdoors. As one of the first group of graduates from the North Quabbin
Guide Training Program, he has been trained in various facets of professional
outdoor guiding. He has been riding mountain bikes both competitively and
recreationally for over 10 years and is categorized as an "expert" level
mountain biker by the National Off Road Biking Association (NORBA). He is an
active member of the New England Mountain Bike Association (NEMBA), a regional
mountain bike advocacy group. His mountain bike experiences have taken him to
all six New England states as well as Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, Arizona,
Oregon, North Carolina and Virginia. He is also a registered land surveyor in
several New England states and holds a degree in Surveying Engineering from the
University of Maine. This combination of education, experience and life skills
gives Alf a unique perspective on the New England landscape.
Alf has
built and maintains many miles of classic New England "single-track" that will
give even the most casual rider many hours of enjoyment in the outdoors. Come
join Alf from the seat of a mountain bike to hear and see more about the unique
features of the North Quabbin region!
 Marion Kloster
Marion holds a Bachelors Degree in Wildlife Biology, graduating from
Umass-Amherst in 1983. She has worked at Shenandoah National Park as a
resource management assistant, Canaveral National Seashore, as a sea turtle
biologist and presently works as a forestry technician in the Great Smoky
Mountians National Park, TN. Marion, has been an experienced forester for 8
years, is used to rugged mountain terrain and backcountry travel under all
types of weather conditions. She has done several back country wilderness
canoe trips for weeks at a time in Allagash, ME and Labradour, Canada. She
also has enjoyed kayaking in Idaho, Vermont, North Carolina, Florida and
Tennessee.
Marion is certified in CPR and first aid as well as being a certified wildland
firefighter. She enjoys being active in the outdoors and has a passion for
creative writing. Marion keeps a journal for every trip she takes whether it
be for work or pleasure.
 Michael Tougias
Michael is the author of 15 books, he offers power speaking workshops,
motivation presentations, lectures, slide presentations of topics from each of
his books, including the "Quabbin" A history and explorers guide. He leads
spring and fall tours of the Quabbin Reservoir and spends a great deal of his
free time relaxing in Northern Vermont at his rustic cabin.
Join Michael Tougias together with Active By Nature and take "A Step
Back In Time" as we explore Dana Common one of the lost towns of the Swift
River Valley to the Quabbin Reservoir.
Walker Korby
Whether he is creating fire by friction, using a handheld GPS receiver, or
performing in a comedy improv troupe, at his core Walker is always driven
towards inspiring a meaningful connection to the natural world in others. As a
youth educator he has been teaching Nature Awareness programs since 1999 for
4-9th grades at several local schools. During summers he has staffed overnight
wilderness camps for the Vermont Wilderness School as well as Tom Brown Jr's
Tracking, Nature, and Wilderness Survival School in New Jersey. As an adult
educator Walker is a lead staff member for the Art of Mentoring workshops for
Wilderness Awareness School in Duvall, Washington, as well as a lead instructor
for their Idaho Wolf Tracking Expeditions. Locally Walker is an adjunct
instructor at Greenfield Community College (GCC) where he teaches the 24-Hour
Personal Growth Experience and the Ancient Wilderness Living Skills.
Currently Walker is finishing up a Master's Degree in Geography at Umass, and is teaching several non-credit classes through GCC in tracking, tree identification, and navigation. He is the orienteering instructor for the North Quabbin Guide Program, and dabbles in freelance nature illustration on the side.
Walker is trained as a Wilderness First Responder and is a firefighter for the Massachusetts Wildfire Crew as well as his local fire department in Colrain, MA.
Jody Fontaine
Certified personal fitness trainer and 13-year veteran PSIA certified ski
instructor Jody has a passion for working with people and being active in the
outdoors. For over 35 years, she has enjoyed alpine sking throughout New
England, including extreme skiing at Tuckerman Ravine on Mt. Washington in New
Hampshire, and in Utah, Colorado, California, and France. She is also an avid
Nordic skier.
Jody looks forward to sharing her love for outdoor
activities such as skiing, snowshoeing, kayaking, canoeing, and hiking. A
recent graduate of the North Quabbin Guide Training Program, Jody is trained in
first aid and CPR and is certified in wilderness first aid.
 Robert Thorson
Robert is Professor of Geology at the University of Connecticut, where he
holds a joint appointment between the Department of Ecology and
Evolutionary Biology (EEB) and the Department of Anthropology. He teaches
and advises students, performs sponsored research, serves on committees,
and provides articles, reviews and interviews. He writes a weekly Op-Ed
column for The Hartford Courant, and coordinates the Stone Wall Initiate,
which is now incorporated into the Connecticut State Museum of Natural
History in Storrs.
Thorson is the author of three books: "Stone
By Stone" The Magnificent History in New England's Stone Walls (New York,
Walker & Company), "Stone Wall Secrets" (A Smithsonian Notable Book for
Children grades K-8, 1998) and "Exploring Stone Walls" A field Guide to
New England's Stone Walls (Walker & Company in February 2005).
 Allison Sayer
A naturalist and true outdoor enthusiast, Allison holds a Bachelors Degree in
Biology, from Smith College, in Northampton, Mass. She has a tremendous amount
of knowledge in the areas of: ski instruction, basic rock climbing, sea
kayaking, back country camping, and natural history. Her exceptional talent
and professional manner leading natural history and outdoor adventure treks
include trips to Alaska, California, Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts,
Oregon, and Vermont.
Allison is good natured, self-confident and
passionate about leading others in the great outdoors. She is certified as a
Wilderness First Responder, Red Cross certified lifeguard and has completed the
AMC Mountain Leadership school in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.
 Christopher Jenkins
Chris was born and raised in Petersham and spent his youth exploring the
woods and trails around his home. These explorations inspired him to point
his educational pursuits in the direction of the outdoors. Chris attended
Sterling College in northern Vermont where he received an Associates Degree
in Natural Resource Management. From Vermont he headed south and landed at
Warren Wilson College in North Carolina. There he graduated with a
Bachelors Degree in Outdoor Leadership. During college he spent the summers
teaching environmental education in Wisconsin and leading mountain biking
trips in Colorado. After college, with degrees in hand he headed to West
Virginia to run an outdoor adventure camp for kids, running programs from
high ropes and rock climbing, to mountain biking and caving.
Throughout the
years mountain biking has always risen to the top of his outdoor pursuits.
Chris began riding 15 years ago and spent many years racing and searching
out singletrack from coast to coast. Along the way he lead biking trips in
New England, Colorado, Utah, West Virginia, and North Carolina.
Recreationally he has ridden in the deserts of the southwest, temperate rain
forests of the pacific northwest, the rhododendron tunnels of the southeast,
throughout the northeast, and even the deep canyons of Mexico. Even after
all these places he feels the trails in Massachusetts offer some of the best
riding anywhere. He currently lives in Barre with his wife and three young
children.
 Sue Tattan
An AFAA certified fitness instructor Sue has been teaching Pilates, Step
aerobics, and Kickboxing for the YMCA the past 7 years. She holds a
Bachelor of Science degree in genetics from the University of Connecticut,
is certified in CPR, and is a genuine outdoor enthusiast. She is
passionate about horseback riding, skiing, and mountain biking.
Sue
looks forward to sharing her love for activities in the outdoors, as she
leads women's mountain bike trips for Active By Nature this summer and
fall.
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