12.18.24 Trail Report: The trails remain closed to preserve the base. We will update when there is more snow! Sign up for The Daily Glide, our daily ski conditions email to get the news first: https://westernt.substack.com
BOARD & STAFF
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
​
Carl Costanzi, President - Norway
Carl got a B.S. in Microbiology from Penn State and a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from Hahnemann University in Philadelphia (now Drexel) and worked as a research molecular biologist for twenty years, most recently for ten years at University of Pennsylvania's School of Veterinary Medicine where he studied chromosome packaging and gene regulation. In 2004 he and his family moved to Norway. Carl learned carpentry working in construction for a couple of years before co-founding and teaching at Ganderia Middle School. There he developed an integrated, project-based curriculum grounded on a sense of place and community engagement. Carl currently works in population health for Western Maine Health. He loves growing and cooking real food, spending time with his three grown sons, Ben, Nick and Dan, and exploring the natural world with a camera.
Conner Tremblay, Vice President - Buckfield
Conner grew up in Waterford, Maine and graduated from OHCHS. He obtained a Bachelors degree in Small Business Management from SNHU, and has a diverse combination of professional experiences that illuminate his adventurous approach to life. He brings a blend of expertise ranging from youth recreation and leadership, to sales, to EMS, and trail work. Conner and his wife enjoy alpine skiing, snowmobiling, hunting, fishing, boating, hiking, camping, swimming and more! "I am passionate about conserving natural and historically significant areas for their recreational and environmental benefits!"
​
​
Nathaniel Liu, Secretary - Waterford
Nathaniel is a student at Oberlin College. He grew up in Washington, D.C., but returns home to Western Maine during school holidays and the summer. He enjoys running on land trust preserves, taking photos of landscapes and people, and making music. When he isn't in Maine, Nathaniel helps maintain the website and stays involved with the board.
​
Beth Calhoun, Director - Oxford
With degrees from University of Maine and Georgetown University, Beth is a lawyer practicing in the areas of securities litigation and is also the Oxford County Treasurer. Originally from Windham, she now lives with her son in Oxford. She is active in the community, not only with WFLT, but also with the Friends of Norway Memorial Library and PTO with the school. She is an avid genealogist, reader, and crafter.
​
Robert Van Nest, Director - Norway
With a M.A. from Columbia University, Bob spent his career teaching French and coaching Nordic skiing in the Oxford Hills schools. An avid birder, cyclist, and gardener, Bob is completely committed to land conservation and is a founding member of WFLT. Bob and his wife, Mary, live on a historic farm in Norway and placed a conservation easement on the property back in 1975.
​
Sienna Tinsley, Director - Norway
Sienna grew up in West Paris, where she developed an appreciation of nature and a love of Western Maine. Sienna started volunteering for WFLT in 2013 because she wanted to help conserve the resources and landscapes that make Western Maine beautiful, vibrant, and special. Sienna has been delighted to make use of her background in science (B.A. in geology, M.S. in crop and soil sciences) and her eagerness to listen and learn while serving as a WFLT board member since 2015.
​
Richard Sousa, Director - West Paris
Rich is retired after a 32-year career at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery. A lifelong outdoorsman, Rich began getting involved in conservation and recreational organizations in the early 1990s and with WFLT more than a dozen years ago. Rich has served on the forestry committee and now as a board member and is a champion of WFLT’s Twin Bridges preserve.
​
Roger "Skip" Green, Director - Waterford
Skipp is an explorer at heart, having hiked the North Slope, the Inca Trail, and the English Coast-to-Coast. Skipp brings a love of trees and forests, useful knowledge about land boundaries and lines, and a keen sense of humor to our meetings and trail work days. Skipp has had a long career in nursing. He and his wife, Judy, live in Waterford.
Sarah Timm, Director - Norway
​
​
​
STAFF
​
Kacy Bailey, Executive Director, Bethel - kacy@wfltmaine.org
Kacy comes to WLFT with over ten years of experience as a real estate and land use lawyer with firms in Portland and the Boston area. She holds a J.D. from Northeastern University, a M.S. in Urban and Regional Planning (with concentration in environmental planning) from Florida State University, and a B.A. from Vassar College. In her early career, Kacy spent several years delivering environmental education and outdoor leadership programming for several organizations in the northeast and spent several seasons skiing the mountains of Utah and Colorado. Kacy and her husband moved to Maine (for the second time) in 2018 and she is eager to use her skills and knowledge to advance WFLT’s conservation goals.
Lee Dassler, Development Director - Otisfield - lee@wfltmaine.org
Lee has been with WFLT since 1994. She holds an MS from Columbia University in Historic Preservation, and has a background in theater, carpentry, and architecture. She is also the founder and former Executive Director of the McLaughlin Garden in South Paris, Maine. When not writing grants, Lee enjoys riding, triathlons, yoga and working on her historic home.
Alyssa Andrews, Stewardship Manager - Norway - lands@wfltmaine.org
Alyssa grew up in Norway, and then graduated from Colby College in 2017 with a degree in sociology. She then worked as the Natural Resource Steward for another land trust in Maine for 5 years, where she learned good stewardship practices. She is excited to return to her hometown and be the Stewardship Director for WFLT. In her free time, she enjoys Nordic skiing, hiking, paddling, and finding places to explore with her dog Sampson.
​
Kelli Shedd, Community Engagement Director - kelli@wfltmaine.org
Kelli joined WFLT in October of 2019 to support marketing and development. She has over 20 years of experience in the outdoor recreation and non-profit world. Her previous experience as Membership Manager at Loon Echo Land Trust brings a great familiarity of the Trust and it's needs. Kelli holds a B.F.A. from the University of Connecticut. In her spare time, she likes to hike, ski, create fine art as well as mother her three energetic children.
​
Heather Rorer, Lands Associate - heather@wfltmaine.org
Heather is WFLT’s conservation easement guru. She holds a M.S. in Environmental Science from the University of Michigan and has worked in the environmental field for twenty-four years, twenty-one of those in land trust related work. Heather helps WFLT prepare and update the baseline documentation necessary for ensuring perpetual protection of the easements WFLT holds and is an invaluable resource for the WFLT team.
​
Bob Van Nest at Roberts Farm
view
Joe Zilinsky (center) with Bobby and Jerry on the Zilinsky farm
Bob Van Nest and Jeff Chase at Virgil Parris Forest
Bill Gibson with Lee Dassler (far right) at Roberts