As an Ecological Education Coordinator at IAE, Tyler works on various projects, including teaching environmental lessons at the Linn County Juvenile Detention Center, developing curriculum for the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, and coordinating the Classrooms Across Borders Project which teaches ornithology to elementary school students in Corvallis and Guanajuato Mexico. Tyler also works with the Sustainability in Prisons Project at the Coffee Creek Correctional Facility, where female inmates grow larval host plants for threatened and endangered native butterflies. He also assists with the Sagebrush in Prisons Project, coordinating inmates’ work to grow sagebrush seedlings in prisons to be used in restoring sage grouse habitat. Tyler grew up connecting with nature and playing in the high desert outside of Bend. Tyler is a graduate of The Evergreen State College (2007), where he focused on Environmental Studies and Spanish. He also completed a two year apprenticeship with The Columbines School of Botanical Studies in Eugene, where he learned ethical wildcrafting, field botany and ecology with a focus on medicinal and edible plants and their uses. In addition Tyler became an Oregon Master Naturalist through the OSU Extension Service. Tyler has extensive experience working as an educator, both inside the classroom and out in the field. He worked for many years in Special Education, including horticultural vocational skills training for teens at the Green Thumb Community Transition Program. Tyler’s experience in Environmental Education includes teaching with OMSI, Americorps-YCC, Portland Parks’ Environmental Ed Program, and most recently at Opal Creek Ancient Forest Center.
In his free time, Tyler enjoys wildcrafting edible and medicinal plants, hiking, camping, soaking in hot springs, birding, creek walking, dancing, reading, shadow puppetry, and making up silly songs.