2026 summer festival

presenters

 

Kathe Anderson

Kathe is endlessly fascinated by birds. She has been leading bird walks for over 20 years, and estimates she’s led more than 500 field trips for a variety of individuals, conservation organizations, private groups, and life-long learning programs, learning something new almost every time she's out. She’s also developed a series of hands-on classes, often coupled with field trips, taught for the ASU life-long learning program; Desert Botanical Garden; Hassayampa River Preserve; and Verde Valley, Tucson and Southwest Wings festivals, and elsewhere.

 

Rich Bailowitz

Rich was born and raised in New York and was smart enough to move to Arizona in 1974, already a seasoned birder and entomologist. He finished his MS in Entomology from the University of Arizona in 1985. His latest books are The Dragonflies and Damselflies of Arizona and Sonora, co-authored with Doug Danforth and Sandy Upson (nominated for Southwest Books of the Year: Best Reading 2016), and Southeastern Arizona Butterflies (2021) co-authored with Jim Brock.

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Priscilla Brodkin

Priscilla has lived in Carr Canyon, in the bird and butterfly rich Huachuca Mountains of Arizona, for twenty-one years. Her special love of the tropical birds and butterflies has taken her on trips to many places around the world, especially the neotropics, mostly Colombia, Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia. In 1992 she became interested in observing and photographing butterflies. She is a founding Director of the Southeast Arizona Butterfly Association (SEABA) and co-author of Butterflies of Arizona. She has led and co-led many butterfly field trips in Arizona and in Sonora, Mexico.

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Callie Caplenor 

Callie Caplenor is the education coordinator for the National Park Service’s Southeast Arizona Group, which includes Chiricahua National Monument, Coronado National Memorial, and Fort Bowie National Historic Site. She earned a B.A. in English from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, followed by an M.S. in Forestry with research focused on the human dimensions of wildlife management. Callie has worked as an interpretive park ranger at parks across the West, including Olympic and Glacier National Parks, before settling in Sierra Vista in 2021. Although she grew up loving the outdoors, her passion for birds truly took flight after moving to Arizona—thanks to the region’s incredible Sky Island biodiversity and a welcoming local birding community. Callie enjoys inspiring the next generation to care for public lands and sharing her enthusiasm for wildlife through hands-on, engaging programs for visitors of all ages.

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Bill Cavaliere

Bill is president of the Cochise County Historical Society, a position he has held for the past 10 years. He is the author of The Chiricahua Apaches: A Concise History and has had articles published in historical journals and magazines such as Wild West. He retired after 28 years in law enforcement and is the former sheriff of Hidalgo County, NM. Prior to this, he worked for the US Forest Service in the Chiricahua Mountains. He is now retired and owns and operates the Four Bar Cottages, near Portal, AZ.

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Joe Cicero

Joe is a retired PhD. entomologist. Searched the sky islands for luminescent insects for the Master of Science degree at the University of Arizona. He moved to Florida for his PhD, and now back again to continue his research on local species.

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Cholla Duir

Cholla Rose Duir was born in Tucson, AZ, and has lived throughout the Southwestern region. Cholla’s nonconformist parents instilled in their children a deep appreciation for the environment, art, and social justice. Cholla received an AS degree in Veterinary Technology (2003) and a BA in Sustainability Studies (2019) from Colorado Mountain College. She has always felt a kinship with animals and began her career as a veterinary technician, with a particular interest in wildlife. After more than a decade in veterinary medicine, she decided to pursue a degree in sustainability with an emphasis on wildlife conservation. Prior to her work with Northern Jaguar Project, Cholla helped manage the Borderlands Wildlife Preserve in Patagonia, AZ. She joined Northern Jaguar Project in October 2023 as the Assistant Director and is excited to be a part of a team dedicated to working with ranchers and jaguars.

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Greg Homel

Greg Homel is an ornithologist, award-winning international nature photojournalist, documentary film producer, birding tour leader and lecturer. He lives and works from his home in California, USA and from his second homes in the north tip of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula and Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico. A birder-naturalist since childhood, Greg founded Natural Elements Productions in 1986 and Natural Encounters Birding Tours shortly thereafter. Now he travels the globe on a full-time basis in search of rare and little-known birds and other wildlife.   ​​​​

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Jim Koweek

Jim is the owner of Arizona Revegetation & Monitoring Co. and the author of Grassland Plant ID For Everyone – Except Folks That Take Boring Technical Stuff Too Seriously. For the last 4 decades Jim has worked with plants, seed, and rock in SE Arizona. To be honest, the results are not always pretty. Then again, having your career’s reputation dependent on moisture in the great Southwest is not a genius move to begin with. When not day working, Jim can often be found playing mandolin at various water holes in the Sonoita - Patagonia area. 

 

Karen Krebbs 

Karen Krebbs worked at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum for more than 26 years, and now works on her own as an independent contractor. She has extensive knowledge of birds, mammals, deserts, and animal adaptations and behavior. Karen has carried out research for bats in the United States and Mexico for more than 30 years. She trains biologists on the proper protocol for handling and studying bats. Karen regularly carries out workshops and presentations on bats and birds to groups, schools, festivals, and organizations in the southwest and Mexico. Her long-term inventory and monitoring program for bats in the Chiricahua Mountains continues in its 20th year of study. She has written articles, books, and manuals for bats and birds. She has collaborated with other researchers on many bat research projects with local government agencies, universities, Mexico partners, and non-profit organizations. Karen has participated in natural history learning trips in Arizona, Texas, New Mexico, Mexico, Baja, Costa Rica, Africa, Galapagos, and Ecuador. Karen’s passion for bats is contagious! Her animal lectures and presentations are exciting and fun! Karen has a B. Sc. Degree in Wildlife and Fisheries Science from the University of Arizona. Karen’s latest books include Desert Life: A Guide to the Southwest’s Iconic Animals and Plants & How They Survive; Desert Life of the Southwest Activity Book; Explore Tucson Outdoors; and Bat Basics: An Introduction to the Life of Bats in the United States & Canada & Their Many Benefits.

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Yvonne Marshall

Yvonne has worked in the wildlands of Southern Arizona for over 20 years. She has worked with landowners and government agencies to understand and address the land and water issues we face. She truly appreciate the diversity of the beauty this area has to offer, from the waterfall at Fly’s Peak atop the Chiricahua’s to the sweeping grasslands of the San Rafael Valley.

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Glenn Minuth

Glenn was a 34-year career federal civil servant. His bachelors and graduate degrees are in geography with specialties in cartography, geomorphology, remote sensing, and geology. Others areas of academic focus were biogeography (flora/fauna), weather/climate, and pedology (soils). His research focused in the area of geomorphology and geology examining mound micro-relief (Mima-type mounds) on volcanic mudflows in the central Sierra Nevada foothills, California. He taught geography, weather & climate, and geology part time in the Life and Physical Science Department of American River College, Sacramento for seven years. He's been a part time instructor in geography and geology for 20 years in Cochise College credit and non-credit programs where he conducts field trips and lectures in the areas of military history, ecology, weather/climate, geography, and geology. 

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Eric Moore

Eric Moore, owner of The Lookout (formerly Jay's Bird Barn and Arizona Field Optics) in Prescott, Arizona, has been a life-long birder. Eric grew up in Tucson and at a young age birded extensively all over southeastern Arizona. As the owner of The Lookout, Eric has an intimate knowledge of optical equipment, including binoculars and scopes and knows what the unique demands are for quality birding optics. With the perspective of being a birder, and not just a business owner, Eric understands the importance of quality optical equipment to maximize birding experiences, both at home and in the field. 

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​Sarah Sager

Sarah serves as the Avian Management and Environmental Compliance agent at Sulphur Springs Valley Electric Cooperative. She holds a B.A. in Liberal Arts from Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin, and has a diverse background in wildlife research and conservation. Her early fieldwork includes volunteering with the University of Arizona studying amphibians and reptiles in Mexico’s Sierra Madre mountain range, as well as hands-on experience at a federally licensed wildlife rehabilitation center specializing in avian injuries. These experiences shaped her deep commitment to wildlife protection and environmental stewardship. An avid outdoorswoman, Sarah is passionate about conserving wild habitats and fostering coexistence between urban infrastructure and the rural wildlife that share our landscapes. Her work at SSVEC reflects this ethos, combining regulatory compliance with practical field solutions that benefit both the electric system and the ecosystems it intersects.

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William Schumacher, aka “The Snake Guy”

I am 100% disabled Vet I retired from Fort Huachuca September 25th 1993 and after I retired, I moved back to Korea (spent a total of 16 years in Korea). My wife is Korean, my son was born on Ft. Huachuca, and my late daughter was born in Korea.

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Janet Trumbule

Janet is the Executive Director of Administration for Oasis Sanctuary Foundation.
After 32 years in the real estate and financial fields Janet experienced a life event and motivating force that altered her path. Following her heart and desire to help at-risk parrots, she joined The Oasis in 2007, then becoming the 2nd generation Director in 2010.   The Oasis provides safe, stable and nurturing life-long sanctuary for displaced and exploited parrots. Their flock now numbers over 800 birds.

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Kaitlyn Tyler

Kaitlyn has lived in Arizona since 2007 and fell in love with the Sonoran Desert and Sky Islands. She started work in conservation in 2019, and before the Arizona Sonoran Desert Museum, worked with Fish and Wildlife, Coronado National Forest. Her bachelor's degree is from the UA in Natural Resources-Rangeland Management and she minored in Entomology.

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Stephen Vaughan

Steve is a seasoned professional nature photographer and ornithologist, dedicating over five decades to capturing and exploring the wonders of natural history. His exceptional imagery has graced the pages of countless esteemed publications, including Audubon, Bird Watchers Digest, National Wildlife, and Sierra Club.​​​​​

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