Aaron Campbell has been an avid birder for 26 years. He has worked with multiple universities on oil development and climate change studies, focusing on how they affect birds. For the past decade, Aaron has used his experience and knowledge to teach kids and adults as an environmental educator in the Portland area. He currently operates Nature Nerd Expeditions, providing free educational opportunities in the southeast Portland area and is excited to use his expertise in efforts to protect and promote Oaks Bottom with the Friends group.
Andrew Cohen teaches English at Portland Community College, where he leads the Humanities and Arts Initiative. He lives adjacent to Oaks Bottom, which has been a steady, generous presence for him and his family since they made their home in Sellwood 20 years ago.
Having worked at the intersection of natural resource management and communities for over 20 years, Ruth Howell leads communications and external affairs at the West Coast Region of NOAA Fisheries. She’s passionate about using science in combination with wonder and awe to engage communities in improving the health and viability of local ecosystems. Her past work has included working with artists to engage communities in the natural world, creating videos, social media campaigns, and advising organizations on using strategic communications to advance their mission.
Heather Katcher is a resident of Sellwood who cares deeply about protecting Oaks Bottom and educating the community about its diversity of wildlife. Heather is a Project Management Professional, and applies these skills to implement stewardship events and build collaborations with partner organizations. In her free time, Heather enjoys hiking, biking, running and yoga.
As an Oregon native, Joshua Meyers enjoys exploring the many landscapes of our state through fishing, hiking, rock climbing, mountaineering and bird watching. This has created a passion for preserving the natural areas that are important to him. Having lived in Portland for the better part of his life, Joshua enjoys breaks from his daily life in Portland’s green spaces . Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge is his birdwatching patch close to home. Through the years of birding there, he has developed a desire along with other likeminded community members to preserve this unique area for wildlife and future Portlanders.
Marianne Nelson moved to Portland in 2006, after she retired as Executive Director of a small land conservation organization in Kane County, northwest of Chicago, Illinois. She and her husband, an amateur nature photographer, moved to Sellwood to be within walking distance of Oaks Bottom. She is an active volunteer with several conservation organizations and has turned the treebank of their duplex into a native oak prairie.
John Sparks is a retired community college instructor. He is an avid hiker who has been treading the trails of Portland and the Pacific Northwest for the past 35 years. John has also traveled extensively on six continents, where he has focused on exploring our planet’s varied natural environments. He also builds trails, cleans up litter, and removes invasive species.
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Ezra Cohen is a co-founder of Friends of Oaks Bottom. He put much time and energy into reviving what was a moribund Friends group. Ezra is an avid birder, hiker, and basketball player. He lived adjacent to Oaks Bottom for his whole life, and could often be found birding on the bluff at the south end of the refuge. He began his first year at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota, in the fall of 2023, but returns regularly to Portland.
Matthew Cooper generously designed this website for Friends of Oaks Bottom. We are very grateful for his expertise and the time he spent editing and perfecting it for us!
Cathy Ingram designed our logo and created many of the maps on this website. Thank you Cathy!