2011 - 2012 Student Naturalists 

Callie Millington '12 hails from Salt Lake City, Utah. She's been obsessed with the arb since it saved her sanity during new student week, and looks forward to learning all about it as a student naturalist. She's especially excited about eventually being able to identify the grasses and trees that grow there.

Owen McMurtrey '12 grew up on the south side of Chicago, Illinois, where he developed an interest in birds at a young age. During high school, Owen's interest in birds matured and, thanks to a few vacations, he has now seen over 425 species of birds in North America. Of late, Owen has focused on butterflies, dragonflies and other insects because they give him something new to look for when he's out in the field. Owen is thrilled to be attending Carleton because the opportunity to enjoy nature in the Arb is within a minute's walk. Whether birding, looking for bugs, or just hiking, Owen is consistently amazed by the beauty and size of the Arb.

Griffin Williams ’12 is a Geology major from Kalamazoo, Michigan where he has begun the process of converting his parents front yard to native prairie.  He has, for as long as he can remember, been interested in the outdoors and how it grows.  He is specifically interested in sustainable agriculture and how farming can be integrated in to a larger, healthy, ecosystem.  One of his favorite activities is finding and eating all those plants you never even knew about.

Rae Wood '12 is an English major from Excelsior, Minnesota. Growing up playing in the woods in her childhood backyard, downhill skiing with her Dad, and using the outdoors as creative inspiration for her favorite hobbies (writing and photography), nature has become an integral part of her life. Her passion for the outdoors has even lead her on some exciting adventures, including biking 170 miles through the Irish countryside during the summer of '09. At Carleton, she finds cross-country skiing and taking long walks in the Arb as the best breaks from her long hours in the library. As a student naturalist, she hopes to learn more about the environment around her and to pass on her knowledge and love for nature to others.

Jasmine Cutter ’13 simply loves being outdoors!  She loves having the Arb so close by and being able to go for trail runs whenever she wants.  Coming from the prairie-less state of Delaware, Jasmine is fascinated by the unfamiliar plants and critters living in this unique ecosystem.  She is looking forward to understanding how prairie and savanna ecosystems work and to share her passion for nature with others. 

Emma Rapperport ’13 hails from the radically different ecosystem of the California Bay Area chaparral, but was surprised to find that oak savanna also exists in Minnesota. Escaping to the Arb kept her sane during her first term. She goes for walks in the Arb several times a week, and is amazed that on a nice misty Saturday morning, she doesn’t see the whole school outside! She was thrilled to discover that learning about the Arb was a job. She is especially interested in learning about the process of restoring the Arb to native prairie and forest. She believes in the importance of educating people about the outdoors so they will protect it.

Brandon Valle '14 grew up in Spokane, Washington.  Happy to escape his local pine forests for the more varied prairie, savannah, and deciduous forests of Carleton's arboretum, he enjoys spending time in the Arb and learning its secrets.  He takes particular interest in wildlife management, and what tools or strategies humans can use to restore and modify native lands.

Jared Beck '14 grew up in southeastern Wisconsin where he spent much of his childhood outdoors hiking, camping, fishing and exploring nature.  From these experiences and his early fascination with birds, Jared's passion for the natural world developed.  At Carleton, he can often be found wandering around the Arb, searching for interesting wildlife and working to familiarize himself with the native plants.  Jared looks forward to participating in Carleton's restoration projects and continuing to learn about the natural world.