Keynote

Hazel England

Hazel is the Director of Education, Outreach, and Land Stewardship at the Great Swamp Watershed Association. Before joining GSWA in 2004, she worked in the Great Swamp for a decade as a Naturalist with Somerset County Park Commission, creating and conducting environmental education programs for all ages, and as Executive Director of the Whitesbog Preservation Trust in the NJ Pine Barrens. Hazel develops and conducts educational water quality focused programs for students of all ages and the broader community. She manages the stewardship at GSWA’s Conservation Management Area, coordinating restoration at the site. A native of Scotland, she has degrees in Zoology and Botany, and a master’s in Ecology and Environmental Management.

Captain Bill Sheehan

Captain Bill holds a 25-Ton master’s license from the US Coast Guard, which he first earned in 1995. Since then, he has commanded a series of Riverkeeper vessels including the Queen Mary E, Robert H. Boyle, Edward Abbey, and currently the Geraldine Theresa. It is from the helm of a boat that Bill does his best work: advocating for, educating about, and patrolling the Hackensack River. And he does so six months out of each year.

In addition to his tireless work in our office and in the field, Bill serves the greater good of our watershed region in many other ways. He is a founding and longstanding member of the Bergen County Trust Fund Public Advisory Committee, and current Chair of the Meadowlands Conservation Trust; the latter being the agency charged with acquiring, holding and managing conservation properties in the Meadowlands and throughout the Hackensack River Watershed.

Lauren Theis

Lauren Theis is the Director of Education for Raritan Headwaters, where she has been building conservation communities for 18 years. She received a Bachelor of Science degree from Cook College, Rutgers University, was a New Jersey Americorps Watershed Ambassador, and continues to learn and grow with the Raritan Headwaters community by working with local schools, residents, scouts, institutions of higher learning, and many other partners within the state and beyond.

Tess Mullen

Tess Mullen serves as the SAgE Program Coordinator at the Foodshed Alliance, where she is deeply committed to making a meaningful impact on the success of farmers, especially those practicing regenerative, organic growing methods. Tess brings over a decade of small-scale, organic farming experience to managing the Sustainable Agriculture Enterprises (SAgE) Program, leveraging her passion for sustainable farming to drive positive change within the agricultural community. Through her dedication, Tess plays a pivotal role in supporting farmers on their journey towards regenerative practices, fostering resilience and sustainability within local agriculture. Tess holds a Bachelor's Degree in Earth Science and Environmental Justice from Kean University; and is most passionate about the intersectionality of a regenerative food system as a path to reconnect humans to nature.

Ben Yaskulka

Ben Yaskulka serves as the Policy and Outreach Manager for the Musconetcong Watershed Association, where he not only spearheads efforts in accessible river recreation and interpretation through the Partnership Wild and Scenic River program but also advocates for river-friendly policy at all levels of government. His policy foundation, built through his political science studies at Ramapo College and his work with student advocacy groups, complements his extensive experience in connecting people with the outdoors. This includes supervising agritourism operations at Alstede Farms' Pick Your Own program and developing engaging recreational and educational programs as an environmental educator at Duke Farms. Ben's experience in ecotourism, agritourism, and policy experience offers a comprehensive approach to promoting vibrant natural spaces. When he's not working, you'll likely find Ben birding, fishing, and hiking in and around the Musconetcong.

Gretchen Fowles

Gretchen Fowles received a bachelor’s degree in Biology from Carleton College in Minnesota and a master’s degree in Wildlife Ecology from Idaho State University. She has been working for New Jersey Fish and Wildlife’s Endangered & Nongame Species Program since 2003, managing the program’s rare species database, serving as the state’s bobcat and Allegheny woodrat biologist, handling a wildlife detection dog for the program, and co-leading NJ’s Connecting Habitat Across New Jersey (CHANJ) project.

Kimberly Korth

Kim Korth, State Wildlife Action Plan Coordinator/Planner with NJ DEP Fish & Wildlife’s Endangered and Nongame Species Program. Ms. Korth started her career in business earning a degree in Business Administration from George Washington University and working in sales for several years. Conservation has always been important to her, and she shifted gears to follow her passion. Today she has over two decades of experience in wildlife conservation including project management, coordination, habitat restoration, biological surveys, and partnership building. Ms. Korth started her conservation work in Rhode Island where she earned her wildlife management degree from the University of Rhode Island. She moved with her husband to VA where she worked at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute and earned her MA in Biology from Virginia Commonwealth University. Kim joined the staff at NJ’s Endangered and Nongame Species Program in 2004 working on grassland birds and leading the Landowner Incentive Program. In 2014, Ms. Korth left her dream job to move to Houston, TX with her family where she owned and published a local food magazine. In 2022, she and her family moved back to NJ and re- joined ENSP. Ms. Korth currently coordinates the State Wildlife Action Plan, is responsible for conservation action implementation, launching and leading NJ’s Bird City Community (aka Network), and focusing on NJ’s urban wildlife.

Robert Aluck

Robert has always had a passion for nature and wildlife growing up on the waters of Long Island. Though he spent the past 10 years working in fisheries management programs on the federal level throughout the country, he has come to the Sourlands looking to help terrestrial wildlife in his local community. He joined the Sourland Conservancy in 2022 looking to help leave a lasting legacy for future generations to enjoy. In his spare time, he likes to spend time with his family, fishing, and learning more about the native species he is working to protect.

Joe Basralian

Joe Basralian is contracted to the New Jersey Conservation Foundation to collaborate in addressing the crisis of overabundant deer herds impacting many parts of New Jersey. He has worked professionally or as a volunteer in New Jersey conservation for 17 years with The Nature Conservancy, New Jersey Audubon, the League of Conservation Voters, Friends of the Drew Forest and other groups. For several years he played a key support role in the NJ Keep It Green Coalition for open space, farmland and historic preservation. He has chaired Chatham Township’s Open Space Committee for 13 years, helping to preserve 250 acres in that time, and has been an active leader in Scouting America for 10 years. Joe has worked in financial markets in New York and New Jersey for 25 years, often bringing together people with diverse perspectives to achieve each party’s goals. He grew up in Franklin Lakes, NJ and has a B.A. from Cornell University and an MBA from NYU’s Stern School of Business.

Elliott Ruga

Elliott has over 25 years of environmental and historic preservation advocacy experience. Working with the Coalition since November 2007, he leads the implementation of media and educational campaigns. Elliott represents the Coalition's concerns at Highlands Council meetings and with municipal and county officials, state legislators and regulators. Elliott provides guidance to grassroots groups in support of projects that align with the Coalition's mission. He has a professional background of communications and multi-media production (awarded 2 Emmys), including 17 years at NBC.

Leslie Sauer

Leslie Sauer, a founder emeritus of Andropogon Associates, is a pioneer in the field of restoring and managing native landscapes. She has directed the reestablishment of natural systems in a wide range of sensitive, degraded, and developed environments. Ms. Sauer has been a key player on such landscape-scale watershed projects as the Flood Protection Plan for a 14-mile stretch of the Passaic River in New Jersey, the Conservation Plan for the Manumuskin Watershed in New Jersey and the Comprehensive Watershed Management Plan for the Rockaway River Watershed.

Her park projects range from urban greens, including both the Woodlands of Central Park and Prospect Park in New York City, and Wissahickon Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to National Historic Monuments. She was a board member of the Society for Ecological Restoration and taught at the University of Pennsylvania. Her book, The Once and Future Forest (Island Press) is a guidebook for restoring and managing natural forests. She lives on her family’s farm in central New Jersey and now concentrates on on-the-ground projects in her rural locality.

Walter Lane

Walter C. Lane serves as the Acting Executive Director of the New Jersey Office of Planning Advocacy where he supports the State Planning Commission and staff to advance Implementation of State Development and Redevelopment Plan and works on a wide range of smart growth planning efforts.

Prior to his role at the New Jersey Office of Planning Advocacy, Walter served as the Director of Planning for Somerset County for over ten years. He was responsible for all of the County's planning efforts, the Open Space Advisory Committee, the Regional Center Partnership of Somerset County, the Somerset County Green leadership Hub and the Somerset County Energy Council. Since 1997, he has held numerous roles serving as a Supervising Transportation Planner, Principal Planner, Senior Community Planner and Planning Intern during his tenure at the County.

He has over twenty-seven years of land use, regional planning and transportation planning experience and has managed numerous award-winning projects. Walter is a licensed New Jersey Professional Planner and is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners. In December of 2022, he received the Budd Chavooshian Award for Outstanding Professional Planner from the New Jersey Chapter of the American Planning Association.