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"After an extensive search, we're excited to welcome Kate Gilbert to WRFI's team as our new Field Education Manager. I first spoke with Kate over a year ago when she reached out to learn more about WRFI and our educational model and vision; through conversations with WRFI's team, the alignment of a vision for field based education was clear, and Kate's technical background and people leadership was apparent. We're super excited to have Kate on the team!"
-Matt Baker-White, Executive Director
From Kate:
I grew up in a small town in Georgia, far from the wild places I now call home. In 2015, I graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in Natural Resources as well as an Associates in Tourism. When I joined AmeriCorps in 2017 and found myself on a crosscut crew in Oregon, it was the first time I truly understood what learning through experience meant. Since then—from leading a conservation crew in Montana to instructing multi-day Outward Bound trips—I’ve seen how being out in the elements teaches more than any classroom ever could.
It’s in those real, hands-on moments—reading a map on a windy ridge, figuring out how to lead a group through hard terrain, or just watching someone’s confidence grow—that the most meaningful learning happens. It builds self-reliance, awareness, and a deep connection to the world around you.
Outside of work, I spend my time boating with buddies, fly fishing with my doggo Desmond, and renting Forest Service cabins whenever reservations allow.
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