Our passion is connecting youth and their families with the outdoors.
We are a team of diverse outdoor enthusiasts thrilled to nurture the love of nature on the Western Slope of Colorado.
If you are interested in joining our staff, visit our Job Openings page to learn about seasonal positions. We offer dozens of internships to local high school students. To apply to our internships visit our Pathways page.
Nature Connection Crew
jessica.mcgrath@deltaschools.com
Jess is thrilled to combine her passion for the outdoors and education with her love for the people, places, and beauty of Delta County, where she has called home for the last 15 years. She comes to the role of Executive Director with a background in outdoor education. She has coordinated outdoor educational programs for youth and adults at the Museum of Northern Arizona; led a group of high school students down the Grand Canyon on a river trip; taught gardening programs to all audiences from preschool aged children to county inmates in a work-release program. It was in these moments that she witnessed in others and felt in her own self the power that outdoor experiences have to calm, empower, connect, and transform lives. She explored this in her thesis work at Northern Arizona University where she wrote a year-long high school gardening curriculum for her MA in Sustainable Communities. She comes to the Nature Connection with a deep passion for the mission. A mother to two young sons, she enjoys spending her free time floating on the river, trail running, and gardening.
Jess is thrilled to combine her passion for the outdoors and education with her love for the people, places, and beauty of Delta County, where she has called home for the last 15 years. She comes to the role of Executive Director with a background in outdoor education. She has coordinated outdoor educational programs for youth and adults at the Museum of Northern Arizona; led a group of high school students down the Grand Canyon on a river trip; taught gardening programs to all audiences from preschool aged children to county inmates in a work-release program. It was in these moments that she witnessed in others and felt in her own self the power that outdoor experiences have to calm, empower, connect, and transform lives. She explored this in her thesis work at Northern Arizona University where she wrote a year-long high school gardening curriculum for her MA in Sustainable Communities. She comes to the Nature Connection with a deep passion for the mission. A mother to two young sons, she enjoys spending her free time floating on the river, trail running, and gardening.
cy.hassell@deltaschools.com
Cy Hassell (he/him) first joined Nature Connection as a Generation Wild Outdoor Educator serving in AmeriCorps from 2023-2025.
He grew up in Glenwood Springs; floating and fishing the Roaring Fork River in the summers, and snowboarding at Sunlight Mountain.
After graduating from high school in 2016, he moved to the northern Colorado area, where he completed his Associates Degree in Audio Production from Aims Community College, spending tons of time producing and performing music with his friends.
He moved back to the western slope with his wife, Eden in 2023, and these days he loves taking his dog on bike rides and disc golf adventures.
His appreciation for nature and the outdoors is shown through his work as Nature Connection's Programs Manager.
nora.tanel@deltaschools.com
Nora grew up in Milwaukee Wisconsin, making frequent trips “Up North” that fostered her love for the outdoors. She went to The University of Minnesota, and is still pursuing her Environmental Education degree. Her favorite place in Minnesota is the boundary waters, where she would frequently spend weekends camping on different islands on the numerous northern lakes.
Nora has worked across the country as an interpretive ranger. In southern Oregon she enjoyed the Red Woods and the forests of the Pacific Northwest, and then in Wyoming where she worked for state parks facilitating outdoor programing and paddle programs. Nora is extremely excited about Colorado and all the outdoor adventures it has to offer. She is passionate about getting all kids outside, and fostering a connection to their own outdoor space, and is so pumped to be a part of The Nature Connections mission. Growing up in the midwest promoted her love for lakes and all things water sports like wake surfing and paddling. She loves taking solo hikes and is ready to get more into skiing this winter!
stephanie.devries@deltaschools.com
Steph grew up in northern Indiana and graduated in 2015 with a BA in Graphic Design and Web Development. After a few years of feeling restless behind a computer screen as a designer, she saved up her money, quit her job, and hiked 2,650 miles on the Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to Canada.
That experience and the many deep and meaningful conversations she had with those she met on the trail sparked Steph’s desire for a career in the outdoors. Shortly after finishing the trail, she made the move to Montrose, Colorado to work at a wilderness therapy program to support teenagers struggling with their mental health. With experience teaching outdoor survival skills and serving as a backpacking guide on many 8-day trips, she found a love for mentoring kids, sharing outdoor knowledge, and helping others experience the healing and empowerment that time in nature can bring. Steph joined the Nature Connection team in 2024, and has loved getting to use her skills to create outdoor programs and opportunities for the kids and families of Delta County & Olathe.
Other things Steph loves: playing guitar, crafting and knitting, exploring new places, and adventuring with her husband.
aaron.wilcox@deltaschools.com
Aaron was raised in the ozark mountains where he learned the value of time spent outdoors. He and his family have called the west slope home since 2016. Aaron is a high school climbing coach and is excited to expand access to all adventure sports. He has seen first hand how climbing and biking can bring out the best in young people. Aaron brings many years of experience as a Spanish teacher to the team, and loves bringing diverse communities together.
Aaron se crió en las montañas del Ozark, donde aprendió el valor del tiempo que pasa al aire libre. Él y su familia han vivido en Colorado desde 2016. Aaron es entrenador de escalada en una escuela secundaria y está emocionado de ampliar el acceso a todos los deportes de aventura. Ha visto personalmente cómo la escalada y el ciclismo pueden sacar lo mejor de los jóvenes. Aaron trae al equipo muchos años de experiencia como profesor de español y le encanta unir comunidades diversas.
bgraves @ deltaschools.com
Ben Graves has been with the Nature Connection since its inception, starting as a high school teacher liaison in 2016 and then making the shift out of the classroom in 2020. Before joining the team full time, Ben taught science in Delta County for close to a decade- focusing on environmental science, solar energy and biology. His undergraduate (BS) and graduate (MS) studies were in the Earth Systems Science Program at Stanford University where he felt drawn to teaching after volunteering as a docent at the Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve. As a science teacher, he was committed to “making visible the invisible parts of the world” through student-driven inquiry and experimentation and this commitment to experiential education continues to this day with his work supporting teachers and interns with the Nature Connection. He continues to stay active in teaching through his work as a Wilderness First Aid instructor with Desert Mountain Medicine, as a Senior Fellow with the Knowles Teachers Initiative (knowlesteachers.org), a national teacher leadership program for early career science and math teachers and the National Geographic Grosvenor Teacher Fellowship. He lives with his family in Paonia, CO where they can often be found hiking in the desert, rafting in the canyons or cross country skiing on the largest flat-topped mountain in the world.
Ben Graves has been with the Nature Connection since its inception, starting as a high school teacher liaison in 2016 and then making the shift out of the classroom in 2020. Before joining the team full time, Ben taught science in Delta County for close to a decade- focusing on environmental science, solar energy and biology. His undergraduate (BS) and graduate (MS) studies were in the Earth Systems Science Program at Stanford University where he felt drawn to teaching after volunteering as a docent at the Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve. As a science teacher, he was committed to “making visible the invisible parts of the world” through student-driven inquiry and experimentation and this commitment to experiential education continues to this day with his work supporting teachers and interns with the Nature Connection. He continues to stay active in teaching through his work as a Wilderness First Aid instructor with Desert Mountain Medicine, as a Senior Fellow with the Knowles Teachers Initiative (knowlesteachers.org), a national teacher leadership program for early career science and math teachers and the National Geographic Grosvenor Teacher Fellowship. He lives with his family in Paonia, CO where they can often be found hiking in the desert, rafting in the canyons or cross country skiing on the largest flat-topped mountain in the world.
caitlin.gast@deltaschools.com
Caitlin Gast (she/her) is serving as an Outdoor Educator at The Nature Connection in Hotchkiss. She is a recent graduate from the University of Northern Colorado with a Bachelor's in Environmental Science and Sustainability along with minors in Geography and American Sign Language. She has a passion for the outdoors and in leaving it better than she found it. Growing up in upstate New York constantly hiking and camping with her family made her realize her love for nature. Once she moved to Michigan at age 11 and took a class in conservation biology, she knew she wanted to work in conserving our beautiful planet. She has been slowly moving Westward in her life and has happily settled in Colorado for a bit. She is beyond excited to be able to engage with youths in the area and share her love for the outdoors. In her free time, you can almost always find her on a trail, skiing, camping, rock climbing, or road tripping to new places.
