Ruth Ann earned her BA in Outdoor Experiential Education and MSM studying deep nature and ancestral connection to increase well-being and a sense of belonging. She spent a year living in the woods, building her shelter, foraging, brain-tanning hides for clothing, weaving baskets, and practicing survival and tracking skills before teaching for nearly a decade at the Tracker School, mentoring students in the arts of survival, awareness, and tracking. Ruth Ann has designed programming and mentored wilderness skills for various venues and ages, for nearly thirty years. She is an outdoor adventurer, mountaineer, marathoner, midwife, and faculty at the Midwives College of Utah. She has lived for 25+ years on a homestead, homeschooling and raising three children and deeply values the process of learning and integrating skills through experience and mentoring, and the building of human relationships through cooperative learning.
Read MoreLuke grew up in rural upstate New York. He attended Colorado State University where he studied Natural Resource Management and Watershed Science. Luke has worked for several federal, tribal and non-profit organizations on river and forest habitat restoration projects. He currently resides in the Champlain Valley region where he works for the Ruffed Grouse Society in partnership with the Vermont Natural Resource Conservation Service. In his spare time, he enjoys cooking outdoors, fishing, hunting and working with various farms and watershed organizations.
Read MoreDavid Ott
Dave’s appreciation for the natural world has been developing since he was a young child playing in the fields and woods of his family’s small 100 acre farm in north-central Ohio. Camping and hunting skills developed into an abiding love and respect for nature. After a brief sojourn to art school and years as a professional musician, his interest returned to the cathedrals of nature and he began studying at Tom Brown jr’s Tracker School in New Jersey where he would eventually spend 18 months living in a primitive shelter as a Caretaker for the school and being part of their pilot instructor training program. This unique opportunity to practice the skills of survival and embody the philosophy of living with the earth would remain a touchstone for the rest of his life.
He continued studying at the school after his Caretakership concluded while also working in construction management in New York state. His mentor in this field became the business manager for Tom Brown jr. and in late 2006 Dave assumed responsibility for the audio recording and archiving of Tracker School classes. In 2009 he founded Tracker Audio LLC and partnered with Tom Brown jr. to develop Tracker School’s live online classes as well as remote live broadcasts of onsite classes. He continued working closely with Tom as his in-house producer for the next 15 years, spending roughly half of his time in New Jersey, until Tom’s passing in 2024.
Dave continues to produce online classes regarding primitive skills, nature connection and earth philosophy for the Tracker School as well as organizations like 4 Elements Earth Education with Rick Berry, Living Connection 1st with Jon Young and his own Sit Spot Media project. He teaches seminars on best production practices for informative & impactful online gatherings, drum crafting & drumming, archery, lacto-fermentation and sourdough bread baking. His 18 yr. old daughter would also mention his penchant for awful dad jokes and his 17 yr. old son his fondness for debriefing the dumbest things for far too long.
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Sue graduated from Purdue University with a degree in Special Education. She holds a certificate in Sign Language Interpreting from Illinois Central College. She is a mom and a science lover. She currently lives in Nashville, TN and works as a freelance sign language interpreter.
Read MoreLuke Scalise is a stone mason, and wilderness guide. He works with the bones of the earth—shaping, stacking, and fitting natural stone into enduring structures that stand against time and weather. Whether building dry stone walls or landscape features, his hands turn earth into lasting beauty and function. As a wilderness guide and strength coach, he guides people to discover their own physical potential through functional training that builds real-world power and movement mastery. As a conservationist, he is deeply committed to protecting the elusive apex predators of the world’s rainforests and advocating for healthy habitat of all wild kin.
Read MoreDamion spent most of his childhood outdoors, starting a lifelong passion for all things nature. Growing up, Damion's parents instilled in him not only rules of hunting, but the importance of wildlife control and general conservation knowledge. He also learned and started an obsession for fishing at a young age. Damion has been attending Sun Foundation for 20+ years from student, to TA, to instructor.
Read MoreAmy earned degrees in HDFS with a focus in Early Childhood Education and Art from University in Wisconsin-Stout. Amy is currently an educator for Head Start. Outside of her profession, Amy loves to hike, camp and travel with her husband and three children.
Read MoreOriginally from Central IL, she is a life-long ASIW camper, turned teacher, and credits camp for igniting her drive to follow her creative passions. Julia is a passionate fiber arts teacher whose work celebrates the beauty of sustainable, hands-on creativity. With a deep commitment to earth conservation and environmental stewardship, she integrates principles of recycling, upcycling, and mindful resource use into every aspect of her teaching. While guiding students through a range of fiber-based skills, Julia emphasizes the power of the slow arts—not just as a technique, but as a philosophy that fosters patience, connection, and mindfulness. Her approach encourages students to slow down, engage with their materials thoughtfully, and make something both beautiful and purposeful from the world around them. She often incorporates repurposed fabrics, natural dyes, and recycled materials into her lessons, reinforcing the message that creativity can coexist with sustainability. Through her classes, Julia aims to nurture not only the skills of her students but also their sense of responsibility as makers, instilling a love for both the craft and the planet. Through her practice, Julia believes that the slow, intentional act of creating with one's hands can help reconnect us with the earth, one stitch at a time.
Read MoreShannon has been an avid outdoor-girl since childhood. In her twenties she attended over 25 classes at Tom Brown’s Tracking Nature and Wilderness Survival School. She also spent a year and a half living semi-primitively as a caretaker at the school’s camp in the New Jersey Pine Barrens. She has worked in wilderness field programs, taught survival skills & bush craft, and lived semi-primitively for extended periods of time. She successfully completed the Naked & Afraid Challenge in 2013. Her episode, Mayan Misery, was filmed in Belize and aired in the second season. She brings her relationship with nature and the land into the heart of everything she does and is excited to share at ASIW.
Read MoreElisa teaches art at Northern Arizona University, School of Art + Design. She holds a MA in Sustainable Communities and an MFA, Fine Arts, Post Modern Practice. The Woodford County Native works to integrate science and creative writing across her curriculum. As a student within the inaugural Sun Foundation Art and Science in the Woods program, she loves teaching children and connecting with her Central Illinois Roots.
Read MoreDr. Wilcoxen is a Professor of Biology at Millikin University in Decatur, Illinois. He is the Chair of the Board for the Sun Foundation and also President of the Board for the Illinois Raptor Center. His current research focuses on immune defense and disease in Illinois songbirds, birds of prey, and amphibians. Travis is originally from Lewistown, IL and earned his Bachelor’s degree in Biology from Eureka College and Ph.D. in Biology from the University of Memphis.
Read More(Dr. Z) is an associate professor of mechanical engineering and sustainability at the University of Wisconsin - Platteville. He earned his Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from Northwestern University. He regularly teaches courses in Fluid Mechanics, Thermal Systems, and Renewable Energy Systems. He has performed a variety of research on polymers, two-phase flow and energy resilience for ANL, DOE and USGS.
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