Staff

Cheryl Bauer-Armstrong’s journey involving schools and communities in restoration education began at the UW-Madison Arboretum in 1994. Before joining the Earth Partnership team at the Arboretum, she designed native plantings and restorations in schoolyards, parklands, neighborhoods, and home landscapes. Since becoming director of Earth Partnership in 2006, she has led the effort in initiatives to address environmental justice, water stewardship, nature connectedness, equitable education, culturally-relevant pedagogy, and community-based conservation in 22 states and in Puerto Rico. Cheryl obtained her MS in Landscape Planning and Ecology from Harvard University and holds a BS focused on ecological restoration from UW-Madison.

Claire has worked for Earth Partnership since 2013, with a variety of roles including teaching an undergraduate service learning course focused on culturally responsive environmental education, curriculum development, and facilitating professional development for school and community educators. Claire completed her PhD at the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, where her research centered on creating an interfaith restoration education community of practice in collaboration with Holy Wisdom Monastery. She has contributed to multiple Earth Partnership curriculum guides and has most recently been a lead editor of the Earth Partnership Pollinator Habitat Curriculum Guide (2017), with which she has led outreach efforts and training for educators in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Claire collaboratively facilitates Indigenous Arts and Sciences educator, youth, and community learning initiatives with all IAS-partnering Native Nations. She lives in the St. Croix River Valley with her family.

Rachel Byington became involved with Earth Partnership in the summer of 2010, first participating in several institutes and then joining the team as an intern in 2014. Rachel is an enrolled citizen of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma and is from Madison, Wisconsin. She holds a BS in Family, Consumer, and Community Education, and an American Indian Studies certificate, and a MS in Civil Society and Community Studies, all from the UW-Madison. She earned her PhD in 2020 in Civil Society and Community Studies in UW-Madison’s School of Human Ecology. Her minor is Environmental Restoration Education. Rachel is a wife, mother of three, and grandmother of four.

Jessie is an outdoor educator, and she incorporates her role as an American Canoe Association kayak instructor trainer into engagement and research. She holds a master’s degree in experiential education from Minnesota State University and a doctorate in Environment and Resources from the Nelson Institute of UW-Madison (PhD minor is in Cartography and Geographic Information Systems). In addition to her work with Earth Partnership, Jessie is also Faculty Associate for Native Nations Partnerships in the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies at UW – Madison. 

Misty M. Jackson (she/her), a Bad River Ojibwe tribal member, joined the Earth Partnership team in January 2020.  She transferred to the UW-Madison College of Letters & Science to pursue a NeuroBiology undergraduate degree, with plans to attend Medical School.  She honorably retired from the US Army, having worked in Public Health and performing special duties as an Equal Opportunity Leader, Master Resilience Trainer and Recruiter.  During her 15 year career, she deployed in support of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom II.  She holds an AA in Native American Studies from the Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe College. She is a dedicated Water Protector and lives her life by the Ojibwe Seven Grandfather Teachings.  She believes strongly in the work that Earth Partnership does and also helps facilitate the Indigenous Arts and Sciences Summer Institutes. She is expecting her first child in the autumn of 2021.

Dylan Bizhikiins Jennings is a member of the marten clan. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin Madison with degrees in Anthropology, Archaeology, Environmental Studies, and American Indian Studies. Jennings completed his Masters degree from the University of Wisconsin Madison Nelson Institute. Jennings served two consecutive terms as an elected Tribal Council Member for the Bad River Tribe. He can speak 5 different languages: Ojibwe, Spanish, Italian, English, and a bit of Hindi/Urdu. He served as the Director of Public Information for the Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission, which required him to be fluent in tribal/environmental news and issues. He was also a writer, photographer, and editor for the Mazina’igan newspaper. He has been a recent recipient of the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development “40 under 40” award and a recipient of the UW Madison Nelson Institute Rising Star Alumni award.

Dr. Maria Moreno is an outreach specialist, who teaches in diverse settings across the educational spectrum at UW-Madison.  Based in the Department Planning and Landscape Architecture, she has led multi-cultural outreach for EP since 2012.  She also serves as the Associate for Experiential Education for the Global Health Institute. Maria designs and facilitates curricular materials and led outreach programs. She provides professional development for schoolteachers, college students and community educators locally and internationally through workshops on environmental education.  She develops and facilitates internships and service-learning programs in local settings and globally.  She leads Earth Partnership Global Initiatives in Mexico, Nicaragua, Dominican Republic, Ecuador and Puerto Rico. She holds a PhD in Cultural Anthropology from the UW-Madison and teaches in the Department of Planning and Landscape Architecture and College of Agricultural and Life Sciences.