Bob Anderson
Bob Anderson has been involved in the horse business all his life. He owned a riding stable in Buena Vista for 15 years, which did horseback rides and wagon rides. He has driven teams in many parades. In 2003 he moved his operation to Gunnison and started Blue Mesa Stables.

Bruce Bartleson
Bruce has a Ph.D. in geology from the University of Colorado. He worked in the oil business for four years, but has spent the majority of his career as a professor of geology at Western State College. Now retired, he spends the majority of his time mountain biking, skiing, fishing, keeping in touch with his former students, researching local western history and driving his wife (a flutist at Western State College) crazy! Bruce can be reached at bbartleson@msn.com.

Patricia Berman
Patricia is a Colorado native and has lived near Winter Park for many years. She has always had a passion for the flora and fauna of the Rocky Mountains. Patricia has attended the Wildflower Festival for six years and from the workshop leaders she has increased her knowledge and love for the beautiful blooms in our backcountry. For the past three years she has been asked by the Grand County Library District to lead wildflower hikes. In 2007 she identified 45 different flowers for a group of 25 flower enthusiasts. Living in the Rocky Mountains gives her a complete palette to pursue her interests in flowers, photography and hiking.

Nathan Bilow
Nathan is an accomplished professional photographer with 30 years experience. He has a wide variety of experience in all fields of photography that he brings to his classes. Nathan has won many awards and has worked for the best publications in the world: Hallmark, The New York Times, VSD France, Outside, and Ski Magazine. Nathan produced the 1997 Wildflower Festival Poster, which is one of four that has sold out. He also has published “The Edge of Paradise” and “The Seasons of Paradise” in addition to owning Rocky Mountain Impressions, a post card company in Crested Butte. Nathan can be reached at nbphoto@imgonzo.com.

Julie Bremer
Julie Bremer, a Colorado native, is blessed to have lived in the valley since 1993 and has participated in the festival for 13 years. She is a mother of three fabulous daughters, graduate of Western State College’s Biology program, and a nurse at Gunnison Valley Hospital. Julie has loved leading a variety of tours for the festival since 1997.

Nancy Church
Nancy has a varied musical background ranging from classical piano to rock and blues. She is a local musician in the Crested Butte area and is a vocalist as well as a writer, director, and pianist. Nancy is the music director at Union Congregational Church and she also performs at home parties, weddings, receptions, local venues, and more. In addition, she also teaches ballroom dancing in Crested Butte.
"What beautiful music in a spectacular setting."   -Participant 2006

Colorado Backcountry
Owned by Ben & Janae Pritchett, Colorado Backcountry (www.coloradobc.com) offers custom guided trips specializing in "experiences in nature" and "adventures in motion." Working as a professional mountain guide, outdoor educator, and avalanche forecaster, Ben spends countless hours on foot, skis, and bike exploring the mountains around Crested Butte and beyond. In addition to his wildlife biology degree, Ben gained his knowledge of the local geology, flora and fauna through many years of dedicated study and observation, including ecological research and management projects.

Janae has lived in Crested Butte since graduating in 1998 from Yale University with degrees in geology and environmental science. In her free time between playing with her baby daughter, teaching math at the CB community school (really... it's fun!), and her summers guiding, you'll find Janae racing around the mountains. Her race results include national wins in extreme and backcountry skiing competitions, mountain bike races, and off-road triathlons. Despite her racing success, you'll find Janae really just loves to have fun outdoors!

Crested Butte Mountain Guides
Crested Butte Mountain Guides has been guiding, hiking and leading backpacking tours for over 11 years. All staff members are Wilderness First Responders and are knowledgeable about the area and local plants. The Crested Butte Mountain Guides can be reached at info@crestedbutteguides.com

Glo Cunningham
Glo Cunningham, the Executive Director of the Crested Butte Mt. Heritage Museum, has lived in Crested Butte for over 33 years. She has been extremely active in many non profits in the community. She currently serves on the Tourist Association as the non profit representative, the county Land Preservation Board, the Red Lady Coalition Board and the 1% for Open Space Board. She is a sport’s enthusiast and spends a lot of her time outdoors enjoying her magnificent backyard.

Kathy Darrow
Kathy is the author of Wild About Wildflowers: Extreme Botanizing in Crested Butte, a field guide to plants of the southern Rocky Mountains. She is a botanist, natural history writer and photographer, and has been leading tours for the Wildflower Festival since 1994. An avid mountaineer, river runner, skier, hiker, trail-runner and backpacker, Kathy is happiest in the backcountry. She currently leads a migratory lifestyle, botanizing in the Rocky Mountains during summers based in Crested Butte, and exploring the Sonoran desert from the suburban fringe of Phoenix, Arizona from September through May.

Dusty Demerson
Dusty is a full-time photographer based in Crested Butte since 1987. Degrees in photojournalism and business have enhanced his ability to not only capture beautiful images but also to show others how to as well. Dusty owned Color West Photography, a local photo lab and studio until 1984 when he closed the retail business to pursue photography full time. He specializes in landscapes, family portraits and destination weddings.

Katie Dix
Katie Dix began her journey to becoming a Vintage Hanky Raconteur when she was taught to carry a fresh handkerchief when shopping in downtown Nashville in the 1960s. Finishing school in Atlanta impressed upon her that a pretty hanky was a fashion essential. While raising children in the north of England, she valued soft hankies for drippy little noses. Her interest in the story of vintage handkerchiefs has grown along with her collection. As a member of the Colorado Historical Society and having studied tomes on the subject, she shares her knowledge of the handkerchief with ladies of similar sensibilities.

Heather Duryea
Heather has lived in Crested Butte for 12 years and enjoys biking, rock and ice climbing, skiing (downhill and Nordic), snowboarding, soccer, and softball. She graduated from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro where she played soccer and received a BA in biology. Heather also has an MA degree in Deaf Education from Lewis and Clark University in Portland Oregon. Heather works in the Gunnison Watershed School District teaching students who are deaf and hard of hearing. She also works at the Crested Butte Land Trust (CBLT), promoting their mission of preservation and protection of open space. Additionally, she serves on the Stewardship Committee of the CBLT, which monitors conservation easements and land management plans. Heather became interested in our local flora working for Rocky Mountain Trees and Landscaping several years ago. Here, she gained the knowledge to landscape her own property, recognize noxious weeds, and nurture the growth of wildflowers.

Susan Evans
Susan Evans is a Certified Clinical Herbalist and gardening consultant and owner of Chrysalis Herbs. She is a graduate of the advanced clinical program in western herbalism from the Rocky Mountain Center for Botanical Studies. Prior to becoming an herbalist she owned Flowerscapes, an organic landscaping company serving the Denver metropolitan and foothills area. She is a Master Gardener and has worked as an open space naturalist with Jefferson County. Her private practice includes teaching, writing and consulting in herbal medicine, crafting, cooking and gardening. She can be reached at www.chrysalisherb.com."Susan is an entertainment as well as very knowledgeable in her field. She kept us laughing the whole time!" Participant, 2006.

Jacqueline Fisher
Jacqueline Fisher, a Colorado native, has always enjoyed learning about the flora and fauna of the Rocky Mountains. In 1982, she became a volunteer with the Raptor Education Foundation, handling birds while presenting education programs to audiences across the country. She particularly enjoys the challenge of learning to identify birds by ear. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree and teaching certificate from the University of Northern Colorado (Greeley, CO), in 1994. "Birding Among the Wildflowers" was the first program to sell out in 2004. Director.

Fern Ford
Fern Ford grew up in the Crested Butte area and has always loved nature. She is an enthusiastic birder and is associated with the Audubon Society and the Boulder Bird Club. She is a contributor to the Colorado Breeding Bird Atlas. "Fern is a lady who is a real bird expert." Participant, 2001.

Barb Frase, PhD
Barb has been working at the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratories since the early 1980s. She did her PhD on marmots and is presently working with woodrats. She has published an inventory of local plant species and is also conducting research on the effects of grazing on vegetation. She teaches that everything is connected to everything. Barb can be reached at baf@bradley.edu "Barbara is a superb teacher. I would go on any hike she led." Participant, 2001

Eve Gilmore
Eve is a Garden Coach in Durango, Colorado where she consults with clients on design and maintenance of their garden spaces. Her focus is on native plants and resource efficient gardens. She has been passionate about plants for 15 years and has been working with them in a variety of capacities since her first wildflower walk in college in Ohio ignited her passion. Eve has worked at retail nurseries, in fine perennial garden maintenance, as a Botanist, field course instructor, and organic farmer. She loves to inspire others to get better acquainted with the flora in their lives.

Mel Harte
Mel (Mary Ellen) Harte (Ph.D.) has spent summers here as a biologist at the Rocky Mountain Biological Lab since 1981. She has focused on wildflowers since 2002, creating a digital herbarium for RMBL of 1,000+ local species, producing a weekly natural history radio show here since 1999, and creating the "What’s That Wildflower" photographic guide CD to local wildflowers. Thousands of her diagnostic wildflower photos appear at www.forestryimages.org, with some published. An exuberant naturalist and explorer, she has hiked all continents, photographing wildflowers on five of them. Her latest adventure was Wrangel Island and Siberia in summer, 2007.

Don Hempel
Don is a local naturalist and has been participating in all things wildflower in the Crested Butte area since 1988. He is an avid reader and an intrepid hiker; his memory for Latin names makes his knowledge of local flowers even more impressive. Don has led flower ID walks for the Festival many years, but his experience hiking on some of the area’s most interesting trails made him a natural for leading longer hikes into the back country. "Don’s memory for flowers is phenomenal!" Participant 2002

Angie Kray
Angie Kray feels blessed to have lived in Crested Butte since 1993, and during that time has been a CB Wildflower Festival participant, volunteer, board member, and wildflower hike leader. A former elementary teacher in Gunnison and Florida with a master's in Early Child Ed., she is a self-taught wildflower ID enthusiast. She enjoys summer hiking, winter XC skiing, amateur birding, and recently finished climbing all 55 of Colorado's 14,000+ ft. peaks. She always leaves a festival day open to take a workshop or two for her own personal knowledge, since every year brings new workshop leaders, intriguing topics, and so much more to learn about our beautiful wildflowers!

JC Leacock
Since the beginning of his professional career in 1988, J.C. Leacock has emerged as one of the premier photographers of the American West. His landscape images capture the light, grandeur and intimacy of the West, while his photographic portrayal of western lifestyles is both authentic and spirited.

Leacock’s work is widely published, and his images appear in such publications as Outside, Ski, Backpacker, National Geographic Adventure, Sunset, Cowboys & Indians, and American Cowboy. His work also is published in numerous calendars, including an exclusive cowgirl calendar for BrownTrout Publishers. Two coffee table books on Colorado and a third on South Dakota showcase Leacock’s diverse photography. Closer to home, Leacock’s photographs frequently appear in the Crested Butte Magazine, the Colorado State Vacation Guide, as well as local advertising. Fine art prints are available through the Lucille Lucas Gallery in Crested Butte.

"Moving to Crested Butte in 2003 renewed my creative energy. From the grand landscapes that surround us, to the more intimate scenes of the town and it’s people, there is no end to photographic opportunities. This abundance is reflected by the personality of this wonderful community. It is truly a magical place".

Christina MacLeod
Christina MacLeod is an enthusiastic and inspiring leader in the field of conservation and earth ecology, with an enjoyable and participatory teaching style on the trail. She is an experienced native plant specialist certified through the CSU Extension and has been an interpretive trail guide for over 15 years. MacLeod is a botanical consultant for the San Isabel Land Trust, a member of the Colorado Native Plant Society and the High Altitude Garden Club in Westcliffe, CO. She is a trainer for the CSU Native Plant Master Program, serves on the Custer County Weed Advisory Board, and is a past member of the Custer County Conservation District Board of Directors. This is her third year teaching with the Crested Butte Wildflower Festival. In addition to writing, offering hikes, lectures and photo talks on a variety of horticultural and ethnobotanical topics, conservation, and land use issues, she offers personalized consultation for landowners in native landscape, and small acreage and rangeland weed management. Christina is a practicing acupuncturist and wellness counselor, specializing in plant medicines and flower essence therapies, energetic and sound healing in Westcliffe. A former resident of Crested Butte in the early 80’s, Christina is delighted to return to share her passion for the plants.

Sue Navy
Sue Navy has lived in Crested Butte since 1971 and really knows her way around. As a founder and board member of High Country Citizens' Alliance, our local environmental organization, she has helped protect our environment and public lands for over 30 years. An avid hiker, Sue will mix information on local issues of interest with beautiful locations for wildflower and outdoor enthusiasts.

Marilyn Phillips
Marilyn is a native of England whose love of nature and the outdoors bought her to Crested Butte in 1993. Her exploration of the many trails in the area and interest in photographing and identifying wildflowers came together on the wildflower hikes she has led for the past 14 years.

Linda Powers
Linda is both the former Mayor of Crested Butte and a past Colorado State Senator. Currently she serves on the Board of the Crested Butte Land Trust and the Colorado Environmental Coalition. Linda is also involved with the Black Canyon Audubon, Colorado Birding Society, American Birding Association and Cornell's Federal Watch program. Her passion for birds and the conservation of their habitat is widely known. As a 30 year resident of Crested Butte, she knows and loves this area deeply. This is Linda's first year with the Festival.

Gary Rainwater
Gary endures the long winters here in order to be around for the first wildflowers to peek through the snow in spring time! He is an avid hiking enthusiast with a particular knowledge of local wildflowers. Gary is a retired dentist (Past-President of the American Dental Association) formerly from Dallas. Gary is a full-time resident of Crested Butte and this is his third year of guiding Wildflower hikes for the festival.

Donna Robinson
Donna Robinson is a third generation professional educator. Her experience ranges from public grade schools, to private high school academies, to the University level and out into the natural environment with NOLS and the Teton Science School. She has taught ages spanning from kindergarten to Elderhostel presenting one-hour classes, multi-day workshops as well as developing year-round curricula for Outdoor and Private Schools along with Public School Systems. She received her B.S. and M.S. in Biology from Wake Forest University in North Carolina and holds Math/Science Professional Teaching Certificates Grades 6-12 in three states. She has a passion for Botany and enjoys sharing her knowledge in formal teaching environments as well as informally as she guides trips into the backcountry year round.

Jennifer Rose
Jennifer Rose is a 29 year resident of Crested Butte who has spent most of her time here wandering around this beautiful valley. As a wife, mother of a beautiful 11 year old, business owner and CBLT Board member, she is a very active member of this community. Come and share some of her enthusiasm for the wildflowers and nature of this exquisite valley.

Donna Rozman
As a popular workshop leader, Donna offers a fun and stimulating workshop for all levels. Donna is a full time potter who maintains a studio in Crested Butte, Colorado. She earned an MFA from Kansas State University. She exhibits her work nationally and internationally, and has taught numerous workshops. Besides being an accomplished ceramist, Donna is a gifted instructor. She enjoys working with students from beginner to advanced and inspires each to enjoy the process. In Crested Butte you can see Donna’s work at Rijks Family Gallery, 310 Second Street.

Jannette Runge
A 32 year-resident of Crested Butte, has been taking photographs for 15 years. Jannette’s photographs have been published in Sports Afield Magazine, Colorado Board Calendar, Crested Butte Magazine, Treasure magazine, San Louis Valley Magazine, and many other regional publications. She was the 1991 and 2005 Wildflower Festival poster contest winner. Jannette has taught photo seminars with Alan Rokach’s New York Center for Nature Photography since 1991. Alan is the senior staff photographer for southern Living magazine. Other nationally known photographers, JC Leacock and Jim Steinberg have honored Jannette by introducing her as one of the best wildflower photographers in the nation. Her photographs can be viewed at www.photoprints.com. "Jan is a real pro and a good, very good teacher."   -Participant

Ruth Runge-Barnes
Ruth has always had a love of Nature with a special appreciation for wildflowers. Ruth was a Volunteer Naturalist for Boulder County Parks and Open space for six years, specializing in wildflower walks. She has a background in Graphic Design and Art History. Ruth enjoys hiking, gardening, and gourmet cooking.

Marcie Telander
Marcie is a local psychotherapist, writer and nationally acclaimed storyteller. Her interest in the Rocky Mountain wetlands has been stimulated through her amateur gardening in the unique part of the Rockies as well as ecological advocacy for the protection of fragile wetland micro-systems. Marcie's yard has been designated as a National Wildlife Federation Backyard Sanctuary.
"Marcie is a Crested Butte treasure!"   -Participant, 2004.

Sandra West
Sandra and her husband, Mike, own and operate TLC Garden Services to share their love of gardening. Sandra quit her 14-year career as an environmental geologist in 2006 to play in other people's yards. During past festivals, it has been suggested that, with their love of Crested Butte, combined with their knowledge of rocks and flowers, they should teach a class!

Nancy Wicks
Nancy Wicks grew up in Iowa surrounded by industrial agriculture; she did a study abroad in Nepal during college and learned about subsistence farming and then learned the basics of organic gardening in Santa Cruz, California. She moved to the East River Valley in 1992 and established Round Mountain Organics to supply local and nutritious produce to the Crested Butte and Gunnison residents. Nancy started out at Round Mountain living in a yurt for four years, and then moved into the first straw bale house in Gunnison County. In 2000 she had a 2,700 square foot year-round greenhouse built. All the structures on the farm receive their electricity from solar photovoltaic panels and a wind generator. A solar thermal heating system was incorporated into the existing in-floor heating system of the house in 2006. After only six months of operation the solar heating system cut Nancy's propane bill in half!

In 2002 Nancy founded Round Mountain Institute, Inc., a 501c3 non-profit organization to facilitate the hands-on learning of sustainable agriculture, alternative building and renewable energy. Tours are always available and classes on high-altitude gardening and sustainable living are taught through Western State College's Extended Studies program. Children between the ages of 5 and 10 enjoy the farm at Round Mountain Day Camps throughout the summer months. To learn more and see the current schedule of event, please visit www.roundmountain.org.

Debbie Whittaker
Debbie Whittaker, the Herb Gourmet, is a culinary herbalist, garden writer, Certified Colorado Gardener and Laugh Yoga instructor. Her articles have appeared in numerous publications including Colorado Gardener, Herb Companion, Herbs for Health and can be viewed under cooking and gardening at frontrangeliving.com and under viola chef at americanvioletsociety.org. She is the former Public Programs Manager for Denver Botanic Gardens. In addition to lecturing and health and wellness consulting, she is offering herbal trips, tours and retreats for women and couples in Denver, Santa Fe, Ojo Caliente, Glenwood Springs, the Mandala Center, Capulin, NM and Lucca, Tuscany, Italy, with other destinations in the works. For more information email herbgourmet@gmail.com.

Sherrie York
Printmaker, painter, and draughtswoman Sherrie York is an accomplished artist with an international reputation for lyrical and expressive works on paper. York, who has had her work displayed in venues as diverse as The Museo Nacional de Ciencias in Madrid, Spain and the Creede Arts Council Gallery in Creede, Colorado, focuses primarily on natural history subjects, including wildlife. Among her many exhibition credits are invitational and juried shows at The Wildlife Art Gallery, Lavenham, Suffolk, England; Hiram Blauvelt Museum, Oradell, New Jersey; Zeist Castle, Zeist, Netherlands; the Natural History Museum of London; Christie’s - South Kensington, London, England; and the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum- Wausau, Wisconsin. She has also been selected to participate in international artists’ projects organized by the Artists for Nature Foundation of Bruinehaar, Netherlands.

An interest in art did not develop for Sherrie until late in high school. She grew up on Colorado’s Front Range, and attended college in Nebraska, where she graduated with a degree in education. Although Sherrie continues to use the teaching skills she garnered during those years, it was her drawing professor’s insistence that they work from life that would ultimately shape her artistic career. A college afternoon spent drawing the neighbor’s chickens would be the seed that became her first international success nearly ten years later, when her watercolor, "Salmon faverolles" was accepted in the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum’s annual "Birds in Art" exhibition and accessioned into the museum’s permanent collection.

Sherrie came late to her natural history interest, as well. After college she began what would ultimately be decades-long associations with conservation organizations, particularly the Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory and the National Audubon Society, for which she has exercised her abilities as artist, writer, designer, and educator. Today she is in demand as an illustrator for educational and interpretive materials: her clients include the Colorado Division of Wildlife, Trout Unlimited, Gold Belt Scenic Byway Association, Bureau of Land Management, and the US Fish and Wildlife Service.