Tom Aversa, Chair

Tom Aversa was born in Boston and graduated from University of Massachusetts, Amherst.  He has a life-long obsession with birds and all aspects of the natural world.  Early work experiences included stints with Massachusetts state parks, Massachusetts Audubon Society and both Boston zoos.  Tom relocated to Seattle in 1996 to work as a zookeeper and environmental educator presenting birds of prey programs at Woodland Park Zoo before moving back to New England in 2010 to settle in Central Maine.  His previous volunteer work includes assisting The Nature Conservancy, Washington Ornithological Society and Seattle Audubon.  He has co-authored three field guides on the birds of the Pacific Northwest .   He and his wife Cheryl live in Unity.

Jeff Guesman, Secretary

Jeff originally hails from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania although his formative years were in the greater Chicago area gaining an appreciation of nature with the Boy Scouts.  His parents relocated to Maine in 1973 where his love for the outdoors was firmly established.  He enjoys camping, kayaking, snowshoeing and snowmobiling, but particularly hiking the vast network of trails through Maine’s forests to its numerous lakes and mountain peaks.  In the spring, you’ll find Jeff and his wife and family setting taps in trees around their home to make maple syrup.  He recently joined SRLT as a land steward after retiring in 2016 from the U.S. military and related contractors after 39 years combined service in aviation maintenance, aircraft manufacturing and Human Resources/Labor Relations.   Jeff and his wife, Gail, have three adult children and have called Newport home for 32+ years.

Brandon Kulik, Vice Chair

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Brandon Kulik is a fisheries biologist and avid outdoorsman.  Brandon and his family live in Winslow.  A founding member of Sebasticook River Watershed Association, he joined the SRLT Board in 2011 following the merger of the two organizations.

Deborah Dutton

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Deb Dutton grew up in Waldo County and is currently a Unity resident.  She joined the Board of SRLT in 2009. Deb is interested in land conservation for the preservation of natural places as well as agricultural lands. “I like sitting in nature and watching it unfold around me.  It is the magic we miss if we allow ourselves to be distracted by the superficial.  If I can capture it with photography and bring awareness to the need to protect it, I can feel I have served a purpose.” Deb and her partner, Dave Smith, placed their land under conservation easement with the SRLT in 2007, keeping the land reserved for traditional activities like farming, responsibly managed forestry and recreation.  The Hills to Sea Trail, managed for public use by the Waldo County Trails Coalition, crosses the property.

Ellen Batchelder

Ellen is a Maine native who had plenty of access to the Maine outdoors growing up. After moving away from the state for college, graduate school, and post-doctoral research, she returned and is now an Associate Professor of Biology at Unity College, teaching courses in Introductory, Cell and Micro Biology.  As well as all the obvious benefits that diverse natural ecosystems have, Ellen appreciates the quietness of being in nature and hopes to help preserve that experience for others. She also enjoys being a connected part of the human community, and in addition to joining the SRLT Board in 2019,  she volunteers for several other local organizations.

Jennifer Clarke

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I have always had the goal of helping to preserve wildlands for wildlife, which matches the mission of the Sebasticook Regional Land Trust. Currently, I am a professor of Wildlife Biology at Unity College. Prior to coming to Unity in 2015, I was at Macquaire University, Sydney, Australia for 6 years teaching and researching behavior of endangered and threatened mammals. I was also a professor of Zoology for 20 years at the University of Northern Colorado, where my research focused on behavior of a variety of mammals plus ptarmigan and rattlesnakes. I firmly believe that education and experiences in the wild are critical in order for people to understand the importance of wild places and thus to act to preserve them.

Tom Mullin

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Tom joined the board of directors in the Spring 2020 and currently serves as Chair of the Outreach Committee.  He has been on the faculty of Unity College since 1999 as an Associate Professor of Parks and Forest Resources.  Land conservation and public engagement in protecting special places of natural, cultural and agricultural significance have long been of interest.  His prior work with the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, Hills to Sea Trail, National Association for Interpretation and the Maine Woods Forever Roundtable lends itself to assisting the SLRT take the next steps to even greater success.

Adrianna Bessenaire

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Adrianna grew up outside of Maine, but quickly found happiness in the small town of Unity after travelling as a wildlife technician throughout the country. For four years following graduation from Unity College with a Bachelor's in Wildlife Biology in 2016, Adri was involved in conservation and research of many species including Greater Sage Grouse, Spruce Grouse, North American Red Squirrel, White-tailed Deer, as well as various songbirds and waterfowl. Her passion for the outdoors, forestry, and wildlife habitat conservation rings true in her efforts to steward, discover, and protect wild lands for all species (including humans) to enjoy. She currently maintains seasonal positions with Inland Fisheries and Wildlife and Bureau of Parks and Lands.