2026 Speakers and Workshop Leaders
2026 Speakers and Workshop Leaders
Read about the 15th annual Yampa Valley Crane Festival speakers, workshop leaders, bird walk leaders and more.
Keynote Speaker
Anne Lacy – Vice President of North America Programs, International Crane Foundation
Anne grew up in Madison, leaving to attend college in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. She received a B.A. in Psychology (1991) and returned to get a B.S. in Biology (1994). After working various jobs while taking graduate level Geographic Information Systems courses at the University of South Carolina, Anne was accepted to the graduate program in Biology at the University of Minnesota-Duluth. After finishing coursework in Duluth in 2000, Anne accepted an internship at ICF, while also finishing her thesis.
After completion of her M.S., Anne accepted a full-time position at ICF as a research associate in the Field Ecology Department (now the North America Program), working on an ongoing long-term study of Sandhill Cranes. She began working with the ongoing Whooping Crane reintroduction in 2009, to study the ecology of the newly reintroduced population in Wisconsin. In April of 2026, she took on the role of Vice President for the North America Program, overseeing several program areas; Sandhill Cranes in Working Landscapes, Whooping Crane Reintroduction, Gulf Coast Whooping Cranes, and Whooping Cranes in the Central Flyway.
Additional Speakers
Noah Strycker
Called a “Travel Pioneer” by the BBC and “Birdman of Razzmatazz” by Newsweek, Noah Strycker is a writer, photographer, and bird man based in Eugene, Oregon. In 2015, during a quest spanning 41 countries and all seven continents, he set a world record by finding 6,042 species of birds (more than half the world’s total) in one calendar year. He has written several bestselling books, including Birding Without Borders, and is Associate Editor of Birding magazine. Noah also guides in the polar regions for Quark Expeditions, literally spreading the joy of birds from pole to pole.
Ted Floyd
Ted Floyd is the longtime Editor of Birding magazine and the author of many essays, articles, and books about birds and nature. Ted and his family have been involved with the Yampa Valley Crane Festival since the festival’s inception, and he’s looking forward to watching cranes and other wildlife with you again in 2026!
Sandra Noll & Erv Nichols
Sandra Noll and Erv Nichols have traveled extensively sharing their skills as naturalists, photographers, lecturers and interpretive guides in a wide variety of Fish and Wildlife Refuges, National Parks, Audubon Centers and other conservation areas. They have a special connection with Sandhill Cranes and have been featured speakers and guides at Crane Festivals in New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado and Nebraska.
Van Graham
Van is a retired Wildlife Biologist who spent his entire working career with the Colorado Division of Wildlife (CDOW; now Colorado Parks and Wildlife). Van planned, coordinated, and implemented numerous programs for CDOW including the Recovery Plan for the Greater Sandhill Crane. He has extensive experience working with the Greater Sandhill Crane population in Colorado and has presented papers and talks on this topic at conferences and birding festivals throughout the state. He is currently working on a book that catalogs and discusses Native American Sandhill Crane rock art. From 2005- 2016, Van also served as a board member of the Colorado West Land Trust. Van joined the CCCC board of directors in 2014 and is now actively engaged as an Emeritus Board Director
Meg Karschner
Megan Karschner joined Colorado Crane Conservation Coalition as executive director in April 2024. Meg has lived and worked in the Yampa Valley for the past 15 years, promoting sustainability through education and other nonprofit, community-based efforts. Meg comes to CCCC after serving as an adjunct faculty member for Sustainability Studies at Colorado Mountain College. Previously, Megan taught at Steamboat Montessori and served both as a Naturalist and as the Director of Youth Programs for Yampatika. A graduate of Colorado Mountain College’s Outdoor Education and Sustainability Studies programs, Megan earned a master’s degree from Western Colorado University in Environmental Management, with a focus on building sustainable and resilient communities.
Over the years Megan has worked as a professional tutor, instructing college students in topics such as sustainability, biology, ecology, and environmental science. She has served as a 4-H leader, taught beekeeping workshops, provided educational and service-learning programming at the Bear Park Permaculture Center, and created a business, Meg’s Eggs, that sells eggs, honey, and jam to consumers.
Lily Svoboda
Lily grew up in Granby, Colorado and moved to the Yampa Valley in 2020 to study at Colorado Mountain College. She earned a BS in Ecosystem Science and Stewardship and an Occupational Proficiency Certificate in GIS. For her Capstone Project, she studied Shiras moose behavior and habitat near high intensity winter recreation in the upper Yampa River Valley. While living in the Yampa Valley, Lily has worked as an intern for Yampa Valley Sustainability Council, a Day Camp Counselor for Totally Kids, and as a Wildlife Technician and Winter Ranger for the Forest Service. In her free time Lily enjoys hiking, camping, photography, reading, and beekeeping.
Workshop Leaders
Julie Arington
Julie Arington grew up with bird-watching parents in rural Southern Illinois, going on to earn a B.S. in Biology with a focus on Wildlife Biology from Murray State University. Following various field research roles nationwide, she began her career with Colorado State Parks (now Colorado Parks and Wildlife) in 1999. Julie recently retired after serving as the Park Manager at Steamboat Lake and Pearl Lake State Parks since 2006, where she successfully oversaw operations, recreation, facilities, and natural resource conservation.
Joanne Orce
Joanne was voted Best of the Boat Artist 2023 and designed the 2023 SSWSC Winter Carnival poster. Joanne attended Pratt Art Institute in Manhattan for illustration. She has paintings in collections around the world and welcomes commissions.
Joanne is also a mom to 3 children and an athletic coach.
Sue Riffe
Sue Riffe is the owner of She Flew Birding Tours, a Colorado-based birding company. With over 30 years of birding and 20 years as a band director, Sue has some unique skills in teaching bird sounds. She also is an avid bird sound recordist with over 2,000 published bird sounds that have been used in presentations, documentaries, and short films. With over 14,000 eBird checklists, Sue is ready to help you hear—and understand—nature’s symphony in a whole new way.
Rebecca Weiss
As a birding guide, naturalist, and writer based in Aspen, Colorado, the Roaring Fork Valley has been Rebecca Weiss’ primary birding patch. She has been engaging with birders for more than 15 years through the Aspen Center for Environmental Studies where she particularly enjoys helping to facilitate novice birders’ budding interest as it catches fire. Rebecca is author of Birds of Aspen and the Roaring Fork Valley, a guidebook that brings local birds into focus in a format designed to appeal to everyone from the bird-curious to seasoned birders. She has also written articles and content for trailside interpretive signs pertaining to birds and their habitats, and conducted bird banding, ornithological and botanical field work, and natural history education. Rebecca currently serves on Colorado Field Ornithologists’ Board of Directors.
Belle Zars
Belle Zars is an independent researcher and historian. She grew up in and around Hayden, Colorado, the granddaughter of local homesteaders and later ranchers, Ferry Carpenter and Eunice Pleasant Carpenter. She has long been fascinated with the experience and practice of belonging in community. She holds a doctorate from Harvard University where she wrote her dissertation on the Elkhead School and district consolidation. Her love of this place evolved and grew into her book, Only Connect, which explores the human presence and sense of community in this contested landscape. Routt County, and in particular, the Elkhead area north of Hayden, is her stammplatz – her usual place in the world and where her roots are deep and wide.
Cindy Wither
Stevi Quate
While growing up, I had two dreams: to become a ballerina or to teach. Teaching won out. Most of the 25 years that I spent in the classroom were in a suburb north of Denver. My love was teaching students how to write and how to see themselves as writers.
Little did I know that I would become a published writer myself. A few years ago, my colleague, John McDermott, and I wrote Clock Watchers and The Just Right Challenge. In addition, my published writing includes a short story, multiple journal articles, and a few chapters about professional development for teachers.
I never imagined that I would leave the classroom, but when I was encouraged to be the literacy coordinator at Colorado Department of Education (CDE), I thought I would give it a try. At the same time, I co-directed Colorado Writing Project. During this time, I was president of CLAS (Colorado Language Arts Society) and a few years later president of CCIRA (Colorado Council on International Reading Association). After CDE, I moved to the teacher education program at the University of Colorado at Denver. Since I officially retired from UCD, I’ve worked as a staff developer with PEBC (Public Education and Business Coalition), a consultant with international schools, and facilitator of workshops focused on writing.
At this point, you won’t find me in a school but working on my own writing, getting lost in a book, or finding a new place to hike.
Jeremiah Psiropoulos
Jeremiah Psiropoulos is a wildlife biologist with 15 years of experience. He also is the owner and operator of Colorado Grouse Tours, a bird guiding business based in Hayden, CO, and an ornithology lecturer and expedition guide in the Arctic and Antarctica. Originally from Oregon, he now lives on his family’s ranch north of Hayden, along with his wife Emily, her mother Penny, and their dogs, Cricket and Riley.
Liz Leipold
Liz Leipold, MS OTR, C-IAYT, has a BS in Biology, MS in Occupational Therapy, and is a Certified Yoga Therapist. Liz teaches yoga for “Health and Wellness” to all ages and abilities in the Steamboat community. She interweaves science with an emphasis on education, health, and having fun into classes as well as offering variations to postures and movements so that anyone can participate.
Liz began offering “Crane Yoga” early in the development of CCCC and loves supporting the Rocky Mountain Sandhill Cranes, as well as helping to educate others about these amazing birds and their environment. Come join Liz in an experiential “Crane Yoga” class focusing on the life, culture, body language, and dance of our beautiful Sandhill Cranes. Please bring a mat, blanket, or chair to sit on outside.
Nature’s Educators
Nature’s Educators is a 501c3 wildlife education program licensed by USFWS, USDA, and CPW. They travel the state and surrounding states to give an average of 1300-1600 educational presentations on wildlife each year. The organization was founded by Devin Jaffe in 2008 in Canon City, Colorado and has since expanded to be the largest wildlife outreach program in Colorado and largest raptor facility in the Rocky Mountain region. The organization is partnered with the Royal Gorge Bridge and Park in Canon City, Colorado to provide educational raptor presentations 7 days a week, 4-5 times a day, Memorial Day through Labor Day in the theater. They are currently planning to build a nature center, dedicated theater, and displays at the Royal Gorge Park.
Karen Vail
Chip Clouse
Bird Walk Leaders
Noah Strycker
Called a “Travel Pioneer” by the BBC and “Birdman of Razzmatazz” by Newsweek, Noah Strycker is a writer, photographer, and bird man based in Eugene, Oregon. In 2015, during a quest spanning 41 countries and all seven continents, he set a world record by finding 6,042 species of birds (more than half the world’s total) in one calendar year. He has written several bestselling books, including Birding Without Borders, and is Associate Editor of Birding magazine. Noah also guides in the polar regions for Quark Expeditions, literally spreading the joy of birds from pole to pole.
Ted Floyd
Ted Floyd is the longtime Editor of Birding magazine and the author of many essays, articles, and books about birds and nature. Ted and his family have been involved with the Yampa Valley Crane Festival since the festival’s inception, and he’s looking forward to watching cranes and other wildlife with you again in 2026!
Rebecca Weiss
Rebecca Weiss has been engaging with birders for more than 15 years through the Aspen Center for Environmental Studies where she particularly enjoys helping to facilitate novice birders’ budding interest as it catches fire. As a birding guide, naturalist and writer based in Aspen, Colorado, the Roaring Fork Valley has been her primary birding patch. Rebecca is author of Birds of Aspen and the Roaring Fork Valley, a guidebook that brings local birds into focus in a format designed to appeal to everyone from the bird-curious to seasoned birders. She has also written articles and content for trailside interpretive signs pertaining to birds and their habitats, and conducted bird banding, ornithological and botanical field work, and natural history education. Rebecca currently serves on Colorado Field Ornithologists’ Board of Directors.
Sue Riffe
Sue Riffe is the owner and guide of She Flew Birding Tours, a Colorado-based birding company. With over 30 years of birding and 20 years as a band director, Sue has some unique skills in teaching bird sounds. She is also an avid bird sound recordist with over 2,000 published bird sounds that have been used in presentations, documentaries, and short films. With over 14,000 eBird checklists, Sue is ready to help you hear – and understand – nature’s symphony in a whole new way.
Jeremiah Psiropoulos
Jeremiah Psiropoulos is a wildlife biologist with 15 years of experience. He is also the owner and operator of Colorado Grouse Tours, a bird guiding business based in Hayden, CO, and an ornithology lecturer and expedition guide in the Arctic and Antarctica. Originally from Oregon, he now lives on his family’s ranch north of Hayden, along with his wife Emily, her mother Penny, and their dogs, Cricket and Riley.
Forrest Luke
Forrest Luke has been a passionate birder for 40+ years (and yes, he is getting a little long in the tooth). He has lived in Craig for nearly 30 years and recently retired from a career in mined land reclamation and environmental permitting and compliance. He serves on the boards of the Colorado Field Ornithologists and Memorial Regional Health. He works as a part time bird guide, leading grouse and other bird tours around Colorado and adjacent states and has served as a regional compiler/editor for various bird-related organizations.
Lisa and Paul Williams
Lisa Williams moved to the Yampa Valley in 1968 and Paul Williams arrived 6 years later. Birding is second nature to Lisa. She has shared her enthusiasm with Paul and all others who go on walks and hikes with her. Paul helps her spot birds on walks while continuing to learn new identification techniques. Lisa enjoys sharing her knowledge with her fellow bird watchers and continues to try to master the challenge of identifying birds by listening to their songs. She co-led bird walks for over a decade, with Nancy Merrill, at the Nature Conservancy’s Carpenter Ranch property in Hayden. Paul enjoys being part of the support team when he participates on bird walks. He often joins the crane viewings for the early morning fly-ins. He’s in charge of bringing along the spotting scope which comes in handy when birds cooperate and sit long enough to be brought into focus. Both Lisa and Paul have been part of the Yampa Valley Birding Club, CCCC and the Crane Festival since their inception.
Bird Walk Special Assistants
Laurel Watson
Laurel Watson, curator of the Hayden Heritage Center Museum since 2010, will be assisting with the ‘History and Bird Walk’ at Mt Harris. She originally hails from the East Coast coming to the Valley over 30 years ago. She studied at Regis University obtaining a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Science with an emphasis on history and a minor in secondary education then went on to obtain a Master’s Degree in American History. She wrote the book Yampa Valley Sin Circuit and has written several articles for newspapers and magazines on local history topics. She has served on the Board of Historic Routt County and has taught at both Colorado Northwestern Community College and Colorado Mountain College. She is passionate about our local area history and is currently working on a book about the coal mining towns that no longer exist along Hwy 40 in West Routt County.
Entertainment
