Meet the Experts

Dave Andrusyk is a naturalist at Fullersburg Woods Nature Education Center in Oak Brook. He brings a wealth of knowledge about natural-areas management and geographic information systems to his more than 20-year career with the agency. He is a Certified Interpretive Guide by the National Association for Interpretation. He enjoys teaching about fossils, plants and geocaching, especially to Boy Scouts.  

Dennis Buck is a heritage interpreter at Kline Creek Farm in West Chicago. He enjoys teaching about American and Illinois histories, with nearly 25 years of experience. He earned a B.S. in history and M.A. in history museum studies.

Lisa Carpenter is a heritage farming program coordinator at Kline Creek Farm in West Chicago. She earned a B.A. in English and history and M.A. in American Studies. 

Adam Carlson is a senior ranger with the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County, where he has worked for five years. He is a Certified Interpretive Guide by the National Association for Interpretation and certified to teach archery and kayaking to forest preserve patrons. He earned a B.A. in environmental law and public policy.

Abby Dean is a naturalist at Fullersburg Woods Nature Education Center in Oak Brook. She enjoys teaching about ecology, zoology, botany, biology and geology. She is a Certified Interpretive Guide by the National Association for Interpretation. She earned a B.S. in outdoor recreation and resource management. 

Jessi DeMartini is the research center coordinator at the Urban Stream Research Center at the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County. She brings 25 years of natural sciences experience to her profession and 15 years teaching about habitat restoration, stream ecosystems and macroinvertebrates, including freshwater mussels. She earned a B.S. in biology, RN and art degrees, and certification as a naturalist.

Matt Denhart is an agricultural specialist at Kline Creek Farm in West Chicago, and has worked for the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County for 15 years. He works with the farm’s draft horses and drives the team for hay-wagon and sleigh rides. He earned an associate degree in recreation and wildlife management. 

Keriann Dubina is a naturalist at Fullersburg Woods Nature Education Center in Oak Brook. She enjoys teaching about freshwater biology, animal behavior, ecology, native gardening and design and also instructing teachers on STEM and professional-development opportunities. She is a Certified Interpretive Guide by the National Association for Interpreters and a master naturalist. She earned a B.S. in zoology and M.S. in biology (ornithology), both from Western Illinois University.

Debbi Gayon is the manager of natural sciences education at Fullersburg Woods Nature Education Center in Oak Brook, where she has worked for nearly 25 years. She enjoys teaching forest preserve patrons about native gardening and formal educators about natural history and resources. She holds a B.S. in pre-med zoology and botany and a master’s certification in leadership studies and ethics.

Carmen Guerrero is a heritage interpreter at Kline Creek Farm in West Chicago, where she has worked for 15 years. She enjoys teaching English and history and holds specialized certifications in Type 09 secondary education with middle-school social studies endorsement. She earned a B.S. in psychology and English. 

Jim Intihar is an aquatic technician at the Urban Stream Research Center at the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County. He brings nearly 10 years of experience in natural sciences to teaching about native freshwater mussels, mussel propagation and aquaculture.  He earned a B.S. in biology from Northern Illinois University and certification as a burn crew member.

Jay Johnson is the manager of site operations at the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County where he has worked for nearly 35 years. His love for the outdoors comes across when teaching programs about outdoor recreation and natural-areas management. He instructs others on prescribed burns and river rescue as part of the Chicago Wilderness partnership. He enjoys working with special-needs audiences. He earned a B.S. in forestry.

Leigh Korreck is a naturalist at Willowbrook Wildlife Center in Glen Ellyn. She works as part of a team that helps to educate forest preserve patrons about native wildlife and rehabilitate nearly 9,000 orphaned and injured animals each year at the center. She is also a Certified Interpretive Guide by the National Association for Interpretation. She enjoys teaching about biology, zoology, animal husbandry and behavioral management.

Joe Limpers is an aquatic technician at the Urban Stream Research Center at the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County. He brings nearly 10 years of experience in natural sciences to teaching about native freshwater mussels, mussel propagation and aquaculture.  He earned a B.S. in zoology from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale.

Keith McClow is the manager of heritage education at Kline Creek Farm in West Chicago.  With more than 20 years of experience in living history at the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County, he enjoys teaching late 19th-century and U.S. histories. He earned a B.S. in management and M.A. in historical administration. 

Glenn Perricone is the STEM and school outreach coordinator at Fullersburg Woods Nature Education Center in Oak Brook. He enjoys teaching natural history through hands-on experiences and you’ll often see him at STEM events or student-engagement fairs. He has a B.A. in biology and is working towards his M.A. in biology with a focus on community-based conservation and experiential learning.

Krystle Piwowar is a naturalist at Willowbrook Wildlife Center in Glen Ellyn. She has worked not only as a ranger at the Forest Preserve District but also as a veterinary technician at the wildlife center. She enjoys teaching about native wildlife, and she is knowledgeable in animal-behavior management, wildlife biology and zoology. She is a Certified Interpretive Guide by the National Association for Interpreters. She earned a B.A. in biology from Trinity Christian College.

Michael Shannon is an assistant manager of site operations at the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County. He not only organizes outdoor recreational programs for forest preserve patrons but also delivers archery instruction. He is certified in wildfire management and conducts training for prescribed burns and herbicide application. He earned a degree in environmental studies.

David Sima is a senior ranger with the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County. With nearly 30 years of outdoor recreational experience, he is certified in archery and kayaking and enjoys leading cast-iron cooking programs. He earned a B.S. in forestry from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. 

Kendra Strubhart is a heritage interpreter at Mayslake Peabody Estate in Oak Brook. She holds certifications in museum studies and methods of interpretation and is a Certified Interpretive Guide by the National Association for Interpretation. She enjoys history and fine art.