Matt Hallahan
he/him
Conservation Field Specialist Americorps Member 
matt.hallahan@audubon.org 
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Matt grew up in Washington and gained his love for the outdoors through years of backpacking in the Cascades and the Olympic mountains. He moved to Minnesota for school, and in 2021 he graduated from St Olaf College with a B.A. in environmental science. With a goal to help others begin their journeys of connection to nature, he embarked on a year as a naturalist leading education programs on the north shore of Lake Superior. His interest in birds was sharpened by an internship spent learning to present with hawks and owls to visiting school groups. As a recent migrant to Vermont, he is excited by the abundance of wild turkeys and peregrine falcons that one can encounter here. Now living in Winooski, he enjoys both the proximity of city conveniences as well as the many readily accessible natural spaces. Matt loves skiing and mountain biking and expects to feel like a Vermont native in no time. Matt finished up his AmeriCorps term with us in early fall 2023 and moved on to another AmeriCorps opportunity with the Catamount Trails Association as their Outreach & Youth Program Coordinator. 

Jacob is a lifelong outdoors person who grew up hunting and fishing in the hills of Jericho, VT. His interest in birds, birding, and conservation took root in middle school, but it wasn’t until his freshman year, as a Wildlife and Fisheries Biology undergraduate student at the University of Vermont (UVM), that his passion and curiosity really began to reach for the skies. In the spring of 2022, Jacob graduated from UVM with a B.S. in Wildlife Biology and minors in Forestry and Geospatial Technologies (GIS) and spent the summer of 2022 working as the Forest Conservation Intern with Audubon Vermont. He then returned from fall 2022-summer 2023 to serve as Audubon Vermont's Community Science and Chapter Engagement Member. The former Chair of the Communications Committee, Jacob volunteers his time as a board member with the Green Mountain Audubon Society and as a regional eBird.org checklist reviewer for Chittenden County, VT. A naturalist at heart, Jacob loves to learn about all organisms and while birds and trees are his areas of expertise, you may also find him in the field looking for amphibians, fish, moths, butterflies, and syrphids (flower or hover flies). Jacob is grateful for the opportunity to share his passions and knowledge with landowners around the state this summer and to promote forest management practices that keep birds and healthy forests in mind.

Samantha grew up having a deep curiosity for all things outside, from gathering an expansive rock collection in her backyard to creating “potions” with natural materials. Her love of being outdoors was deepened by the summers she spent working on organic farms and CSA’s in Pennsylvania and upstate New York. She went on to attend SUNY Plattsburgh where she obtained a degree in environmental science, as well as minors in cultural anthropology and environmental planning. Currently residing in Plattsburgh, New York she takes full advantage of recreating in the Adirondack Park and enjoys forging, hiking, and cycling.

Ciara decided when she was ten that she would be an environmentalist when she grew up and luckily for us their path has led them to Audubon Vermont. Hailing originally from New Jersey, Ciara came up to Vermont in 2016 to attend the University of Vermont, where she studied Environmental Studies and Human Development and Family Studies. Ciara first joined Audubon Vermont while she was still in school. She started as an education intern in January 2020 and continued through the pandemic until May 2021. Not feeling like her time here was done yet, Ciara stayed on as summer camp staff in the summer of 2021 and then started her time as our Environmental Education and Outreach AmeriCorps member this past September. Ciara is excited about continuing her time here and looks forward to further immersing herself in the education programs.

Sarah is Vermont’s Climate Watch coordinator, a nationwide community science program in which volunteers monitor an area for target bird species and collect data that can help ornithologists understand how birds are responding to climate change and shifting their ranges. She also is a certified Local Phenology Leader through Nature’s Notebook, a community science project that tracks the timing of life cycle events for plants and birds. 

Sarah describes themself as an amateur naturalist with a desire to sponge up as much knowledge about the natural world as possible. They are excited to be back at Audubon Vermont working to provide opportunities for high school and college-aged youth around the state to engage in environmental conservation.

Rae (she/her) grew up in Massachusetts, spending her days exploring her backyard and the local trails by her house. She came to Vermont in 2015 to finish her undergraduate degree at the University of Vermont in Environmental Studies, and has been here ever since then. As an Audubon Vermont intern she helped to create a climate change education framework as her senior UVM Capstone Project. After graduating in 2017 Rae served at Audubon Vermont as the Education and Outreach AmeriCorps member for two years. At the conclusion of her Americorps terms, Rae joined the Audubon Vermont team full-time in a new position, Youth Conservation Leadership Coordinator. During her time in this position, Rae coordinated a host of programs for students 14-21+. Rae started a new, grant-funded program called the Junior Conservation Technician Program aimed at providing a paid opportunity for high school students to learn about conservation career paths through hands-on projects. Rae had since left Audubon and is pursuing a career as a high school science teacher. 

Emily is from Connecticut, but has been in Vermont for the past 6 years has been at Audubon Vermont as a Seasonal Educator, AmeriCorps member, and now Lead Educator.  She graduated in May 2016 with a Bachelor's of Science degree in Biology from Dickinson College and came on as our first Americorps Member after working as a summer camp educator. Emily earned her Masters Degree in Early Childhood Education at Champlain College in July 2022. Emily loves to learn from nature and understands the importance on hands-on learning. If Emily could be one animal for the rest of her life she would be a sea otter.