Staff and Board

Scott Brinton
Co-founder/Executive Director

Scott has over nearly three decades of nature education experience. He has mentored hundreds of students in practical wilderness skills and nature awareness. He co-founded the Riekes Nature Studies Department in California, has taught Environmental Science for Peninsula College, and taught Islandwood’s graduate students in the Natural History and Ecology program. Most recently, Scott founded CedarRoot to help continue natural history and wilderness skills education. 

Scott is passionate about applying ecological lessons discovered in nature to areas of regenerative design, sustainable development and agroecology. Education: B.A. in Agriculture and Alternative Energy, The Evergreen State College; M.A. in Natural History and Education, Prescott College. Certifications: Current Wilderness First Responder and Level 3 Track and Sign certificate trackercertification.com

Tim Lawson
Board President

Tim moved to Port Townsend in 2004 and set up shop as a furniture maker. In 2007 he co-founded the Port Townsend School of Woodworking and in 2011 became the Executive Director. Since retiring in 2017, Tim continues to teach at the school and helps organize the annual Port Townsend Woodworkers Show.

In prior lives Tim worked as a field geologist in the UK, has done mineral exploration in NW Queensland and led software engineering teams in the UK, Japan, and the U.S.

Tim is Chairman of the Board of Managers for the Chimacum Ridge Community Forest and Vice President of Jefferson Land Trust. He is also a member of LEO (the League of Extraordinary Observers) that works to photograph and document conservation projects throughout Jefferson County.

Katy Bowman
Board Member

Katy moved to the Olympic Peninsula in 2011 and discovered CedarRoot school a few years later via a flier at the grocery store. After her young family took a weekend-long nature education class, she was all in on outdoor cooking, wildlife tracking, and making cordage. She served two years on the board of another nature school before joining the CedarRoot board in 2024. Professionally she is a biomechanist, founder of the movement education company Nutritious Movement as well as the author of many books on natural human movement. Personally she is a long-time CedarRoot parent, book-lover, and long-distance walker. When not speaking or writing on the importance of movement to the body, community, and environment, she is probably doing something with her kids, walking to get somewhere, or washing dishes.

Vanessa Castle
Board Member

Vanessa was born and raised in Port Angeles, WA on the Lower Elwha Reservation. She grew up fishing with her mother and witnessed the decline in salmon populations due to the two hydroelectric dams that were on the Elwha River. The Elwha dams were removed in the first ever and largest dam removal project in North America. For 5 years, Vanessa worked for the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe as a Natural Resource technician where she braided her traditional ecological knowledge with Western scientific practices. Now, she is pushing on to pursue her education to back her traditional knowledge with Western science. 

Vanessa’s goal is to continue to fight for the lands, waters and all living things.

Phoebe Reid
Board Member

Phoebe was born and raised in Port Townsend and started attending CedarRoot nature studies programs as a teenager. She worked as a backpacking guide with youth and adults in Washington, Montana and Alaska before completing her undergraduate degree in environmental studies - with a passion for ecopsychology. Phoebe spent the past 6 years at the Wilderness Awareness School as a student, apprentice, and then full time instructor for their flagship 9-month Immersion program, teaching wildlife tracking, survival skills, leadership, and plant studies. She returned to Port Townsend in June 2025 to work for the local Economic Development Council in finance and program management while also completing her MBA. She is passionate about catching songs, tracking animals, and scout skills. 

Michelle Fox
Program Coordinator

Michelle moved here from SW Washington and is now settled on the Olympic Peninsula and working for CedarRoot as Program Coordinator and lead instructor for Saplings. She is most at home in the forest and is finding a deep love for the Salish Sea. She founded TreeSong, a nature education nonprofit in SW Washington (much like CedarRoot!), and spent ten years there as director and lead youth instructor. Michelle is delighted to continue her heartwork of supporting people of all ages into deeper connection with the natural world.

Jadyne Reichner
Superstar Volunteer!

Jadyne has a long history with CedarRoot:  founding board member, instructor and advocate for a strong educational program that mentors adults and children in life skills that embrace their local biome. She is continuing her support of CedarRoot as an outreach volunteer… always ready to spread the good news about our school.   

Jadyne followed 25 years of teaching Biology and Science in Washington with several other careers.