Tedor Whitman

Tedor Whitman became Executive Director of the Cora Hartshorn Arboretum and Bird Sanctuary October, 2014. He has over 25 years of experience teaching and leading conservation programs across a wide range of U.S. ecosystems. Tedor’s strong record as an advocate and leader in environmental education focuses on building collaborations between conservation organizations and education institutions focusing particularly on integrated biology and increasing participatory means of connecting science and environmental issues with people’s everyday lives. Before joining the Arboretum Tedor was among other things the director of education for Zoo Miami and Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo, a high school biology teacher at the TERRA Environmental Research Center, and the director of Biological Stewardship at a large nature center in Westchester, NY. Tedor was also, for seven years, the director of education for the Wetlands Institute in Stone Harbor, NJ and is thrilled at being able to return to the Garden State. He attended the University of Pennsylvania and holds a bachelor’s in biology and a master’s in conservation biology. He and his wife, Marguerite, like to spend their free time outside arguing about bird watching strategies.

twhitman@hartshornarboretum.org

Cypress Dempsey

Being a nature enthusiast from a very young age led Cy to pursue a degree in Environmental Studies from King’s College, Pennsylvania. From there they had jobs as a nanny, private tutor, doing trail work and invasive species removal in California, and an Ambassador for the Passaic, Whippany, and Rockaway Watersheds in New Jersey. All of this ignited Cy’s love for teaching people about the environment. Cy believes that everyone can do something, no matter how small, to help the environment. They are excited to continue teaching and fostering lifelong environmental stewards of all ages here at CHA.

cdempsey@hartshornarboretum.org

Jackie Hartley

A native New Jerseyan with a BS in Biology from Seton Hall, Jackie is a veteran of the pharmaceutical research industry. After retiring, Jackie decided to look for volunteer opportunities that would satisfy her long standing desire to be involved with animals, environmental awareness and/or sustaining some of New Jersey’s dwindling natural spaces. Jackie stumbled upon the Arboretum in 2007 and fell instantly in love. An environmental center – with critters! Since then Jackie has participated in a variety of tasks ranging from assisting with environmental education classes, boat building with an outreach group, and caring for the Arboretum’s resident animals, as well as providing administrative support to the staff. Eventually it was decided Jackie should become a staff member since she obviously wasn’t going away. A avid tennis player, Jackie lives in Chatham with her best two- and four-legged buddies, Rick and Zeus.

Wendi Mulvey

Wendi joins the CHA after a decade working as a substitute teacher, mainly with preK through first grade students.  Prior to that, she was a humane educator at St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center.  Wendi learned a love for all creatures great and small from her grandparents. As a kid, Wendi read everything she could get her hands on about all kinds of animals and never missed an episode of Wild Kingdom. Now that she’s all grown up, she is proud to be a mom of 2 wonderful daughters; a 10 year volunteer educator/animal handler at Turtle Back Zoo; and an enthusiastic nature nerd at all times.

wmulvey@hartshornarboretum.org 

Shannyn Wilson

Shannyn Wilson comes to us after being an elementary school teacher working in schools in Cameroon and rural Montana. As a native New Jerseyan who grew up hiking, camping, and exploring National Parks across the country, she brings child-like wonder to birding and is the first one to notify us when a bird is nearby by saying “ooooh… bird”!  We especially appreciate her when she informs us that there is a “big bird.” Her ability to identify birds and native plants present on the Arboretum grounds is growing with every new day. We are excited for you all to meet her because, like us, she is definitely not a regular bird.

swilson@hartshornarboretum.org