Staff

Meet the Greenburgh Nature Center Team!

Senior Staff
Alix Dunn, Executive Director

Originally a Westchester County native, Alix spent over two decades in California working to protect and enhance the coastal and marine environment.  She spent many years as the President and CEO of Santa Monica based Heal the Bay, a non-profit dedicated to protecting the Santa Monica Bay and LA County coastal waters.  She also worked in a public/private partnership with California State Parks in Newport Beach at Crystal Cove Conservancy.

During her roles as an environmental advocate, leader and educator, Alix’s focus has been inspiring the next generation to share her passion for protecting our natural world. Alix and her husband re-located back to Westchester in 2019.  While exploring her community, her trips to the Greenburgh Nature Center sparked a desire to get involved professionally, and to bring her knowledge and background to a local organization that is a treasured resource in the community.

As Executive Director, Alix is responsible for overall management, operations, fundraising and organizational structure. She receives guidance and works closely with the organization’s Board of Directors to ensure the strategic vision and mission of the organization is achieved.

Alix graduated with a BA in Political Science from California State University, Northridge and earned a Certificate in Non-Profit Leadership from Stanford University Graduate School of Business.

Travis Brady, Director of Operations and Facilities

Having relocated to NY from the deep south over 20 years ago, Travis’ southern twang still comes through when sharing his passion for science and wildlife. With a BS in Animal Science and Masters’ certificate in Animal Behavior & Conservation, Travis’s career and personal pastimes are well crafted for the purpose of reversing the dis-connect between people and nature. He has been the Animal Curator, Director of Education and currently helps guide the direction and coordination of the Nature Center through his role as Director of Operations & Facilities. 

During his 17 years at Greenburgh Nature Center, Travis has taught and mentored thousands of people including children, college students, adults, colleagues, and other industry professionals. When not at the Greenburgh Nature Center, Travis can be found with his wife and two kids often searching for wild animals and wild places. 

Marybeth Cagney, Director of Finance & Administration

Marybeth’s interest in volunteering in her local community brought her to the Nature Center in 2020. She joins our team after having spent the bulk of her career working in the Financial Services industry. Marybeth graduated with a BBA in Finance from St. Bonaventure University and an MBA in Finance from Fordham University. As the Director of Finance & Administration she is responsible with financial record keeping and creating and implementing a budget for each department.

When she’s not working, Marybeth enjoys skiing, hiking, and cooking with her family. She can also be found rooting her daughter on from the sidelines at one of her lacrosse games. Marybeth’s favorite Nature Center animals are Polly, the Painted Turtle and Nova the bunny.

Greg Wechgelaer, Director of Education 

Greg’s journey with the Greenburgh Nature Center began in his childhood when his Grandmother introduced him to Nature Storytime in the 1980’s. Years later, while pursuing his Environmental Science degree at SUNY Oneonta, his Grandmother once again guided him towards the Nature Center for an internship. Since then, Greg has held various roles and currently serves as the Director of Education and resident Apiarist. His responsibilities include managing and mentoring the education team, creating the vision behind our environmental programs, teaching those programs, and acting as one of the stewards of our 33 acre preserve.

Greg spends most of his free time in the Lake George region of upstate New York, and is a lifelong camper, hiker, fisherman, canoer, skier, and all around outdoor enthusiast. As a special note, the Greenburgh Nature Center is also where Greg met his wife; who was the intern coordinator and the person who hired him in 2008. Years later they were married, surrounded not only by friends and family, but also some of the nature center animals, including Bigfoot, Elvis, and Shadow.

Staff  

Sailor Abel, Naturalist Educator

Sailor joined the Greenburgh Nature Center in the fall of 2022 as a Naturalist Educator. In 2021, she graduated from University of Vermont with a BS in Environmental Studies with a focus on nutrition and food. She is very passionate about food and finding ways to create healthy ecosystems for food to grow. Sailor is responsible with teaching programs and is a pivotal part of our education staff.

Sailor is excited to be working at the Nature Center and loves to teach people of all ages about animals and the environment. When Sailor is not spending time outside or inside with the animals she loves to cook new recipes and watch her favorite movies.

Noah Brennan, Naturalist Educator and Sustainability Coordinator

Noah has been part of the Nature Center staff since the summer of 2018. He holds an MA in Environmental Studies and Policy from Pace University. His role as the Sustainability Coordinator is to manage all of our sustainable operations at the Nature Center.  He is also one of our educators with interests in animal and human interactions, food systems, and sustainability.

His favorite part of being an educator is working with and alongside our volunteers who he enjoys learning from every day. In his free time, Noah enjoys cooking, going to concerts, and reading books on philosophy.

Chloe DiGianni, Program Booking Coordinator

Chloe joined the Nature Center in 2021 as the Program Booking Coordinator. She graduated from Mercy College with a BS in Media Studies. Like many other staff members, Chloe grew up visiting the Nature Center and after graduating college, decided to become part of the team. As the Program Booking Coordinator, she is responsible with booking programs, like birthday parties, class trips, and Back to Nature Programs.

Outside of the office, Chloe loves taking videos and photos at her favorite concerts and spending time with her dog.

Serena Feldman, GroundsKeeper

Serena joined the Nature Center team as the GroundsKeeper in Spring 2022, a few months after graduating from Binghamton University where she received a BS in Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, as well as a BA in English Literature and Creative Writing. As the Groundskeeper, Serena is responsible for creating and maintaining a healthy ecosystem for our native wildlife and plants to thrive in, which she gets to do daily through invasive species management and native plantings.

Serena has also been introducing research projects with our Ecology and Conservation Interns to take full advantage of our wonderful, protected green space! When she’s not staring at trees or bugs, Serena loves to spend time with her rabbit, Rudy, read, and try new foods.

Niall Fitzgerald, NAturalist Educator

Niall FitzGerald received a BA In Environmental Science from Stonehill College in 2019. As a Naturalist Educator, he teaches environmental programs and takes care of our animal collection to make sure that they are living happy and healthy lives. Additionally, he is also working towards becoming a certified herpetologist. 

Niall loves all animals, with some of the reptiles we have on display being amongst his favorites. Niall looks forward to introducing people of all ages to the wonderful wildlife that call this planet home with an emphasis on the animals that people are afraid of. In his free time, Niall enjoys playing sports, fishing and going into the woods looking for wildlife. 

Laura Griffin, Naturalist Educator

Laura joined the Nature Center as a camp counselor in the summer of 2022, and we think she found the experience of working here too good to leave! Laura graduated FIT with a BFA. As a Naturalist Educator, she teaches guests all about the animals we have on display and helps lead our popular program, “Mother Nature’s Storytime.” She has also been a lifelong lover of animals and educating future stewards of the environment so she felt immediately at home at the Nature Center.

Laura loves sharing her passion for art and animals with anyone interested in learning. In her free time you can find her working on different art projects, reading, or playing her favorite video games.

Madeline Kraus, Receptionist

Maddy joined the Nature Center in 2017, after visiting a cousin who was working the front desk at the time. She instantly fell in love with the mission and beauty of the preserve, becoming a volunteer shortly after. Since then, she has held a seasonal position as a summer camp counselor, and in the fall of ’21 began working reception. She is currently studying at a local university.

In her free time she enjoys hiking, birdwatching, watching movies and cooking. She even heads a group of birdwatchers on staff!

David’s interest in animals led him to discover the Nature Center. He graduated from Ramapo College of New Jersey in 2019 with a degree in Communications and a concentration in Public Speaking. His communication skills make him a great Naturalist Educator here at the Nature Center. This role entails instilling a deeper connection to nature among our visitors through engaging them in impactful educational programs. He helps ensure a safe and healthy environment for all the animals that we are lucky enough to have with us here at the Nature Center. 

When he’s not working, David enjoys spending time with his cat, Gustavo, and African Bullfrog, Rusty. He enjoys listening to music, mainly hip-hop/rap, while driving to visit his friends down at the Jersey Shore. David grew up at the Shore and loves spending as much time near the ocean as possible. 

Becca, a graduate of SUNY Maritime College, joined the Nature Center in September 2023 as the Volunteer Coordinator/ Assistant to the Collections Manager. Becca’s affiliation with the Nature Center started during her childhood when she would frequently visit the Nature Center. Today, she is in charge of overseeing the volunteer workers here as well as assisting our Manager of Living Collections by taking care of the many animals that we have on the grounds. 

Becca has a love for animals and the arts. In her free time, she enjoys painting, going to the gym, and exploring New York City with friends. 

Winnie Lin, Junior Accountant

Winnie joined the Finance team in September 2022, as a Junior Accountant. She plays a crucial role in the department by handling various day-to-day tasks and ensuring accurate and thorough accounting of all transactions. Winnie’s educational background includes an MBA in Finance and Real Estate from CUNY Baruch.

Outside of work, Winnie likes biking, baking, and cherishing moments with her family. She loves spending time with the Nature Center’s adorable bunnies and other cute wildlife.

Andrew Michalski, Manager of Living Collections & Naturalist Educator

Andrew has been a part of the Nature Center staff since 2014 working in the Animal Museum as the Manager of Living Collections and as a Naturalist Educator. He holds a BA in Environmental Science from Fordham University and is currently working towards an MA in Animal Behavior and Conservation from Hunter College. Andrew is responsible with day-to-day animal care, ensuring the mental and physical health of our animals is the best it can possibly be.

His favorite part about his job is getting kids excited about the same things he was excited about as a child – animals and nature! He enjoys hiking, and traveling to his favorite place to visit, the Adirondacks.

Evelyn O’Dwyer, Membership & Outreach Coordinator

Evelyn, a graduate of the University of South Carolina, joined the Nature Center in March of 2023 as the Membership & Outreach Coordinator. She holds a degree in Women’s Studies and Dance Performance & Choreography. Her role includes membership drives, donor management and outreach as she tries to get the local community actively engaged in our mission. Look for her when you visit, she is always connecting with our guests.

Evelyn has had a lifelong interest in historic preservation, and completed a college internship at Historic Columbia where she focused on women’s history and donor events. In her free time, she teaches ballet to kids of all ages, explores NYC museums, and goes on adventures with her miniature poodle.

Kristina, a graduate of Manhattan College, joined the Nature Center in September 2023 as the Marketing and Communications Coordinator. She holds a degree in Marketing and Digital Media Art due to her love for business and the arts. She is responsible for updating our social media and website, creating partnerships, and advertising our events. 

Kristina lives locally and was already familiar with the beauty of the Nature Center.  In her free time, she enjoys reading, taking photographs of nature, and spending time with family and friends.