Want to join the Tennessee Naturalist Program? Do you have questions about our organization or any of our projects? Please contact us for further information, we would love to hear from you!
Margie Hunter is a writer and author of Gardening with the Native Plants of Tennessee: The Spirit of Place. She gives presentations on native plants and natural history, is a member of Tennessee Native Plant Society and Tennessee Invasive Plant Council, and volunteers with the Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage in the Smokies. A founding board member of the Tennessee Naturalist Program, Margie helped develop the course curriculum and teaches some of the classes.
Dan DeFigio is an amateur naturalist in Nashville, Tennessee. In addition to serving as Vice-Chair, he heads the TNP Continuing Education Committee for TN2. Dan is a wellness practitioner by trade, and over his 30 year career he has grown to incorporate his love of the natural world and nature spirituality into his wellness work and teachings. He regularly volunteers and teaches at Owl’s Hill Nature Sanctuary (Brentwood), and writes for The Conservationist magazine. Dan’s ultimate vision is to help change the culture of how humans relate to and interact with the natural world.
Jenny is a Tennessee Naturalist Program graduate with a Bachelor of Science and a background as a Respiratory Therapist. Her passion for the natural world led her to the TNP in 2016, significantly enhancing her understanding of the natural world. She is also a member of the Tennessee Trails Association, Jenny thrives in leading hikes and crafting educational experiences for her community. Her commitment extends beyond the trails; Jenny is a member of the Board of Directors for the Tennessee Trails Association and has previously served as the local Chapter president. Her dedication to service continues in her role as a Reserve Sergeant with the Police Department in Hendersonville, TN, where she takes pride in engaging with the public and her colleagues. She firmly believes in lifelong learning, continually seeking to enrich her knowledge through books, courses and experiences in the great outdoors.
Stephanie joined the Board in March 2025 while completing the Tennessee Naturalist Program at the Owl’s Hill Chapter. Stephanie is an environmental attorney with more than 20 years of experience, and is a recognized expert in Tennessee water law. Stephanie is a lifelong birder and hiker with a passion for learning about and protecting the natural world. She believes that environmental education is critical to building public understanding of, and support for, conserving our natural resources for future generations. Stephanie holds a B.A. in Economics and Political Science from Yale University and J.D. with a concentration in environmental law from the University of Washington School of Law.
Deborah Adams earned her TNP certification at Owl’s Hill chapter. She is a regular volunteer at the Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge, where she thoroughly enjoys leading hikes for students on field trips. An award-winning author of novels, short fiction, CNF, and poetry, she often incorporates her experiences with nature into her written works. She is a little too passionate about sustainable living and the five Rs.
Amy Balentine is excited to join the board for the first time in 2025, as a member-at-large. She holds a Ph.D. In Clinical Psychology from the University of Kentucky. She is a psychologist, author, and CEO of Memphis Center for Mindful Living, a counseling center dedicated to holistic treatment which incorporates ecotherapy into its practices. She integrates nature as a cotherapist in her outdoor sessions and seeks to deepen the connection of her clients with the natural world. Her center maintains a garden featuring native flowers, as well as vegetables, fruits and herbs, which offers a healing space for clients. She is a member of the 2021 Class of TN Naturalists and was certified in 2023. She is currently a Master Gardener intern with the UT Extension Office in Memphis. She is a member of Wild Ones as well as the Memphis Chapter of the Tennessee Ornithological Society. She volunteers her time leading nature walks at Overton Park in Memphis as well as removing invasive species there.
Karie became a certified naturalist in the summer of 2024. Since then, she has joined the TNP continuing education committee and helped create the homeschool nature education days at Bowie Nature Park where she currently teaches. “I was lucky enough to stumble upon the Tennessee Naturalist course at just the right time in my life. In my “Middle Ages”, no longer using my nursing college degrees, nor wanting to, and developing a deep love for nature and native plants while homeschooling my children. I was feeling a pull to do more, learn more, grow more and share my knowledge with my family and the community. Being a certified TN naturalist, I now have the foundation, the tools, the support and the inspiration I need to go forth and help protect this planet for my kids and all of its amazing inhabitants.”
Richard has a Ph.D. in mathematics and spent his career as a professor at the University of South Alabama. After retiring and relocating to Franklin, TN, he became a student in the Tennessee Naturalist Program in 2011 and was certified in 2013. Since then, Richard has enjoyed leading hundreds of interpretive hikes mostly at Owl’s Hill Nature Sanctuary. He also has taught classes and given presentations on several topics from the TNP curriculum. In 2018, he helped found the Wild Ones Middle Tennessee chapter where he serves as President. He is also a member of the Tennessee Native Plant Society and the North American Butterfly Association.
Richard Hoover earned his doctorate degree in biology at Michigan State University in 1972 and recently retired from Vanderbilt university after 35 years of research and teaching. This followed 2 years at the university of Glasgow and 10 years at Harvard Medical School. Although his research focused on cell biology, he has always had a passion for exploring and trying to understand our natural environment. He was a student in the Tennessee Naturalist Program at Paris Landing State Park and was certified in 2022. He has continued to help with that TNP chapter. He is a board member of the Friends of the Harpeth River State Park, which is working to develop programs that will involve more of the community in understanding the benefits of our reciprocal relationship with nature. He also enjoys frequent hikes at local state parks and our national parks.
Marlee is currently working toward her TNP certification at Long Hunter State Park. Marlee is a life-long resident of Tennessee, having lived in all three grand divisions, except for summers living and working in Yellowstone National Park and Bar Harbor, Maine. She has visited 55 national parks (lacking only the Alaska parks) and many state parks. Professionally, she recently retired after 41 years practicing law in Memphis and Nashville. She has previously served on several nonprofit boards, including Girl Scouts of Middle Tennessee, Tennessee State Parks Conservancy, and Historic Rugby. In addition to the TNP Board, she currently serves on the board of Boys & Girls Clubs of South Central Tennessee.
Shawn has been part of the program since the inaugural class in 2010. Prior to moving to Tennessee, he was a Certified Volunteer Naturalist in Ohio and a Certified Master Naturalist in Texas. Additionally, he has served as a Tennessee State Park Seasonal Interpretive Ranger at Cedars of Lebanon and Old Stone Fort State Parks. His education includes a Master of Science degree in Natural Resources and Environmental Science from the University of Illinois and a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Studies from American Military University in West Virginia. He currently serves as the Installation Support Agreement and Base Support Planning manager at Arnold AFB in Tullahoma TN after completing a 20-year active duty career in the United States Air Force.
Claire joined TNP in August 2023 at the Discovery Park Chapter. She loved the program so much that she decided to work here, too! Claire worked part time for TNP in 2024 as the Operations Coordinator and was promoted in 2025 to become the full time Operations Manager. Claire received her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in Marketing from UT Martin and her Master of Arts in Public Administration from Lipscomb University. She has always enjoyed the outdoors, learning about nature, and exploring state and national parks, so the TNP is a perfect fit!
Kristin started with TNP as a graduate student looking to work with a local non-profit while earning a Master’s in Environmental Education. She loved the program so much that she wanted to participate in a more direct and influential way, serving on the board to help with this all volunteer effort. This program is truly special; it is independent and driven by people of passion who are willing to work hard towards change. She has loved meeting and working with our students and chapter coordinators and can’t wait to see what we can accomplish over the next few years.
Pandy Upchurch has a bachelor’s degree in wildlife and fisheries science from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville and a master’s degree in biology from Austin Peay State University. She has been an interpretive naturalist for over 35 years at such places as the Woodlands Nature Center at Land Between the Lakes, Dunbar Cave State Natural Area, the Warner Parks Nature Center, MTSU’s Center for Environmental Education, and the Tennessee Naturalist Program. She was the Middle Tennessee Biodiversity Coordinator, the Instream Flow Coordinator and the Assistant Chief of Biodiversity in her 17 years at the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. She also taught biology at Columbia State Community College for two years. She currently owns Tennessee Healthy Habitats, LLC, a consulting service that helps Tennesseans increase the biodiversity on their land.
David Hill earned a doctoral degree in botany and retired after 30 years as Professor of Biology at Belmont University in Nashville. The David R Hill Environmental Service Award for a worthy student of Belmont is now awarded annually in his name. David worked for Tennessee State Parks on the All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory for 7 years before retiring a second time. While working at State Parks he joined with Pandy Upchurch (TWRA) and Linn Ann Welch (State Parks) to plan the formation of the Tennessee Naturalist Program. He had heard about the exciting South Carolina Naturalist Program from his brother, Dr. Otis Hill and felt it would be a good fit for Tennessee as well. He became a founding member of the Tennessee Naturalist Program and served as President for the first six years of TNPs existence. David secured TNPs legal footprint with a charter, tax status as a non-profit, a small revenue stream of products with logo, flash drives to replace course binders, and a website to inform the growing group of naturalists. When not riding his motorcycle, David now “manages” a patch of native growth and enjoys photographing the wild creatures that inhabit the area.