VolunteersThe mission of the Allegany Nature Pilgrimage is to provide an informative and environmentally responsible annual event open to all, that promotes outdoor education in Allegany State Park.
The Allegany Nature Pilgrimage is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization organized and implemented by volunteer board members drawn from our sponsoring organizations, as well as at-large members. The board operates under Bylaws (revised 09.29.2020) and holds officer elections every two years. Position Descriptions (approved 08.03/2020) detail the responsibilities of officers and committee chairs. Sponsoring Organization Contacts:
The ANP Committee at the 60th Pilgrimage in 2018
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Directors & Officers:
scroll down for board member bios DonationsThe Allegany Nature Pilgrimage is an IRS 501(c)(3) charitable organization registered with the New York State Charities Bureau. We gladly accept tax-deductible donations to advance our mission of nature education and to help make our event affordable to all.
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Allegany Nature Pilgrimage Board Member Biographies
Frank Crombe
As a youth, Frank learned a lot of nature by being in constant contact with it as a caddy and landscaper. He is an accountant, currently consulting, is a Certified Management Accountant and has a Master’s Degree in Education. He belongs to the Burroughs Audubon Nature Club, The Nature Conservancy, The International Oak Society and is on the Committee for the Allegany Nature Pilgrimage. Frank has explored many places in the Northeast, Northern Europe and Honduras. He really enjoys being able to share with others as a hike leader. Come and enjoy the Allegany Nature Pilgrimage!
Laura DustinIt seems Laura has always loved the outdoors and Allegany State Park. As an undergrad and graduate student she explored the wonders of the natural world, especially vascular plant taxonomy. She started leading at the ANP as an undergrad. Later, much later, she began her career as an educator, facilitating students' love of the sciences. Now that she is retired, she dabbles in outdoor activities and physics.
Lisa Danko
Lisa has been attending the ANP since 1976. She has been on the committee most of that time. She is a past President of Presque Isle Audubon Society in Erie, among other positions. She has a Biology Degree from Buffalo State College and her Masters in Entomology from Pennsylvania State University. Over the years she has led many different field trips and is willing to step up if a leader is MIA. Lisa believes in outdoor education as the best approach and all children regardless of age NEED IT!
Janet Forbes & Alan Brown
Janet Forbes and Alan Brown are long-time members of the Audubon Community Nature Center and active volunteers with special events and more. Janet works with the ACNC Garden Team and is co-lead for the Kitchen Teaching Garden. They have attended the ANP for years and were eager to give back and serve on the ANP Committee representing ACNC. They are both retired from careers in healthcare--Alan as a hospital pharmacist and Janet as a Registered Nurse in various settings. Janet and Alan enjoy day hikes in the region and can be found wandering around Long State Park, ASP, ACNC, Overland Trails and more. Longer adventures have taken them to the Adirondacks, Pine Creek Bike Path, and into New England. They are home and community gardeners, growing vegetables and herbs and teaching others. They are glad to serve as part of the ANP Committee to help children and families create lifelong connections with the natural world and enrich the intergenerational learning.
Kathy Henrie
Kathy has always enjoyed outdoor activities and has been camping in Allegany State Park for many years. It was in the park that she first learned about the Allegany Nature Pilgrimage. Kathy attended the Pilgrimage with her children and friends for several years before joining the volunteer committee as a member of the Burroughs Audubon Nature club of Rochester, one of the four sponsoring organizations of the event. She’s also a member of the Rochester Birding Association, the Rochester Academy of Science--mineral and fossil sections, and the Rochester Area Mycological Association. Her interests vary widely! One of Kathy’s favorite yearly activities is to join one of the Return the Favor walks on the Delaware Bay in New Jersey to rescue stranded horseshoe crabs. Other activities include hiking, trail running and nature walks; always exploring and discovering something new!
Tom Kerr
A Graduate of SUNY ESF, Tom has worked for the Buffalo Audubon Society since 2011 and has been Leading birding tours for the Allegany Nature Pilgrimage for over 10 years. He also enjoys getting in the water and looking for aquatic insects and other creatures. Tom and his family look forward to the Allegany Nature Pilgrimage every year!
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Dave Nelson
As long as he can remember, Dave Nelson wanted to be a wildlife biologist. By age five, he trained a fox squirrel to knock on his family’s front door for a treat. Or maybe the squirrel trained him.
Dave’s family moved from the Midwest to western NY in 1968 and they have been camping at Allegany State Park ever since. Dave recently retired from a 35-year career with NYSDEC, including a nearly 20-year stint as editor of the Conservationist magazine. It was there that he learned of the Pilgrimage, and has been promoting and attending it ever since. Dave loves many forms of outdoor activity including hiking, birdwatching and cross-country skiing, and feeds chickadees by hand at his home in the Helderberg Mountains west of Albany. He enjoys sharing his love of the outdoors with others. Andy Malicki
Andy is ready and able to answer any question you may have about the Park's rich history. Specializing in the "How the Park got Started" Program, his passion is for Allegany State Park and he is knowledgeable in several areas from the late 1800s to the present time. Andy is also a park employee.
Lon Myers
Lon has a life-long passion for nature. He has degrees in engineering, accounting and marketing. He describes himself as a "gentleman naturalist with an interest in learning." He has led hikes at ANP for 43 years, having formerly served as chairman and registrar for ANP and as a former executive in Burroughs Audubon.
Marcia Nixon
Marcia is an elementary schoolteacher, retired after 41 years at Lewiston-Porter Schools. She has served in many capacities for the Buffalo Audubon Society – Board Director, Board Recording Secretary, Executive Committee, Education Committee founder and chairperson, Program Committee, and Nominating Committee. For many years, Marcia has been the registrar of the Allegany Nature Pilgrimage and the co-chair with Lisa Danko. Her hobbies include travel, birding, nature, and reading.
Rob Reeves
Rob credits his love of the outdoors to the men who served as his Scout leaders as a youth. Today, as the Scoutmaster of the same Troop, he strives to instill an appreciation for nature in his charges. Sometimes he succeeds at this, sometimes he doesn't. Rob is a Leave No Trace Level 2 Instructor, a New York State Master Naturalist and currently serves as the President of the Buffalo Orienteering Club and Training Chair for the Western New York Scout Council. Somehow, he ended up as the webmaster here despite suspect computer skills and the fact that he'd rather be out in the woods. Rob "thru-hiked" the Appalachian Trail in 1998 and the Pacific Crest Trail in 2003, giving him over 5,000 miles of backpacking experience. His greatest gift from these experiences is a strong ability to be uncomfortable for long periods of time. That and not being fussy about food. He always finds the experience of hanging out with fellow nature nerds at the Allegany Nature Pilgrimage to be inspiring.
Ro Woodard
Ro is a Audubon Community Nature Center member and volunteer and former ANP Field Trip Chairman from the early 1980’s, serving with both Lon and Becky. She is retired from the NYS Parks Marine Services Bureau as the Safe Boating Educator and returned to her hometown of Falconer, NY. Ro is a long time Girl Scout volunteer, leading many outdoor adventures for girls. Through the Girl Scouts, Audubon, and the Allegany Nature Pilgrimage, she hopes to introduce more kids and families to the wonders of the natural world.
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