Casey Newman (she/her), Environmental Educator and Artist
Casey’s love of the outdoors began as a child growing up in a little house in the big woods of northern California. Through catching salamanders in the creek, climbing trees, and picking berries, she became a keen observer of the natural world. Casey finds beauty in the smallest details - ice covered lichen on a winter branch, the softness of a decomposing cedar stump, a big leaf maple leaf fluttering to the forest floor - and she delights in sharing her curiosity and enthusiasm with others.
Casey has lived in Oregon for most of her adulthood and received bachelors and masters degrees in ecology from universities in Oregon and Washington. She has been the director of nature-based summer camp programs, led school field trips, and taught numerous youth and family environmental education programs. She has worked for numerous environmental organizations in Oregon, including Friends of Tryon Creek, Zenger Farm, Tualatin Hills Parks and Recreation District, and Friends of Outdoor School. (Click here for her complete CV on LinkedIn)
Casey is also an artist who, unsurprisingly, incorporates the natural world into her work. Eco-printing, or printing leaves’ pigments onto textiles, is her main focus. She also gathers natural materials to make permanent and colorful dyes for fabric. In addition to creating nature-infused textiles and home decor, she teaches eco printing to adults and incorporates nature-inspired art projects into many youth programs.
Moving to Cedar Dell Forest Farm has been a homecoming in more ways than one and Casey looks forward to sharing its beauty with you through classes, camps and natural dye workshops for all ages. Please sign up for Cedar Dell’s newsletter to keep up with all that we offer.
Michael Newman (he/him), Groundskeeper and Handyman
From the ocean beaches and redwood trees of his childhood to the damp cedar and fir forests of the northwest, nature has always been a place of grounding and comfort for Michael. Here at Cedar Dell Forest Farm he strives to find ways to integrate daily life with the natural ecosystem we are part of.
Michael’s role includes building and taking care of structures and buildings on the property, as well as meeting day-to-day needs such as gathering and processing firewood. He enjoys finding creative solutions to Cedar Dell’s needs, and whenever possible uses materials and resources already present, such as repurposing old building materials or sustainably gathering resources from the environment. Recently, he has been studying permaculture principles and design to apply to Cedar Dell Forest Farm as we expand our gardens and further integrate our land use with the natural ecosystem.
Michael’s work-from-home day job allows him the ability to address on-site needs throughout the day. His flexible schedule and background in education means he sometimes assists with youth programs at Cedar Dell. It doesn’t take much convincing for him to make a cameo appearance, bringing his musical talent to our programs.
One of his favorite things to do at Cedar Dell is to take time in the morning sit outside and listen to the sounds of the forest. Cedar Dell is beautiful at all times of day and Michael hopes to share it with you sometime soon!
