Why we’re here.

The Wallowa Mountain Institute (WMI) works to educate and engage with all ages of young people through place-based, hands-on programs, increasing knowledge on rural issues, growing leadership capacity, building workforce development, and encouraging community and land stewardship. We are a program supported and housed under the non-profit entity Wallowa Resources.

All of our programs strive to…

  • Promote a deeper connection to the outdoors and local rural landscape

  • Educate the next generation of land stewards and community leaders

  • Increase K-12 STEM learning opportunities and science literacy

  • Create equitable access to outdoor science programs for ALL

Meet the Flock

Lindsay Miller

Youth Education Manager

  • Lindsay and her family have lived in Wallowa County for over a decade now and couldn’t imagine calling anywhere else home. As a kid, Lindsay was often found crawling around the forest floor, exploring hidden nooks. Not much has changed since then, though now she has 3 kids trailing behind her. She loves expanding her understanding of all things botanical and has a deep and abiding interest in learning and teaching traditional ethnobotanical uses of native plants on the land, our first teachers. In addition to the titles of partner and mother she also holds a degree in Forest Ecology and Biology, a Masters in Science Curriculum and Instruction as well as a current Oregon teaching license.

    Lindsay strives to spark a sense of awe, deep connection and love for the outdoor world in the youth she serves and has spent the better part of 2 decades doing just that. Working in residential outdoor camps, as an Interpretive Ranger for the Forest Service and for several years as a middle and high school classroom science teacher, she has had a career span that provides deep insight into how to connect youth to the natural world. Recently, through her position with Wallowa Resources, she has worked to help elevate rural issues into regional and state conversations around out of school enrichment and youth leadership. She is a fierce advocate for youth, her community, and the lands they steward, and is excited about the future of education on all fronts.

    Hobbies: “Hiking, cooking and cultivating food from the ground up, playing Catan with her kids, impromptu dance parties and dreaming about standing on top of mountains”

    Favorite Place in Wallowa County: “A little no-name lake near Elkhorn Peak, I’ll take you sometime”

    Favorite Topic to Teach: “Fungi, Moss, Liverworts and Lichens…I love exploring the world of the smallest survival experts!”

  • Email: lindsay@wallowaresources.org

Emily Bratcher

Youth Education Coordinator

  • Emily grew up in Albany, Oregon, but always loved visiting Wallowa County as a kid. Her love for animals, science, and being outside led her initially to fish biology, but eventually to outdoor education. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Fisheries and Wildlife Science from Oregon State University in 2015. After working in the field for a few years, she decided to switch gears and go back to school. Emily did a hands-on grad program at the McCall Outdoor Science School, where she taught outdoor education programs for middle schoolers. In 2020, she earned her master’s in Environmental Education and Science Communication from the University of Idaho, and began working for WMI. 

    Hobbies: “hiking and backpacking, white water rafting, fly fishing, traveling, cooking, (amateur) photography, and watching home improvement shows.”

    Favorite Place in Wallowa County: “the upper Imnaha River. But the best view in the county is from the top of Pete’s Point!”

    Favorite Topic to Teach: “I love teaching kids about ecology and animals! I have a huge soft spot for scaly critters, especially reptiles and amphibians”

  • Email: ebratcher@wallowaresources.org

Lily Rhoades

Youth Expedition Specialist

  • Lily was born and raised in a small desert town in Arizona before moving to Flagstaff, AZ, where she earned her B.S. in microbiology with a minor in chemistry. Craving the outdoors and the satisfaction of a hard day’s work, she joined an AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps fire crew where she worked alongside non-profits and the Forest Service serving communities in need. Lily spent the next three years working as a wildland firefighter with the Forest Service in the Willamette National Forest before relocating to Wallowa County. After two years of fighting wildland fire in the Eagle Cap Ranger District, she decided she wanted to share her knowledge and love for the outdoors with the next generation of explorers and happily accepted a position with Wallowa Resources' Youth Education program. In her free time, Lily enjoys adventuring with her partner, Rose, and their dog, Charlie.

    Hobbies: “Gardening, skiing, hiking, and traveling.”

    Favorite Place in Wallowa County: “Hat Point lookout in the early summer when the wildflowers are blooming.”

    Favorite Topic to Teach: “Wilderness medicine and anything to do with animals.”

  • Email: lrhoades@wallowaresources.org