Beth Bennett, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Sociology, Idaho State University

Dr. Beth Bennett is an Assistant Professor of Sociology at Idaho State University. Her research focuses on how rural communities in the Intermountain West perceive and respond to demographic, social, and economic changes driven by increased high net worth ownership of ranchland. Recently, her work has focused on how residents of rural communities maintain their identity and find hope as their community changes. Beth is passionate about community engaged work that allows her to work closely with the communities that she studies. When she isn’t in the office, Beth can be found exploring the mountains of Idaho and Montana with her dog, June. 

Lori G Byron, MD, MS

Board Chair, Montana Health Professionals for a Healthy Climate

Dr. Byron practiced pediatrics on the Crow Reservation for 27 years. A past president of the Montana Academy of Pediatrics, she has advocated for children her entire life. Concern for children’s health and their home-schooled daughters (a doctor and an engineer) compelled her and her husband to act on climate change. She earned an MS in energy policy and now organizes pediatricians from across the U.S. on climate change. She chairs the Montana Health Professionals for a Healthy Climate.  She was a medical expert in Held v. MT. She believes acting on climate matters for our kids. A lot. 

Cody Ferguson, Ph.D., AICP Candidate

New Market Lead, Houseal Lavigne

Dr. Cody Ferguson is a historian and sustainability scholar turned urban planner working with Houseal Lavigne, a leading national urban planning and geospatial services firm. His academic work explores democratic governance and how communities have addressed public goods challenges, including land conservation, toxic waste siting, water management, and the impacts of mining and energy development. He has authored several articles and the book, This is Our Land: Grassroots Environmentalism in the Late Twentieth Century (Rutgers, 2015) and co-authored several book chapters. Recently, he has shifted his focus from the past to the future. As a planner, he helps Western communities use data-driven tools to become more sustainable and resilient. Outside of work, he enjoys exploring Helena with his wife and two young children.

Nicole Jarvis, MS

Founder, Bee Haven Gardens

Nicole Jarvis is the founder of Bee Haven Gardens in Dillon, Montana an educational garden dedicated to teaching regenerative practices and fostering community engagement with agriculture. With over 20 years of experience in organic farming and living in rural Montana communities, Nicole brings a deep, place-based understanding of land, resilience, and interconnectedness to her work. She holds an M.S. in Regenerative Organic Agriculture and has been accepted as a Ph.D. candidate at Maharishi International University.  Nicole weaves together regenerative land stewardship and transcendental awareness as she blends her passion for hands-on agricultural education with her commitment to nurturing the landscapes she calls home. 

You can find her most recent work here: www.beehavengardens.org

Matthew Madsen MPH, CHES

Research Associate II, Western Transportation Institute

Life is an adventure meant to be lived. Whether pursuing objectives in the mountains or in the community, I like to work to find creative and open-minded solutions. With my diverse and rounded professional, educational, and personal background, I bring a community-based skill set focused on program development, planning, community facilitation and engagement.

Abigail McClaflin, BS

Environmental Sciences

Abbey McClaflin’s passion is to continue building the bridge between land, livestock, and human health through regenerative agriculture practices. This May (2026), she will earn a B.S. in Environmental Sciences with a minor in Farm and Ranch Operations from the University of Montana Western. Her Senior Thesis is exploring a variety of soil health benefits by increasing soil microbiome activity with a locally produced biological stimulant. Abbey also works for the Southwest Montana Sagebrush Partnership in Dillon, MT where she is collaborating with local ranchers to evaluate the ecological and economic benefits of virtual fence technology. She will continue this area of interest as she applies to graduate programs to study how an integrative approach to livestock management can positively affect rangeland plants and wildlife. During the summer months, you can join Abbey on a variety of horse packing trips in Yellowstone National Park, where she shares the history, beauty, and ecology of the natural world through her family’s business, Sunrise Pack Station.

Pedro Marques

Executive Director, Big Hole Watershed Committee

Pedro works to guide the organization’s vision & mission, works with the governing board, and oversees restoration work in the Big Hole watershed. He has worked in the Big Hole watershed since 2009 and joined the Big Hole Watershed Committee as staff in 2016, becoming Executive Director January 2019. Pedro has more than 10 years of restoration and project experience in private consulting in Montana, and he has been instrumental in the recovery of smelter-impacted lands in the Mount Haggin Wildlife Management Area on behalf of the Natural Resource Damages Program, BHWC, and MFWP. 

Ted Montalvo, BS 

Environmental Sustainability

Ted Montalvo is crafting a portfolio that braids their interests in sustainable development with their artistic talents. Ted is a junior at the University of Montana Western pursuing a Bachelor of Science in environmental sustainability alongside three minors specializing in the arts and communication. In 2025 Ted was selected to be a Baucus Climate Scholar. They spent last summer designing science communication illustrations centered around water quality for the Henry’s Fork Foundation. In their free time, Ted is pursuing digital art or entertaining others through theater. 

Coming from a town of 500 people – and inspired by their grandfather’s passion for sustainable agriculture and connecting communities – Ted wants to help broaden communication and education among neighbors to build a more resilient rural America