About Us

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Jen Vanderhoof graduated with a degree in Wildlife Biology from Kansas State University in 1992 and has been working as a biologist in some form ever since. She a Senior Ecologist in the King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks' Science Section, where she’s been since 1999. Previous employers have been the City of Seattle, where she was a biologist on the Cedar River Watershed, The Nature Conservancy of Georgia, where she worked on Red-cockaded Woodpecker projects, Oregon State University working on Spotted Owl projects in southwest Oregon, and as a fisheries observer for three winters in Alaska. Jen's current work at the County focuses on beaver management and also includes wildlife-related policy, climate change, riparian and wetland restoration, and a shoreline restoration project. In her free time, she enjoys bird photography and underwater photography, and she also occasionally writes about her underwater exploits and escapades at seajen.com.​

Paul Schlenger is a fisheries biologist with 20 years of experience on salmon habitat restoration in the Pacific Northwest. He has a Master’s degree in Fisheries from the University of Washington where he worked on juvenile sockeye salmon ecology in Alaska. As a consultant based in Seattle, Paul works on restoration and resource management projects in freshwater, estuarine, and marine nearshore settings. He enjoys assessing site conditions and developing sustainable solutions to benefit the resources while working within existing constraints. Given the many benefits of beavers to water resources and juvenile salmon rearing, Paul is interested in finding creative solutions for landowners and beavers to co-exist in our watersheds.

Rodney grew up exploring the estuaries, swamps, and forests of Upper Tampa Bay. He moved to the Seattle after earning a BS in Zoology from the University of Florida in 1991. He earned a MS in Forest Resources from the University of Washington in 2005 and has worked in diversity of positions in natural resource management, ecosystem restoration, and horticulture fields. His passion is for building a restorative culture for the mutual healing of people and ecosystems through social justice, education, partnerships, collaborations, and celebration. He currently is the Executive Director of Sound Salmon Solutions, one of 14 Regional Fisheries Enhancement Groups in Washington State devoted to realizing salmon recovery through grassroots engagement, education, and action.

Kathleen is a lifetime lover of wildlife, originally from the suburbs of Philadelphia, PA. Initially a political science student, she earned a BA in Government and Legal Studies from Bowdoin College and an MA in Comparative Ethnic Conflict from Queen’s University Belfast in Northern Ireland. Her diverse career track has taken her around the globe to Rwanda, Ethiopia, India, and other countries, most recently leading policy and advocacy work on sustainable energy and humanitarian assistance at the United Nations Foundation. In 2020 she migrated from Washington DC (the “other” Washington) to Seattle, where she currently serves as Northwest Representative for Defenders of Wildlife. Kathleen is passionate about creative solutions, co-existence with wildlife, and helping small groups of good people achieve positive change. In her free time she loves to travel, play with dogs, and curl up with tea and a good book.