Ginger Schlavin ("Wild Ginger")

Ginger has been a Sly Park Teacher for 14 years. While receiving a B.A. in Liberal Studies Ginger was a trip leader for Adventure Outings. She helped lead mountaineering, rock climbing, backpacking, and rafting trips throughout California. In college she spent three years teaching Environmental Science in the classroom. After receiving her teaching credential Ginger taught 6th and 8th grade science for five years at Markham Middle School. She also has had her Wilderness EMT since 1996.

Suzanne White ("Fern")

Suzanne brings years of teaching and outdoor experience to Sly Park. Suzanne is the latest credentialed teacher to add to the Sly Park staff of regular teachers. She has worked for National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) in Alaska. Her bilingual skills help translate the science and wonder of the forest to a diverse student population.

Todd Gillihan ("Grizzly")

Todd is a full-time credentialed teacher with 14+ years of experience at Sly Park. Todd has lived in the Sly Park area for 30+ years. His background in Watershed Science and Natural Resources compliments his teaching style. When not at Sly Park, Todd can be found fly fishing the streams on the West Slope. His favorite ice cream is Pistachio.

Dave Giordano ("Gio")

Gio comes to Sly Park with an extensive background as a wildlife biologist, filmmaker and informal science educator. He has participated in research projects on a variety of terrestrial and marine animals throughout the United States and South America. Gio has taught at several outdoor science schools and presented science activities at hundreds of California public schools through the Lawrence Hall of Science Outreach Department. In addition, the BBC, National Geographic, and numerous environmental organizations have used his wildlife photographs and videos.

Gigi McBee ("Cascade")

Gigi comes to Sly Park with a passion for teaching, bringing 20+ years of varied teaching experiences in a variety of environments including environmental outdoor education, adventure instruction, and as a middle school science teacher. Recently she completed her master's in science education in 2018. Years of travel and living abroad for over 10 years in Peru and Chile led Gigi to pursue a bilingual authorization in 2021, allowing her also to teach science in Spanish. Additionally, she has worked as a freelance graphic designer and draws/paints in ink, contributing to many of Sly Park’s t-shirt designs since 2016. When Gigi is not teaching about the environment, you can find her whitewater kayaking, fly fishing, or out on the trail with her dog “Juju”.

Pilar Delmolino

Pilar is a new Sly Park Teacher. She comes to us with 7 years of experience teaching 6th and 7th grade science. Prior to teaching, Pilar worked as a Wildlife Biologist for the National Forest Service. She also has experience working in the fields of botany, fisheries, and hydrology. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Ecology and a Master of Science degree in Wildlife Science. Pilar loves spending time outdoors. During her free time she can be found trail running, mountain biking, or skiing with her family in the Sierra Nevada mountains. Pilar is looking forward to sharing her science knowledge and her passion for the outdoors with students visiting Sly Park.

Owen McIntyre

Long ago, Owen started on the path to becoming a Sly Park Teacher as a visiting wide-eyed 6th grader from Mary Tsukamoto Elementary. His experience over the course of that week-long adventure at Sly Park would lead to a lifelong love of nature and a passion for learning about our region's diverse ecology. Fast-forward to today, Owen has enjoyed success in a variety of roles in the field of Outdoor Education, and is putting his acquired skills to use in order to ensure that each visiting student's stay at Sly Park is as rewarding as the experience that he enjoyed, so many years ago.