New Hires 

The Wetland Trust is pleased to introduce three new additions to our growing team: Kirsten Gerhardt, Restoration Ecologist; Christina VanValkenburg, Executive Assistant; and Stephen Frantz, Field Technician.

Kirsten Gerhardt is from Delaware with an educational background in Wildlife & Fisheries from University of Delaware (B.S) and Clemson University (M.S). She has held a variety of field technician, biologist, and environmental scientist positions in the eastern U.S. with a focus on avian biology, wetland vegetation, and wetland and stream regulations. In Kirsten’s free time she enjoys traveling, hiking, camping, snowboarding, and bird watching.

Christina VanValkenburg has over a decade of experience working with executive teams throughout the Southern Tier. She has experience overseeing IT, as well as a background in finance/accounting. Christina brings compassion and heart to all that she does. She is dedicated to making the world a better place for the next generation, and her family pushes her to do this in all aspects of her life, work and personal. In Christina’s free time she enjoys acrylic painting landscapes and animals.

Stephen Frantz graduated from the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry with a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Studies. Over the past two years he has been a seasonal field tech responsible for stewardship of properties at The Wetland Trust and helped with construction of two wetland mitigation sites. Stephen has led sediment and erosion control implementation during construction, along with operating heavy equipment to create wetlands. He loves the outdoors and enjoys going on hikes and fishing in his free time.

We appreciate Kirsten, Christina, and Stephen bringing their experience and energy to our team. They are each a great asset to our mission as we continue to develop new projects and expand wetland conservation across New York State.