Our Team
AAron Capouellez
Founder & President
​​​​​
AAron Capouellez grew up in a suburb of Johnstown, Pennsylvania. He graduated from Indiana University of Pennsylvania with an M.S. in Biology and an Unmanned Aerial Systems Science Application and Management certificate from the Geography Department. He also graduated from the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown with a B.A. in Communication and a minor in Biology.
He specializes in Herpetology (the study of reptiles and amphibians). AAron’s favorite target species are American toads, wood frogs, eastern gray tree frogs, pickerel frogs, purple pitcher plants, and American giant millipedes. He created a conservation project in 2019 focused on frogs and toads centered around the target counties of PA Woods and Forests. In his free time, AAron enjoys caring for his pets (Especially his toad Ace and tree frog Max), spending time with his girlfriend, friends, and family, flying his drones, and working on his media brand
Erika Broas
Secretary
​
Erika Broas grew up in West Michigan, where she developed a considerate love of the watery creatures and forests around her. In school she was always most interested in science and art, and graduated with a BFA in Metalsmithing and Jewelry Making from Grand Valley State University in 2015.
She has worked in the field of metalwork since, currently as a jeweler. Erika has lived in Pennsylvania for 6 years, and has been taken with the beauty and richness of biodiversity in the Laurel Highlands. In 2024, she joined PA Woods and Forests as a volunteer, and later that year became a board member. Her favorite target species are the wood frog and leaf cutter bee. She loves that the leaf cutter bees build nests with her Redbud leaves in the summer, and gets so excited to see wood frogs rustling in the leaves of the forest floor.
Michelle Novak
Education & Outreach
​
Coming Soon...
Michael Zboran
Bioacoustics
​
Michael Zboran lives in Armstrong County, Pennsylvania with his wife and two daughters. He earned a B.S. in Data Analytics from Western Governors University and has a background in IT and systems thinking. He is passionate about the novel and practical use of technology to empower and inspire.
Michael is leading PA Woods and Forests’ work on acoustic monitoring, developing new ways to study and protect local amphibians through sound. His favorite species is the Butternut (Juglans cinerea), a lesser-known native tree in decline. His favorite target species is the enduring American Toad. In his free time he enjoys gardening, working with permaculture design, hiking, and creating projects that connect people, technology, and nature.
Stephen and Kristen Larson
Board Members
​
Stephen and Kristen reside in Somerset County with their three children. Together, they enjoy hiking, camping, and traveling. Both Stephen and Kristen work in the field of Mental Health, providing services in Cambria and Somerset counties.
Their favorite PA Woods and Forests target species is the Wood Frog due to its unique habitat and colorful appearance. The Larson family’s favorite PA Woods and Forests moments are Frog Walks and the discovery of the Eastern Gray Tree Frog in their community.
Dempsey DiMedio
Intern ​
​Dempsey grew up looking for amphibians, macroinvertebrates, and bass alongside the Allegheny River in Aspinwall, PA, 10 miles from Downtown Pittsburgh. He moved to Philadelphia, where he graduated from Temple University in 2018 with a degree in Geography and a professional certification in Geographical Information Systems.
After college, he worked in deconstruction and non profit management until returning home to Allegheny County and completing his master's in Environmental Education at Slippery Rock University. He now resides in Millvale and relishes discovering new streams within the Allegheny Watershed. His favorite herp is the Eastern Box Turtle. In his spare time, he loves flyfishing, camping, biking, and exploring the foothills of Western Pennsylvania.
Jack Cavada
Intern
​
Jack Cavada is currently a student at the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown and grew up in the greater Pittsburgh area, more specifically in Washington County. He is pursuing both a bachelor's degree in environmental sustainability and geography.
Jack’s favorite PA Woods and
Forest herpetofauna is the spring peeper. This is because “It’s the first frog species he found by himself, and their calls are a classic sound of any spring night”. Jack’s best memory by far of working with PA Woods and Forests is going out herping for the first time and seeing the major abundance and variety of herpetofauna in one vernal pool located in Westmoreland County.
Bryce Killinger
Conservation Committee
​
Bryce is a naturalist from Johnstown, Pennsylvania, who holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology from the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown and is pursuing a PhD in Biological Sciences at the University of Maryland Baltimore County.
He is a generalist who can be found photographing every living thing in the woods, with a particular interest in harvestmen. Salamanders are his favorite Pennsylvanian amphibian species, and he greatly enjoys searching for frogs in the middle of the night.
Rosie Westcott
Conservation Committee
​
Rosie Westcott lives in Murrysville, PA and has been a Conservation Committee volunteer since August 2025 after meeting AAron at a frog walk.
She is currently a PhD candidate in Biological Sciences at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, PA studying the tadpole gut microbiome and how it impacts a tadpole’s response to disease in Dr. Sarah Woodley’s lab.
Before her PhD, she received her Bachelor of Science in Biology with a minor in Chemistry from Slippery Rock University, where she started her amphibian research journey. Rosie’s favorite target species are the eastern gray tree frog and the slimy salamander.
Tyler Streets
Conservation Committee
​
Tyler Streets is interested in the natural world since he was a kid, especially animals, plants, and most notably – myriapods. In addition, he has been doing macro photography on countless speciesfor many years as well (which can be found on his Instagram page “crot_atrox”).
He also currently has a project he is working on for the distribution and diversity of myriapod species across the Southwest region of Pennsylvania! This project can be found on iNaturalist titled “Myriapods of Southwestern Pennsylvania”.
Breanna Brunell
Conservation Committee
​
Breanna Brunell has lived in Somerset, PA her whole life. Her heart has been with the Laurel Highlands since childhood, shared with her through her father and great uncle.
She went to Slippery Rock University for a dual major in Environmental Science and Biology, but is currently taking a gap to focus on some personal matters and to reignite her love for the environment
without the stress of academia.
She loves all things conservation, but has a soft spot for the “underdogs” such as snakes, frogs, and salamanders. She hopes to one day become a conservation/wildlife biologist. Her naturalistic hobbies include hiking, herping, birding, and bouldering, but more casual hobbies include reading, crocheting, and weightlifting
Logan Conkle
Conservation Committee
​
Logan Conkle is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown with a degree in Biology and a strong interest in the natural sciences.
His academic background has given him experience in biological research, biodiversity observation, and ecological studies, while strengthening his passion for understanding the natural world and promoting conservation efforts.
Megan Koch
Conservation Committee
​​
Coming Soon...
​
.jpg)
Ben Long
Conservation Committee
​
Ben grew up in rural Blair County, where he enjoyed hiking and camping with his friends and family. After earning a bachelor's degree in chemistry from St. Francis University, he taught science for four years.
Ben's career path took a turn after that. He became a pastor and eventually moved to the Johnstown area in 2012. Hiking, fishing and learning about nature are some of Ben's favorite hobbies and what led him to get connected with PA Woods and Forests
Malcolm Crittenden
Outreach Committee
​
Malcolm Crittenden has lived in the Allegheny region for 44 years and received a B.S. in Environmental Studies from the University of Vermont.
His career as a PA State Watershed Manager gave him a further education in the effects of coal mining on our Pennsylvania water resources. Malcolm's favorite target species is the nocturnal firefly which covers our night landscape like the stars cover the heavens.
Maria Manon
Outreach Committee
​
Maria Manon is from Johnstown, PA, and an alumna of the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown. She has a bachelor's degree in communications, specializing in public relations and marketing. Her favorite PA Woods and Forests species is, by far, the Gray Tree frog.
Maria says she is "attracted to their different shades of brown and olive greens, small bodies, and rapid trills." Maria's best-loved PA Woods and Forest memories are going out on road rescues and being with Aaron when he discovered the Gray Tree frog in Cambria County.
©2019 by PA Woods and Forests