About Our Staff

Our volunteer staff is committed to sharing nature with kids in a meaningful and inspiring way, teaching through discovery and taking advantage of natural teaching opportunities. We have various skills and strengths to share with the youth who visit the museum!

Karen Rainsong- Coordinator

Karen and kids petting one of the bunnies

Karen Rainsong holds a B.A. from Cal State University Northridge in Art, and a Certified Naturalist Certificate from the Siskiyou Field Institute in Oregon. She is a graphic designer, photographer, and for many years was an art teacher. She is the mother of an 11 year old son who can often be seen at the museum!
She has always loved nature and natural interpretation. Throughout her years living in Eugene, she has worked often with teaching children, in both traditional school settings and non-formal outdoor settings. Some of her favorite jobs included teaching natural history and local history at Homesource, teaching many different types of art and natural history courses for Lane Arts Council, and teaching as an Audobon In the Schools instructor.
Previously she enjoyed working as an Educational Coordinator at Dorris Ranch, as an instructor for the City of Eugene Parks and Rec, and an instructor at Nearby Nature. She is excited to be coordinating the Alvord Museum, and sharing this treasure with the community. More about her can be found at her business web site: www.rainsongdesign.net.

Position Open- Program Coordinator

The ideal Program Coordinator will have a background in working with kids and nature, love the outdoors, and be able to work closely with our Coordinator in planning awesome events for the farm. The time commitment is about 5 hours a month and this job is volunteer, although there are many benefits and “extras” for working on the farm! It’s a great way to gain experience for your resume. Background check is mandatory. Call Karen for more info.

Sahra and friend in the garden

Sahra Bakalis- Assistant Coordinator

Sahra holds a B.S. in Environmental Studies from the U of O and she loves camping in the great outdoors. After having grown up in Arizona, she especially appreciates the diverse forests of Oregon. She enjoys sharing her knowledge with others at the museum and constantly learning more by participating in programs and workshops. She is a valuable asset to the museum, helping out with numerous projects and helping lead pioneer summer camps. She says “My favorite part about the museum is that every day is a new adventure with lots of opportunities to learn!”

Anna Alkin- Program Leader

Anna Alkin

Anna Marie Alkin loves exploring the outdoors, getting dirty, and playing with kids in nature. The mother of a fabulous 7-year-old boy, and a foundation year student at the Waldorf teacher training program Eugene, Anna seeks to spend her days outside learning, teaching and gardening. She holds a MA in religion with a concentration in social ethics from Yale University, is a student of permaculture and biodynamic farming, and is learning how to knit, sing, keep bees, grow and preserve food, and otherwise create a handmade life of beauty. She is delighted to be a part of Alvord farm community and looks forward to working with the kids to deepen their experience of the natural world.