Abigail Wilson, Associate Director

As Associate Director at the Natural History Institute, Abigail supports the organization’s strategic direction, day-to-day operations, communications, and community engagement. Building on her previous roles as Office and Communications Assistant and Office Manager, she brings a deep understanding of NHI’s programs, people, and organizational culture, along with a commitment to strengthening the systems and relationships that support its work.

Abigail is a Prescott College alum and like many PC alumni, she found herself inspired by and connected to the landscape of this bioregion and made Prescott her home. With experience in nonprofit administration, social services, education and community engagement, she brings an approach grounded in compassion, transparency, collaboration, and organizational stewardship.

In her role as Associate Director, Abigail works closely with staff, volunteers, partners, donors, and community members to advance NHI’s programs and priorities. She is passionate about creating strong organizational systems, fostering meaningful relationships, and helping NHI grow its impact while remaining rooted in its mission to cultivate a deeper understanding and appreciation of the natural world.

Advisory Council

Nalini Nadkarni, Ph.D.
Professor of Biology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah

Reed Noss, Ph.D.
President and Chief Scientist, Florida Institute for Conservation Science, Orlando, Florida

Julia K. Parrish, Ph.D.
Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, College of the Environment, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington

Mary Power, Ph.D.
Professor of the Graduate School of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley; Past President, Ecological Society of America, Berkeley, California

Sarah Juniper Rabkin
Independent natural history writer and artist; Former Faculty, University of California, Santa Cruz, Soquel, California

Mitchell Thomashow, Ph.D.
Former President, Unity College; Former Chair, Environmental Studies, Antioch University New England, Dublin, New Hampshire

Saul Weisberg, M.S.
Executive Director Emeritus, North Cascades Institute, Bellingham, Washington

Board of Trustees

Scientific Advisory Council

Lon Abbott, Ph.D.
Teaching Professor and Research Associate, Department of Geological Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado

Gallery Council

Roger Asay
Sculptor, Painter, Prescott, Arizona

Jen Chandler
Photographer, Climate Activist, former Gallery Manager, Prescott, Arizona

Edie Dillon
Sculptor, Painter, former Gallery Manager, Prescott, Arizona

Diane Gilbert
Textile and Installation Artist, former Arts Faculty, Yavapai College, Prescott, Arizona

RESEARCH AFFILIATE status recognizes collaborative working relationships with the scientific programs and staff of the Natural History Institute. Appointments are offered by the NHI Executive Director in an effort to foster interaction and synergistic collaboration between NHI staff and outside scientists. Typically, appointments are for particular projects and/or discrete time periods.

Lisa Floyd-Hanna, Ph.D. is a botanist and fire ecologist. She is Emeritus Professor of Environmental Studies, Prescott College, Prescott, AZ and former Science Director for the NHI. Lisa has taught botany, fire ecology, and field biology courses for 40 years in the southwestern US and coastal regions of Mexico.

David Hanna, M.S. is an independent field biologist and GIS practitioner. His cartographic work has been integral to many scientific publications, often regarding public lands of the western United States.

Andy Holycross, Ph.D. is a professor of biology at Mesa Community College and adjunct faculty at Arizona State University. He is co-author of A Field Guide to Amphibians and Reptiles in Arizona and co-editor of Snakes of Arizona, which is the standard reference on the topic.

We also collaborate on individual projects with scientists from across North America – for example, our field studies project featured a dozen collaborators, from 11 different institutions.