Staff
Jane Calvin
Executive Director
Jane has been with the Trust since 1995. Prior to joining the Trust, Jane was a high school science teacher, a forest policy specialist at the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests, and an urban forester for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Jane holds a Masters in Environmental Management from the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies and is a Certified Fundraising Professional (CFRE). In 2014, she received the Lowell Womens’ Week ‘Because of Her Award’ and was a Lowell Sun Charities’ Salute to Women honoree. Jane participated in the national Land Trust Alliance’s Executive Director Leadership Program (2016 & 2017). In 2018, she was selected to be a Better Selves Fellow at Knoll Farm. She was a member of the 2020/2021 Lowell LEADS Cohort. Jane was recently honored as the Girls Inc’s 2021 Celebration of Today’s Woman awardee. In 2022, Jane and LP&CT were honored with the Allen H. Morgan Award from Mass Audubon as “passionate and effective advocates for the environment and the community of Lowell.” In 2023, Jane was awarded with the Patrick Mogan Learning City Award from the Lowell City of Learning.
“During graduate school, I had to decide whether to spend my summer studying lemurs in Madagascar or working as a community forester in Baltimore. Madagascar was more sexy, but choosing Baltimore reminded me of my love for connecting with people, getting to know a place deeply, and ensuring that everyone has equal access to the outdoors.”
Volunteering: Treasurer of the Lowell Heritage Partnership (1995-present), member of the national Standards Advisory Team for the Land Trust Alliance (2016). Jane speaks at conferences and is also active on town committees in her hometown.
Email: jcalvin[at]LowellLandTrust[dot]org
Kathy Hirbour
Environmental Educator
Kathy joined the Trust several years ago as a volunteer. In 2017, she officially joined the staff as an environmental educator in our after-school program.
A graduate of the former Lowell State Teachers College, Kathy has a degree in History and Elementary Education. With over forty years of teaching experience, she continues to pursue her passion of teaching children.
Having taught in the past in the Lowell public schools, Kathy was then the Coordinator of Education for the American Textile History Museum for twenty years.
“I am excited to bring a love for history, our rivers, textiles, and language arts component to all the programs. Local wildlife has a great connection not only to the textiles but to many stories.”
Leigh Cameron
Membership and Volunteer Coordinator
Leigh Cameron joined the LP&CT team as an Environmental Educator in September 2017. She now enjoys teaching in the after-school program, as well as being the Membership and Volunteer Coordinator. She is passionate about conservation, community preservation, and connecting children to the natural world around them. She appreciates the opportunity to bring these passions to Lowell’s schoolchildren and the surrounding community.
Leigh has a bachelor’s degree in Food Science & Nutrition from the University of Rhode Island and a Certificate in Native Plant Horticulture & Design from the Native Plant Trust. Her professional background includes research and development for food and beverage companies, as well as garden design and maintenance. She’s been an active member of her local garden club for over ten years and chaired their Earth Day celebration for three years. Leigh also chaired the National Garden Club’s Environmental Studies School, which she brought to Lowell in 2016 and 2017, and is an accredited Environmental Consultant and Gardening Consultant with the National Garden Club.
Most recently, she has been protecting endangered Blanding’s turtles in the Greater Lowell area, helping implement LP&CT’s turtle head-starting program in partnership with Zoo New England.
Email: lcameron[at]lowelllandtrust[dot]org
Antonio Trinidad Martinez
Community Conservation Coordinator
Antonio first joined the Trust as a volunteer for the Alewife Monitoring Program in 2021. He attended Middlesex Community College attaining an associate’s in Liberal Arts & Sciences before transferring to the University of Massachusetts Lowell. While attending the University of Massachusetts Lowell, Antonio became a member of the Society of Environmental Scientists (SES). Working while attending college, he continued to volunteer with the Trust on projects such as Concord River Greenway clean-ups. After completing his bachelor’s in Environmental Science in May 2022, he joined the LP&CT team as a Community Conservation Coordinator in June 2022.
As a lifelong Lowellian, Antonio is passionate about creating and connecting the residents of Lowell to the natural world around them. Through his work in the education program and with the Environmental Youth Task Force he hopes to inspire the next generation towards an environmentally equitable future. In his free time, you may see him biking the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail, hiking up mountains, or playing basketball at any number of courts throughout Lowell.
Email: atrinidadmartinez[at]lowelllandtrust[dot]org
Kale Connerty
Environmental Educator & Grant Writer
Kale joined the LP&CT in the dual role of an environmental educator and a grant writer in 2022. She loves helping Lowell elementary and middle schoolers connect more deeply to the world around them. She has a background working in environmental communications, particularly in the clean water sector, and previous experience working with under-served youth in Lowell. In 2018, she earned her bachelor’s degree in English, as well as a minor in Climate Change and Sustainability and a minor in Spanish, from the University of Massachusetts, Lowell. As a student she was involved with UMass Lowell’s Climate Change Initiative and the Southeast Asian Digital Archives Project.
Kale enjoys traveling, hiking, literature and creative writing. As someone who grew up enjoying rural New England’s beautiful lakes, woods and mountains, she is very passionate about providing more opportunities for students living in cities to explore nature and wildlife.
Email: kconnerty[at]lowelllandtrust[dot]org
Dioris Guerrero
Operations Manager
Dioris Guerrero recently joined the LP&CT team as Operations Manager, but she’s also excited to support and teach in the after-school program, connecting with families and their children to motivate them to protect, conserve the environment and enjoy the special places that exist in the world. She comes from the Dominican Republic, a special country in terms of the environment, which is also characterized by having an abundance of endemic species and areas with special places such as some of its national parks.
I am excited to work with LP&CT because I believe I can learn and motivate the next generation to take care of their environment as if they were going to take care of themselves! I learned this from my parents and my teachers. My wish is that teaching children to value their environment is not lost.
Email: dguerrero[at]lowelllandtrust[dot]org
Elise Crawford-Paz Soldan
Environmental Educator
Elise joined the LP&CT as an environmental educator in 2024. She is passionate about wildlife, conservation, and forest ecology, and she is excited to share a love for nature with children in Lowell schools. Prior to joining the Trust, Elise worked as a teaching artist in Seattle, WA and Tempe AZ, with her favorite subject to teach being botanical drawing. She also has experience as an environmental educator with the Rio Salado Audubon Center in Phoenix, AZ where she taught youth about American Southwest ecologies. She holds a bachelor’s of science degree in Conservation Biology and Ecology and a bachelor’s of arts degree in Art Studies from Arizona State University.
With her trans-disciplinary background in art and biology, Elise is particularly interested in the intersection of nature, society, and art, and the way that art may be used to connect with individuals to achieve conservation action. She looks forward to building the arts programs and engagement within the Trust. Outside of work, Elise enjoys hiking, drawing and painting, and reading.
Email: elisepaz[at]lowelllandtrust[dot]org
