About OPLI
The Oregon Paleo Lands Institute is an educational, community-based non-profit based in Fossil, Oregon. Our mission is to help northwest residents and visitors of all ages to explore, understand, and enjoy the world-renowned natural history of north central Oregon, the ancient and living landscapes of Oregon’s last 400 million years, and the full fossil record of earth’s last 50 million years. We are partnering with other organizations in Oregon Solutions to provide and strengthen a sustainable economy throughout Oregon, especially rural Oregon. We offer trips, tour, hikes and workshops for adults, children and families that explore regional geology, do restoration work, and connect art and science. We work with schools, adult and community groups to broaden understanding of the Earth’s history, and the lessons it holds for us today. We invite you to join us on future adventures!
Oregon Paleo Lands Institute Board of Directors Roster (PDF)
Meet our Staff, Instructors, and Volunteers!
Will Boettner, P.G.
Executive Director
E-mail:
Favorite Quote:”Do what you can with what you have, where you are.” (Theodore Roosevelt)
Favorite Activities:Hiking, rock collecting, being outdoors, no matter what the weather!
Will Boettner, Executive Director, is a professional geologist with more than 30 years of scientific and administrative experience. He is formally trained in paleontology, hydrogeology, archaeology and sedimentology. He and his family live in Fossil, Oregon and, unbelievably, his personal car license plate for the past ten years has read “FOSSIL”.
Will graduated from the University of Texas and began his career with the United States Geological Survey. He joined a national environmental consulting firm and spent more than 25 years as a Project Manager, Program Manager and Program Director. He ultimately became a Vice President of CH2MHILL responsible for government environmental programs nation-wide. His range of scientific experience includes working in diverse climates throughout the deserts of the southwestern United States, the U.S. and Canadian arctic and several research projects in Greenland. His scientific interests include climate change as demonstrated by changing fossil assemblages, glaciers in the U.S. and Greenland and changing ground water supplies. His professional work involved restoration of riparian wetlands, design/build of environmental restoration projects for habitat enhancement and recovery and ground water studies. Will is also an experienced caver and has done cave paleontology in a number of western states.
His geologic career began at age 7 when a nearby construction project exposed extensive deposits of Pennsylvanian age coal swamps. Using his little red wagon to haul samples, he quickly buried his mother’s flower gardens in fossil ferns and cycad logs. From that point on, his idea of a great souvenir on a family trip consisted of one or more rocks. Now, thousands of pounds of rock later, his wife still has to graciously cope with rocks rolling out from under car seats and his persistent belief that rocks represent the epitome of home decorating style.
He has always been a “dirty boots” geologist and loves leading field trips for school classes and families. His personal philosophy is that there are no bad field days and he is ardent supporter of the “No Child Left Inside” approach to science and natural history education.
Dr. Ellen Morris Bishop
Programs Director
E-mail:
Favorite Quote: “The real voyage of discovery is not seeking new landscapes, but having new eyes.” (Proust)
Favorite activities: Cycling, photography, hiking with dogs.
Ellen is the Programs Director of the Oregon PaleoLands Institute. A geologist, writer, and photographer, her research helped define Oregon’s ancient, exotic terranes, and her award-winning book, In Search of Ancient Oregon (2004, Timber Press) chronicles Oregon’s geologic history. Other books include Hiking Oregon’s Geology and Best Hikes with Dogs, Oregon. She holds a Ph.D. in geology from Oregon State University. Ellen has taught at every level from elementary to university, connecting people to geology, the environment and the great outdoors.
Kelly Riley
Program Manager
E-mail:
Favorite Quote: “A bird doesn’t sing because it has an answer. It sings because it has a song” (Maya Angelou)
Favorite activities: Music, Hiking, Cycling, Camping, Fiber Arts, Exploring backroads & small towns
Kelly is the Program Manager of the Oregon Paleo Lands Institute. She has a BA in Environmental Design but most of her education has taken place through many years of living and learning. Kelly has been called a renaissance woman - artist, singer/songwriter, carpenter, gardener, bicycle mechanic and shepherd are among her titles. Her professional experience includes farming, business ownership, sustainable building, and teaching of fiber arts, organic gardening and alternative construction methods. Kelly is passionate about her music, the environment and wide open spaces. She has found ‘home’ among the rimrock, small towns and big sky in the paleo lands of Oregon.
Robin Hunt-Palazo
Bookkeeping/accounting
Robin provides OPLI’s contract bookkeeping service. She is a native of Wheeler County, and worked as the bookkeeper and administrative assistant for Wheeler High School in Fossil, prior to starting her own bookkeeping service.