Athens Conservancy’s board of directors is a multi-talented, engaged, experienced, and thoroughly brilliant group! We want you to get to know them, too. Here’s Greg Kessler, who joined the board in 2022. A 25-year resident of Athens County, Greg lives on a forested parcel adjacent to the Ridges. He’s a professor and department chair in the Patton College of 
Education at Ohio University.
Why is spending time outdoors important to you?
I spend time outdoors every day that I possibly can. It is important for me to feel connected to the natural world, and I feel better physically and emotionally whenever I am immersed in nature. It is healing!
What’s your perfect outdoors-kind-of-day?
Ideally I can spend the morning mountain biking and the afternoon hiking or backpacking.
Advice for someone new to exploring nature?
Just get out there! Don’t worry about having the perfect gear or finding the perfect trail. The more time you spend in the woods the more you will realize how easy it is!
Cat or dog person?
I am a dog person living in a house of cats. Out last dog passed about 5 years ago.
Hidden gem in southeast Ohio?
There are so many great ones, but Little Rocky Hollow in Hocking County is one that few people seem to know about.
Why is protecting land around us so important?
There is nothing more precious than the natural world. By protecting it, we are ensuring that future generations will be able to experience these amazing places. We are also indirectly protecting ourselves since we rely on nature for our well-being.
(Photo: Greg with Inonotus obliquus or chaga, that he foraged on Yew Mountain in West Virginia.)