Felix Stith, Owner and NC & SC Registered Forester

Felix has a technical background in forestry and a formal education in ecology and environmental science. He grew up in the rural mountains of western NC where he spent time in the woods doing anything from exploring creeks, hiking, hunting, fishing, collecting mushrooms, watching birds, to mountain biking.

He earned a BS in Environmental Studies at UNC Asheville where he completed undergraduate research on invasive organisms and the geology of the Southern Appalachian Mountains. At App State Felix researched silvicultural treatments to improve American chestnut reintroduction.

Before starting Black Mountain Field & Forest he worked as the Toe-Cane Watershed Coordinator for Blue Ridge Resource Conservation & Development where he oversaw a variety of projects from stream and habitat restoration, to prescribed burn plan writing and implementation, tree health assessment, and best management practice implementation. He also served as a wildland firefighter for NC Forest Service, and as a forestry contractor mapping for the US Forest Service.

This combination of technical and professional background gives Felix and Black Mountain Field & Forest a holistic perspective to address land management and ecological issues.

Jake Silver, Forestry Associate

Jake grew up in Florida, and started visiting the mountains of Western North Carolina regularly in 2003 with his family. He’s lived and worked as an educator at Arthur Morgan School in the South Toe Valley since 2014 where his curiosity and appreciation of the natural world all around us has steadily grown. In addition to teaching a variety of subjects at AMS, often including forest science and tree identification, Jake has worked on crews doing landscaping, farming, and arborist work for years. He’s spent a number of summers working as a rock-climbing guide in Shenandoah National Park for middle-school-aged campers with Shiloh Quaker Camp and now is a part-time wilderness guide with Snakeroot Ecotours. At AMS, Jake coordinates the campus farm and the logistics for the school’s backpacking trips, in addition to being a steward of its 100 acre wooded campus. Jake has a diverse knowledge of forestry and ecological restoration and he feels a strong motivation to work in coordination with others to learn about and care for this beautiful forested land.

  • BA, Philosophy, St. Mary's College of MD

  • National Wildfire Coordinating Group S-130/190

  • Certified in Wilderness First Aid (WFA)

Tal Galton, Forestry Technician

A committed naturalist since early childhood, Tal has been introducing people to wild places for 30 years. He has extensive knowledge of the flora and fungi native to the southern Appalachians. Prior to founding his guide business Snakeroot Ecotours, he spent two decades teaching in the experimental and experiential environs of Arthur Morgan School and The Arete Project. He lives in a timber-frame home that he and his wife designed and built out of local white pines. Tal writes a column on Appalachian ecology for Asheville's Mountain Xpress, coaches cross country at Mountain Heritage HS, and co-founded the South Toe Conservation Fund.  

  • BA, History, Haverford College

  • NC Wild Mushroom Forager Certification

  • Certified in Wilderness First Aid (WFA)

Joshua Lentz, Forestry Technician

Joshua was born and raised in Nashville, TN, where he spent his time playing outside, climbing trees, and creek stomping. He has been visiting his family in the mountains of Haywood County, NC his whole life which led to the decision to move to Asheville to pursue a degree in Environmental Studies at UNC Asheville. His education developed his technical knowledge in tree and herbaceous plant identification, and increased his passion for the conservation and restoration of native habitats. While at UNCA, he led tree walks as lab tutor for the Ecology and Field Biology Course and interned at Black Mountain Field & Forest before becoming a full employee. Along with his technical background in forest restoration and passion for plants, he is an avid birder and mushroom forager. He enjoys talking to people and spreading knowledge about the natural world whenever and wherever possible.

  • BS Environmental Studies, UNC Asheville, 2024