The Gatherer Institute was created in May 2001 to preserve a local forest and its wildlife. Some forest acreage was slated for development until the Gatherer Institute proposed using the area as a Wilderness Classroom and Playground for the community at large. The town agreed. Read about "How We Started: the 88-Acre Project."

Frank is an educator, linguist, scholar, author, naturalist, and tracker (Tom Brown's Tracker School). He has two missions: One is to rebalance the environment and protect wildlife; and the other is to help children and adults "at risk" improve their lives and contribute to society.

Frank's first accomplishment with the Gatherer Institute was to have 88 acres set aside in South Toms River, New Jersey, for the preservation of wildlife and to teach children how to respect themselves, each other, and their environment. Other offerings the Institute has developed include women's groups, peer counseling, anti-drug and domestic counseling, anger-management classes, leadership dynamics, a summer camp, immersion in foreign languages and their cultures, entrepreneurships, learning survival skills and playing "Manhunt", and building wigwams and a Gatherer Institute fort.

"In my Entreupreneurship programs, youngsters learn to run zero environmental impact businesses. Since each business must have its own disciplines in order to work, The Gatherer Institute teaches how important it is to have good English, math, and phone skills, and to be polite and articulate when dealing with customers." Frank Cipriani



CHERYL KOERNER, Vice President

Cheryl first came to the Gatherer Institute as a student. She loved wilderness survival and was excited that The Gatherer Institute offered a program that dealt with these skills precisely. Being able to get fire from a bow drill gave her a feeling of power in the wilderness that she had never experienced before. Her instructor was fun, patient, and thoughtful. She also participated in the Women's program which gave her strength and made her more independent.

Over the past several years, the Gatherer Institute sent Cheryl to the Tom Brown Tracker School, introduced her to a wide variety of people from all walks of life, and taught her enough about leadership that it was natural for her to take a leadership position in the organization.

"The Gatherer Institute has worked with many individuals, both young and old, from many walks of life. Individuals leave with a knowledge and confidence they never before possessed, including sensitivity to cultural diversity, and the universal sense of play that transcends culture and time." Cheryl Koerner



MATT HOLLEN, Master Teacher

We are privileged to have as our head instructor, Matt Hollen. Since the age of 13, Matt has been practicing wilderness skills, camping, rock climbing and studying nature. Matt is currently a Caretaker for Tom Brown's Tracker School, Nature and Wilderness Survival, located in Ocean Township.

He was previously employed as an instructor in the Tracker's Kids Program, where he instructed children on survival skills and group dynamics. Matt has worked as a counselor and an outdoor education instructor in a camp for inner city youth, many of whom were drug addicts, diagnosed ADD, and from households in crisis. Part of Matt's responsibility there was to build initiative, encourage team work and self esteem and to demonstrate positive role modeling.

"While working with youth I have a set of goals that I try to accomplish in whatever area I work. In this case, the seen goals would be centered around wilderness survival skills, tracking, nature study, movement and awareness. These skills range anywhere from friction fires ("rubbing sticks together" to make fires) natural survival shelters, primitive foods, and survival strategy to track identification, awareness of birds and animals and plant identification. I also love to incorporate healthy exercise through natural movement, stretching, animal movements and hiking. These skills alone teach youth to think positively and give them a positive alternative to TV and drugs, allowing them to focus their energy on positive, useful things. The unseen goals of the program are hard to explain... these programs teach youth to think for themselves, consider things on a deeper level, and open up a part of them that many people never explore." Matt Hollen



BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Michael Rosenthal
CEO, Rosenthal Discovery & Invention
Michael has worked with the world’s largest investment banks and exchanges creating trading and market data systems. Rosenthal Discovery and Invention, is an advanced computer consulting firm who has sponsored international events such as the New York Marathon.

Dana Alexander
Certified Financial Planner
Dana is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP) who has extensive experience working with nonprofit organizations in fundraising and business administration. She has raised millions of dollars for nonprofit causes and began her career working with Martin Luther King, Jr.

Pamela Holland
LCPC, CGC, BCETS, M.Ed.
Pamela is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC), Certified Genetic Counselor (CGC), and a Board Certified Expert in Traumatic Stress (BCETS).

Joan Poelvoorde
LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker)
Joan is a co-founder of The Helix Training Program. Helix Training provides a broad spectrum of psychotherapeutic theories for professionals to better serve the individual needs of their patients.

THE MEANING OF THE GATHERER INSTITUTE LOGO

The symbol of the Gatherer Institute logo is an icon of harmony representing the unity of humanity and nature. Red represents the human and green represents the earth. We can each make a difference in the world. And we can all make the world a little bit better every day. This is the central belief of the Gatherer Institute: We are all caretakers - not only of each other, but of the Earth itself.