| Krystal Smith, Assistant Treasurer, is excited to serve on the board of Many Turtles Learning Collective, our community-centered nonprofit focused on shared learning, connection to the earth, and building regenerative culture together. She was drawn to Many Turtles’ mission of fostering well-being, mutual aid, nature connection, and practical skill-sharing in a welcoming and accessible way, as she especially values creating spaces where people can learn from one another, build community, and reconnect with slower, more intentional ways of living. With experience in project coordination, office administration, community support, and caregiving, Krystal brings a thoughtful, organized, and compassionate perspective to the board. Her life journey has brought her from rural roots in North Carolina to Carrboro, NC, and a joy in raising her children within a community that deeply values connection to the land and each other. Krystal feels grateful to be part of a group working to grow community, care for the earth, and help keep shared learning alive for future generations. |  |
 | Amy Halberstadt, long-time professor of Psychology and advocate for social justice, is delighted to be President of the Many Turtles Learning Collective. Echoing in my ears is my father’s favorite childhood threat whenever confronted with injustice, inconvenience, or poor customer service: “I’m going to write to the President and get this fixed!” So far, as President, I have resolved exactly zero customer complaints — largely because none have arrived — but instead I see the President role as supporting the Board in advancing our vision of a more reasonable, compassionate, land-centered, and communitarian world. That work takes many forms: hosting workshops where people share practical skills and wisdom, expanding our ability to support larger gatherings and longer land stays, and increasing fertility in every sense of the word — from the tangible (like building more composting toilets and teaching spaces) to the relational and cultural (like strengthening our community’s and region’s capacity to listen, communicate, and stay connected across differing perspectives). My strengths include administering large grants, teamwork, organizing workflow, creating space for brainstorming, and building “power-with” rather than power-over. Underlying all of it is a stubborn belief that the world can, in fact, be repaired — and that the work of repairing it is worth doing. |
| Lisa Berley, Treasurer for the Many Turtle Learning Collective (MTLC), is loving her ten-year journey with Common Ground Ecovillage and its connection to the land and all its inhabitants, including, of course, all the people growing together, sharing with all, and having fun along the way. She joined the MTLC because she strongly supports its mission of caring for the earth through skill-sharing and hands-on learning. Lisa spent 19 years with the Orange County Government in the Departments of Parks and Rec and Aging, where she mastered event planning, organized local trips to all sorts of places, and managed a grant-funded transportation program for older adults. Now a retired social work, she continues expressing her passion for recreational experiences that add joy to people’s lives through MTLC. |  |
 | Lucas Babinec. Secretary, brings a passionate heart and mind to expanding the offerings and impact of Many Turtles Learning Collective. He apprenticed at Rancho Mastatal (Costa Rica) in 2022, immersing himself in permaculture, natural building, agroforestry, and intentional community living. That experience planted a visceral memory seed—of vitality, healthy community, experiential learning pedagogy and deep connection to nature—that he now carries into his work with Many Turtles and beyond. At Common Ground Ecovillage, Lucas grows okra, helps run the CSA business on the land (Full Table CSA), cooks farm-to-table community meals, harvests greens, organizes the Gifted Garden Hands program, sorts the compost, and onboards interns, WWOOFers, and other Land Learners. He also sings to trees, tends the fire at Wheel of the Year gatherings, and makes sure we all keep play and lightness in the picture. Much of these efforts strengthen the container that holds the work that Many Turtles does. Lucas believes the current polycrisis is a watershed moment for humans as a species. Pathfinding regenerative futures is his ongoing life’s work. Some of his other current devotions include uplifting camaraderie for all on the sandlot ballfield with the Eno River Possums, supporting important weather ritual work at Stone Mountain in Georgia, and caring for a nourishing home space with his wife, Kara. |
