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Embarking on their first year as Subaru/Leave No Trace Traveling Trainers, Topher and Alexis are excited for life on the road, and the opportunity to educate and learn from the many diverse communities their paths will cross.
Their journey together began three years ago in the Jewel of the Sierra Nevada’s, Lake Tahoe. Sharing a love of the outdoors, Topher and Alexis have spent countless hours biking, climbing, and snowboarding all around Tahoe, and the lower east side of the Sierras. With their combined experience and passion for environmental & experiential education, working together was inevitable. Topher and Alexis have guided adult and youth groups on hiking and snowshoeing excursions on the Tahoe Rim Trail educating participants about Tahoe’s flora and fauna and how to minimize their impacts while enjoying the outdoors. Together they love seeing live music, and attending summer music festivals to broaden their passion of arts & culture. They hope to bring a fresh perspective to Leave No Trace, while gaining as much knowledge while on the road.
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Alexis Ollar grew up in the great state of Texas, with big flat lands, lakes, and lots of running room. She immersed herself in the outdoors, swimming, surfing, scuba diving, playing sports, running, and dance. Alexis and her family spent lots of time traveling to the tropics to dive and exploring the great oceans of the world. These life-altering experiences shaped her childhood years.
After graduating high school Alexis set off to the island of Oahu, Hawaii to study at Hawaii Pacific University. Alexis graduated in 2004 with a BS degree in Environmental Sciences and Studies, and continued to reside and work in Hawaii. Alexis worked at He'eia State Park, for Friends of He’eia, a small environmental non-profit, teaching environmental education, running volunteer restoration projects, and monitoring water quality for the park watershed for 2 years. While living in Hawaii Alexis enjoyed the many beautiful cultural elements the islands had to offer. After leaving the islands Alexis sought out new adventures in majestic Lake Tahoe, California.
Alexis continued her work in environmental education with the Tahoe Rim Trail Association as their Director of Trail Programs. While working with the Tahoe Rim Trail Alexis lead many interpretive programs with youth and adults, guided winter and summer treks, managed volunteers, and worked in the office writing educational grants. In her free time, Alexis helped the Parasol Environment Team, run educational events, as well as taught at Lake Tahoe Community College in the Wilderness Education Program. During Alexis’ free time she is snowboarding in Tahoe’s epic powder, rock climbing and bouldering all over California, and hiking with her dog Kai. When she is not outside she is crafting, and making jewelry with a variety of rocks, and experiencing as much live music as possible.
Originally from California, Topher Marlatt grew up in the northeastern United States exploring the deep forests of Pennsylvania’s Pocono Mountains, and Massachusetts’s Berkshires. Topher’s family often took trips to the Adirondack Mountains of upstate New York where his love of the outdoors truly took flight. He spent summers hiking, swimming, and biking in the Adirondack High Peaks, and winters learning to ski and snowboard throughout New England.Topher attended university at Hartwick College in New York where he studied Geology and Management. His passion for outdoor education sparked when he became involved with the Challenge Education Program. He had the good fortune to work and learn from Sarah Root the director of the program. Blessed with a solid background in team building, group leadership, and high and low ropes course management, Topher applied his skills with the Adirondack Mountain Club and Nature Conservancy educating the public about trail maintenance, and environmental stewardship. After graduating college he went to work for New York State as a Wilderness Challenge Aide guiding adjudicated youth through the Adirondack wilderness. Drawn by childhood memories of its beauty, Topher relocated to Lake Tahoe, California. Continuing his working in the experiential education, Topher managed the Squaw Valley Adventure Center, and eventually worked for the Washoe Tribe as their Environmental Coordinator, and helped the Law Office of Lara Pearson Green their firm. When Topher’s not working he’s hiking, biking, snowboarding and climbing.
