The Roots & Shoots Northeast Volunteer Area Coordinators

Roots & Shoots Northeast is lucky to have six committed Volunteer Area Coordinators to help out all of our members inside and outside of the Boston area. Read on to learn more about these fantastic volunteers!

Sara Parrow
Metro Boston, Mass.


Sara Parrow attended UMass Amherst and graduated Cum Laude in 2008 with a degree in Natural Resource Economics. While in school, she was the secretary of the UMass Dressage Team, a member of the Belted Galloway Society, Inc. group and aided in the restoration of a Holyoke farmland. She is currently the manager of a local farm in Sharon, Mass. and has been volunteering for Roots & Shoots for about a year. In her spare time, Sara enjoys hiking and horseback riding.

Michelle Tate
Metro Boston, Mass.

Michelle Tate founded the Holliston Roots & Shoots group in 2007.  She is a freelance artist, specializing in photography, painting and graphic design. She is also a certified Music Together teacher, teaching music classes in Hopkinton and Wellesley. Michelle has a BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design, and has pursued additional interests by studying environmental science, environmental law, marine biology and animal behavior. Michelle’s favorite aspect of Roots & Shoots is the program’s flexibility and encouragement of members to pursue their own projects, which allows them to discover solutions for our world’s challenges. One of her main goals as a leader is to encourage her members to observe their environment and come up with project ideas. She also feels that one of her most meaningful roles is as a mother to her three children. Holliston Roots & Shoots recently raised $1,631.40 at their third annual dog bath in which they donate all proceeds to local animal shelters. The group also works for environmental and social issues, and loves to participate in New England Roots & Shoots projects whenever possible.

Joan Macallister
Cape Cod & The Islands

Joan Macallister has been a Roots & Shoots leader for Barnstable Roots & Shoots for the last three years. She became involved when her oldest daughter Catherine’s group was almost disbanded after their leader became ill.  She now runs 3 groups within the Barnstable School System.  She serves as an advisor to the high school group, co-leads the Barnstable Horace Mann 5-6 group with Michelle Sgarlat, and the Marstons Mills East Elementary School group with Sharon Wilkey.  Her favorite part is when all three groups are able to collaborate on projects.  In 2008, Joan had the honor of meeting Dr. Jane in Boston.  It has inspired her to continue on as a leader to over 60 students in the town of Barnstable. Joan has been working diligently with Mass Audubon’s Long Pasture and her group will be a key player in the design and implementation of a “natural” butterfly mosaic trail being planned in West Barnstable, MA.  She would love to hear from other groups on the Cape or anyone interested in starting a group on Cape Cod. Personally, she is married to her husband Duncan for the last 15 years and has 4 beautiful daughters, Catherine, Isabella, Abigail and Gabrielle, who are all active Roots & Shoots members.

Erine Anderson
Bristol & Plymouth Counties

Erine Anderson majored in Arts Administration (or business for non-profits) and theatre at the University of Kentucky and started with Roots & Shoots as an intern for the New England regional office fresh out of college. Her experiences with the Jane Goodall Institute and interactions with the inspiring youth of Roots & Shoots led her to pursue a career in volunteer management. She is currently serving as the Volunteer Services Coordinator for the Buttonwood Park Zoo in New Bedford, Mass, where (among other duties) she has the pleasure of advising the RSBPZoo Planet Protectors. When Erine isn’t working at the Zoo or supporting volunteerism in southeastern Mass, she enjoys spending time renovating her home in New Bedford with her fiancé Matt and Australian cattle dog Lowen.

Judy Burroughs
Western Connecticut

Judy Burroughs grew up in Northern Minnesota.  After college, she married an Army Pilot who later flew for TWA; they have 2 children and 5 grandchildren. Traveling Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Africa, Judy’s yearning to live in East Africa grew and, by serendipity, she learned of R&S. In 2005, she volunteered in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania for 3 months preparing for International R&S Day. She returned in 2007 for a month, living 12 hours south of Dar in Pommern, a rural village, painting and decorating a new library, team teaching geography and keeping a promise to Dr. Jane to start a R&S group. She attends meetings at Western Connecticut State University and, this year, begged 300 tote bags from merchants to distribute on Earth Day; that same day, she had a successful conversation with WCSU President, Dr. James Schmotter, to discontinue the use of #5 plastic cups on campus. Judy was a volunteer counselor and domestic violence group facilitator at the Women’s Center of Greater Danbury in Danbury, CT for 20 years. She states that her work with the Center and R&S have enriched her life beyond measure.  She is a member of The Nature Conservancy's Sunny Valley Preserve in New Milford, CT where she and Al live. She enjoyed backpacking the canyons of Utah for many years. She has a collection of 260+ red hats.

Chris Hitchener
Rhode Island

Since 2002, Chris has worked in Roger William Park Zoo’s education department developing curriculum for the early childhood programs ages toddler and up. During the summer, he directs travel camps to get kids, teens and adults outside to explore local habitats.  One of his favorite side projects is running the zoo’s Roots & Shoots club. Kids get to work in the zoo and with their local communities to complete service projects dealing with people, animals and the environment. Chris enjoys working closely with the conservation department on key projects like the Karner Blue Butterfly, American Burying Beetle and Polar Bears International. He states “My job allows me to connect people to projects they only thought they would see on TV”.  

Want to meet more of the Roots & Shoots Northeast team? Click here to meet our fantastic interns!