The Upper Delaware Council (UDC) has hired Travis O’Dell of Long Eddy, NY as its resource specialist. O’Dell will provide the non-profit organization with technical support on land and resource management activities relevant to the Congressionally-designated Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River corridor (UDSRR).

O’Dell graduated from Roscoe Central School in 2003. He earned an Associate degree in Applied Science in Fishery and Wildlife Technology in 2005 and a Bachelor’s of Technology degree in Wildlife Management in 2007, both from the SUNY-Cobleskill.

The 27-year-old has held internships or was seasonally employed by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation as a park ranger at Mongaup Pond, as a camp counselor at Camp DeBruce, and by Wetland Studies and Solutions of Chantilly, VA.

He has also worked for the New York State Power Authority in Gilboa, for Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory in Fort Collins, CO and for HDR, Inc. of Nanuet, NY in various technician roles, as well as by the Upper Delaware Campgrounds in Callicoon wrangling canoes.

Since 2010, O’Dell has lived on a 100-acre property that was the home of his late grandparents Edward and Zelda Milk, on a road named after his great-grandfather Arlyn Milk in the Town of Hancock. He is the son of Victoria O’Dell of Roscoe, and Richard and stepmother Patricia O’Dell of Damascus, PA.

O’Dell and his wife Kayla welcomed a baby daughter, Lilyana, on July 26. He is a hobby farmer, raising Icelandic sheep, pastured pigs and free-range chickens with a commitment toward sustainable agricultural practices. He enjoys fishing, hunting, kayaking and hiking, and is a member of the Basket Historical Society of the Upper Delaware Valley.

The Upper Delaware Council was established in 1988 as the oversight body responsible for coordinating implementation of the River Management Plan for the UDSRR.