2022-2023

Alaina (she/her) grew up in Portland, OR and moved to the Bay Area for her higher education. She graduated in 2020 with a B.S. in Biological Sciences (and a minor in studio art) from Santa Clara University. Her long-term goal is to obtain a master's that builds her skills for a career in the climate mitigation field. Her personal hobbies include photography, graphic design and ultimate frisbee. Her GrizzlyCorps fellowship is at Marin Wildfire Prevention Agency (MWPA), a joint powers authority which aims to "lead the development of fire adapted communities using sound scientific, financial, programmatic, ecological practices, vegetation management, community education, evacuation and warning systems with the support of its member and partner agencies". The MWPA was created in 2020 when Measure C was passed in Marin County. To learn more visit www.marinwildfire.org.

Alexandra (she/her) is a GrizzlyCorps fellow serving with the Resource Conservation District of Tehama County where she is focused on building local and regional outreach as well as expanding engagement capacity for regenerative agri-food and wildfire resilience projects. She is originally from Indiana and graduated from Indiana University Bloomington with degrees in International Studies and Spanish. Her studies were interdisciplinary and focused on a variety of topics, including global climate governance, the effects of climate change on human health, conservation theory, and environmental justice. As a GrizzlyCorps fellow, she is excited to continue learning about sustainable food, water, and forest systems and is looking forward to exploring northern California throughout her service term.

Andrea Salinas (she/her) was born and raised in the tropical climate of El Salvador. She moved to the U.S. to further her education and earned a Bachelor's degree in Biological Sciences with an emphasis in Human Biology at the University of California, Merced. While in school, she formed part of various pre-med and environmental leadership programs, leading her to spend a season in Yosemite National Park as part of the Search and Rescue team. Since then she became fascinated with all the novel research being conducted in the Sierra Nevadas and decided to work as a Research Assistant for the Sierra Nevada Research Institute where she then decided to continue her own research project. She is finishing her Master’s degree in Microbial Ecology and is excited to start working with the Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority as a Grizzly Corps Fellow. With her experience in bioinformatics and all the time spent in forest ecosystems, she hopes to develop a better understanding of fire ecology to become a more well-rounded ecologist. Andrea is excited to get to know another part of California and in her free time, you can find her cooking up a good meal or mountain biking.

Ashleyann (she/her) is a Filipina born and raised in Stockton, CA, and she is one of the two fellows serving the Resource Conservation District of Greater San Diego County for the 2022-2023 service year. She will assist with the implementation of the Regional Forest and Fire Capacity Program. This work will include outreach, education, project planning, and gathering and organizing data for San Diego’s regional priority plan and community wildfire protection plans. Ashleyann is excited to participate in community work that blends with and builds upon her previous community outreach experiences and the fire knowledge she gained in her master’s program. She is currently wrapping up her M.S. in Interdisciplinary Studies: Wildland Management from CSU Chico. It is through this program where she began to better understand prescribed fire and cultural burning practices, and the importance of wildfire education and changing wildfire perception in the state of California. Prior to CSU Chico, she earned a B.S. in Physiology and B.A. in Environmental Studies with an emphasis in the History of Human-Environmental Relations from UC Santa Barbara. Ashleyann has lived in many parts of California—Central Valley, North State, Central Coast—and she is excited to live in a new area of the state. She loves exploring California and is most likely making plans for where she should explore and hike next. She also likes to spend her time cooking, baking, crocheting, reading, watching anime, and playing video games.

Clay Groetsch (she/he/they) is a GrizzlyCorps fellow serving with Mariposa Trails in Mariposa County, working on expanding the scope of trails in Mariposa County while integrating recreation with fire resiliency. Clay received their Bachelor of Science in Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Management from North Carolina State University, and a Master of Science in Natural Resources from Auburn University. Before GrizzlyCorps they worked as a Graduate Research Assistant at Auburn University.

Carolina (she/her) graduated from California State University Monterey Bay in 2018 and received a Bachelor of Science in Biology with a concentration in Molecular Biology. Throughout her undergraduate career and post-grad, she completed an internship at the University of Southern California that focused on microbial ecology, volunteered at homeless clinics, worked as a certified phlebotomist, and a counselor at a Residential Eating Disorder facility for Adolescents. Her background has primarily been in the medical field, until she took an Environmental and Human Impact course at my local community college in the fall of 2020. She decided to transition her career into environmental science and explore what opportunities are out there. She is over the moon and beyond excited to be serving with the Resource Conservation District of Greater San Diego County assisting with project planning, outreach, education, and wildfire protection plans. She is passionate about environmental justice, sustainability, and environmental health. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her dogs and traveling.

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Charlie (he/him) studied GeoDesign at the University of Southern California. His interest in the environment grew after conducting research on urban forestry and environmental justice in Los Angeles. He will be working with the Trinity County Resource Conservation District in Weaverville on extending community outreach with the Trinity County Fire Safe Council and bolstering resilience in the Weaverville Community Forest. When he’s not working, you can find him surfing, hiking, or puttering around the house.

Charlotte (she/her) is serving her GrizzlyCorps fellowship with the Western Shasta Resource Conservation District, assisting in increasing community resilience through their Regional Forestry and Fire Capacity program. This is her second year of AmeriCorps; she previously served in the San Jose area doing urban forestry and sustainable landscaping. Originally from San Francisco, she graduated in 2020 with a Bachelor's in Environmental Science and a minor in Forestry from the University of California Berkeley.

Chloe Wanaselja (she/they) grew up watching newts navigate burbling streams in the Berkeley hills. Growing up in a city of activists, she soon learned to use this connection to land as a source of inspiration for her work, creating an art installation in high school asking what our ecosystems could look like in the face of climate change and environmental degradation. Since then, she studied at Pomona College on the outskirts of Los Angeles, educating local youth about gardening and environmental justice and working at the campus bike repair shop. In the fall of 2020, she took the semester off and flew to Fairbanks, Alaska to work on a political campaign. She lived and worked at a ranch in Santa Barbara the following semester and wrote her thesis on the effect of two regenerative agriculture techniques on soil health and carbon sequestration. She graduated in the fall of 2021 with a degree in biology and a minor in studio art. Since then, Chloe has lived at and helped renovate a collective in Germany, hitchhiked through Greece and Albania, and worked restoring a piece of land in Bodega, CA. She is thrilled to be living and working at the UC Hopland Research and Extension Center, continuing to support people on the front lines of climate change creating more just and resilient futures.

Cindy (she/they) grew up with a curiosity for the natural world interspersed throughout the streets, beaches, and mountains of Los Angeles. Cindy recently graduated from UC Riverside in 2022 with a BS in Sustainability Studies and a BA in Political Science/International Affairs. In school, Cindy dedicated her attention to differential impacts of climate change by engaging with feminist research paradigms that stressed the value of solidarity building and the power of local organizing. As a student, Cindy also served as a committee member and Policy Director for UC Riverside’s Green Campus Action Plan, spearheading student-led sustainability initiatives and addressing environmental justice concerns housed in the Inland Empire. Moving forward, Cindy hopes to apply both her theoretical and experiential knowledge to praxis by supporting community efforts back home in Los Angeles. During her term of service, she will be working with the RCD of the Santa Monica Mountains by supporting the Community Resilience department on Wildland Urban-Interface concerns of the region to mitigate wildfire risk and help prepare residents to local threats of climate change through community education.

Darian (she/her) will be serving with White Buffalo Land Trust to develop and implement a biodiversity monitoring protocol for Jalama Canyon Ranch in Santa Barbara County. Her free time is spent trail running, cooking, biking, practicing yoga or surfing with friends. After receiving her degree in Environmental Studies at UCSB, she worked as an Avian Biologist and Environmental Consultant in the Santa Barbara area.

Ellen Murphy (she/her) is from the Bay Area, CA and fell in love with the outdoors through catching reptiles. With this passion, she graduated from UC Santa Cruz in June 2020, majoring in Environmental Studies with a focus in Biology. For the past 2 years or so, Ellen has explored various avenues in the environmental field. She has worked as a Soundscape technician at the Grand Canyon, outdoor educator at Golden Gate Recreation Area and Olympic NP, and has worked with elephant seals at Point Reyes National Seashore. With her experience, Ellen is excited to bring a variety of skills to Mendocino County Resource Conservation District as the Forest Ecosystem Planning and Outreach fellow.

Gabe (he/him) is excited to serve with the Napa County Resource Conservation District and explore how he can contribute to their work. His work will focus on the RCD’s forestry and wildfire resilience programming. Originally from the Chicago suburbs, Gabe graduated from Oberlin College in 2017 with a major in Geology and a minor in English. After college, he interned as a Geospatial Support Assistant with the Forest Service office in Montgomery, AL. He spent the next couple of years working as a Geospatial Analyst in Huntsville, AL. During his time in Alabama, he volunteered with several organizations and discovered an appreciation for volunteerism as a way of learning about and getting involved with a community. Gabe is eager to dive back into the world of environmental science, conservation, and climate work. In his free time he enjoys playing piano and guitar, drawing and painting, and hanging out with animals.

Jenna Hatfield (she/her) is from the North Bay in California. She graduated from Cal Poly SLO in 2020 with a degree in Biology and a concentration in Wildlife and Biodiversity Conservation. For the past two years Jenna has been moving from place to place conducting wildlife research all over the US. She has lived in south Texas, Bend Oregon, Catalina Island, and Humboldt county, never staying in one place for more than 6 months. She worked with studies on White-Tailed Hawks, Grey Hawks, marine invertebrates, Island Foxes, Northern Spotted Owls and much more. In Jenna’s free time she loves to bird, swim, cook, hike and explore new things. Recently Jenna developed a desire to take a step back from wildlife conservation to look at broader scale climate action. She has focused on her passion for resilient food systems and the protection of natural resources. For this reason, she is beyond excited to be working with her partner sites, The Lost Sierra Food Project and the Feather River RCD in Plumas County. 

Joaquin (he/him) is currently serving at Yolo County Resource Conservation District for his second term as a GrizzlyCorps Fellow. He is a recent graduate from UC Merced with a degree in public health and a passion for prescribed burning. During his second year with the RCD, he will work primarily on the Regional Forest and Fire Capacity grant, developing wildfire mitigation programs for the community as well as assisting in the creation of a prescribed burn association. During this time, Joaquin will also be working towards his state burn boss certification through a fellowship with Audubon Canyon Ranch's Fire Forward program. In his free time, Joaquin enjoys attending fire and forestry trainings, camping, hiking, traveling, and working with farm animals at his local animal sanctuary.

In 2021, Jordan (he/they) graduated from University of California Berkeley with a degree in Environmental Management and Forestry — where they found a passion for fire ecology, indigenous stewardship, and community building. They came to UC Berkeley by way of California Community Colleges as a re-entry and transfer student. After completing one year of service as a GrizzlyCorps Fellow at a Bay Area food and farm nonprofit, they are continuing their service with a new organization focused on forest and fire resiliency. For the next year they will be serving with The Forestry & Fire Recruitment Program (FFRP) at their newly opened Bay Area (Oakland) headquarters; FFRP’s mission is to provide a pathway to meaningful employment for people who have been incarcerated and working at California’s conservation (fire) camps. Here Jordan will be working to develop field training resources, field project materials, and collecting data for the first Bay Area Cohort Training Program. In their off hours, Jordan spends time reading, biking, creating and cooking. What matters most to them is family and friendship.

Karen (she/her) is a recent graduate of Fresno State University where she got her bachelor’s degree in Agriculture Education with an emphasis on Communications and leadership development. Growing up in Sonoma County, Karen has gained hands-on experience and exposure to the agriculture industry through 4-H, FFA, WG Edge Program, and the Sonoma County Farm Bureau. All these experiences have influenced her ever growing passion for agriculture advocacy and resiliency. Karen is excited to be partnering up with Sonoma RCD to establish inclusivity in under-resourced communities as well as assisting with educational youth programs. As a Sonoma County native, Karen is excited to be back home serving her community, and enjoying all the beauty the county has to offer.

Laura Bedoyan (she/her) received a Bachelor of Arts from Whitman College with a major in Geology-Physics and is currently pursuing a Masters of Science in Computer Science at Cal State University Northridge. She is currently a GrizzlyCorps member placed with the Karuk Tribe Department of Natural Resources, working on GIS development and data stewardship. Laura is excited to learn more about the best ways in which she can create new technologies to help benefit the natural resources field, especially fire resilience and wildlife.

Makayla is serving on the Research & Preserve Management team at Pepperwood Preserve in Santa Rosa. She looks forward to using her skills and interests to support the team in its innovative research and land stewardship efforts. Prior to her time with GrizzlyCorps, Makayla obtained a BA in Environmental Studies and Planning from Sonoma State University. She has since held a variety of positions that have expanded her knowledge and interests in everything from ecology to environmental justice. Makayla hopes that her time as a GrizzlyCorps Fellow will benefit Pepperwood Preserve while allowing her to gain further experience into the field of ecology.

Mason graduated from UC Riverside in 2018 with a Bachelor’s in Political Science, where he realized he wanted to commit his career to tackling issues that will make the world a better place. He realizes that one of the most important issues is climate change. Here in California, the effects of climate change most prominently as devastating wildfires. Prior to GrizzlyCorps, he worked as an advocate for better fire and Forest management policy as the Campaign Organizer for the Sierra Club’s Stop Clearcutting CA Campaign. He also worked hands on in fire mitigation and fuel reduction work as a Corps member for the CA Conservation Corps. He looks forward to continuing this work for Fire Safe Sonoma and Gold Ridge Resource Conservation District. He is excited to learn new things and continue to make change happen as part of this program. In my free time he enjoys hiking, biking, photography, and watching baseball, basketball, and football.

Miles (he/him) is a Grizzly Corps fellow serving at the Trinity County Resource Conservation District. Graduating with a B.S. in Forestry and Natural Resources and a minor in Geographic Information Systems, he will work with the Trinity Fire Safe Council and in the Weaverville Community Forest to build healthy and resilient communities. Miles enjoys surfing, cooking and backpacking and hopes to spend his free time this year exploring the Trinity Alps.

Modibo Keita (he/him) is serving with Sustainable Conservation at their San Francisco office for the 2022-2023 GrizzlyCorps term. As a fellow, he will identify and assess opportunities for SGMA and CV-SALTS to increase the effectiveness of groundwater management through collaboration and consolidation. Prior to his service term, Modibo received a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Resource Management from Penn State where he also played for the university’s rugby team. A nomadic upbringing has made it tough for Modibo to call anywhere home. He grew up in Atlanta, DC, London, and Libreville, Gabon. However, his family now resides in Lagos, Nigeria. He is driven towards environmental work as a result of climate change and its consequences across West Africa and the Sahel, namely water scarcity. So naturally, his primary focus lies in developing systems of sustainable water management. Outside of work, Modibo enjoys watching or playing soccer and rugby, making music, biking around, and spending time in nature.

An ecologist by training and activist at heart, Nicholas Filannino joins the Grizzlycorps this service term working with Wild Farm Alliance in Watsonville, California. He joins Wild Farm Alliance to assist with the implementation of many regenerative agricultural programs including hedgerow planning and building at farms across Monterey County and the surrounding areas. Nicholas recently graduated in 2020 with a degree in Conservation Biology from St. Lawrence University. After graduating from a university nestled between the St. Lawrence River and The Adirondack Mountains in New York, he moved west to Boulder City, Nevada. In Nevada, Nick worked on a number of different projects in varied desert ecosystems including the Joshua Tree Genome Project with the USGS and multiple rare plant surveys with the Desert Research Institute. Nick wants to be part of the movement to create national food systems that work for the people and the environment at the same time. He firmly believes that with the guidance of research based regenerative agricultural practices and the energy of sustained community activism we can create informed public policy to more appropriately use our land. When not working towards revolutionizing our food systems, Nick can be found trying to learn new languages, writing poetry, Olympic weightlifting, or Kayak fishing.

Nina (she/her) is the oldest of three sisters from the San Francisco Bay Area, and loves swimming, camping, yoga, and playing guitar. She graduated with a B.S. in Environmental Science with a concentration in Environmental Systems & Society from University of California - Los Angeles (UCLA) in June 2021. She first became interested in the intersection of food and sustainability her freshman year of college. Her internship the following summer with Planting Justice, a grassroots food justice non-profit in Oakland, fueled her passion for environmental justice and regenerative agriculture, and she became very involved with the Environmentalists of Color Collective at UCLA. She’s spent the past year driving boats in Lake Arrowhead, working in an herbal medicine garden in Oregon, teaching English in Sardinia, Italy, and picking rambutan in Hawai`i.

As a Grizzly Corp fellow, Nolan (he/him) is happy to be a part of the environmental sphere of progressive California. Nolan Is originally from Washington State, where he grew up and got a degree at Western Washington University in public relations. He will be working for Community Alliance for Family Farmers this year as Videographer and Outreach, and by the end of his term he plans to create videos that promote local and sustainable food systems, agricultural practices, and positive political policies. After this year, he hopes to go to graduate school using his scholarship and get a master's in communication strategy where he can further positive action against environmental destruction.

Sean (he/him) is a GrizzlyCorps fellow serving with the Shasta Valley Resource Conservation District in Siskiyou County. His work will focus on forest management, wildfire resiliency, and watershed resource monitoring. He will also support the Siskiyou Prescribed Burn Association in organizing and implementing prescribed burns. Sean graduated from Washington State University in 2021 with a major in Environmental Science. Prior to becoming a GrizzlyCorps fellow, he worked for the Chehalis Tribe's Department of Natural Resources as a Prairie Restoration Technician.

Sophia (she/her) is originally from San Diego, CA, but now lives in Sonoma County. She moved here to attend Sonoma State University where, in May of 2022, she obtained her bachelor's degree in Geography and Environmental Studies with a concentration in Society, Environment, and Development. Her previous work is in small scale sustainable agriculture with West County Community Farm in Sebastopol and as Lead Steward of the Sonoma State Organic Campus Garden. She also has worked in environmental restoration and education as a Naturalist and Land Steward on Sonoma State's 3 nature preserves and for Landpaths, a local non profit. Most recently, she was an intern for the Russian River Salmon and Steelhead Monitoring program for CA Seagrant. She is passionate about environmental science and agroecology so GrizzlyCorps seemed like the perfect fit for her. She will be working at Pepperwood Preserve as a Restoration Technician, learning more about prescribed fire, grasslands, and regenerative grazing with cattle. When she’s not working, she enjoys cooking, backpacking, camping, crocheting, gardening, and hanging out with her cat.

Tess (she/her) was born and raised in Marin County, and that is where she currently resides. Although she left California for four years to get her bachelor's degree in Environmental Science and Public Health from Loyola University Chicago in Chicago, Illinois, she is very excited to be back home. She graduated in May 2022 and moved back to the North Bay to utilize her education at home. She received her degree in Environmental Science with a concentration in climate change and human health. She is really interested in pursuing a career in climate resiliency and wishes to gain some important professional experience at the local level before continuing with my higher education. She is very excited about this opportunity to work with Gold Ridge and to serve Sonoma County through community-based outreach and environmental stewardship. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, camping, and exploring the North Bay and other parts of California. She is looking forward to spending more time in Sebastopol and the rest of Sonoma County. She also enjoys knitting, especially hats, and is teaching herself to crochet.

Zoe (she/her) is a Grizzly Corps member serving with the Resource Conservation District of Monterey County where she will be working on implementing urban pollinator habitats while establishing relationships with local communities and wildfire preparedness. She graduated from the University of New Mexico with a B.A in International Studies, concentrating on the Environment and Sustainability, and a B.A in Languages, studying Spanish and French. She is interested in ecology, sustainable agriculture and food systems, and was inspired by an internship with the Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems at UCSC to complete a research project on current policy in France supporting Agroecology and regenerative agricultural practices. She is very interested in building resilient communities through local governance and is excited to support community outreach for building urban native plant habitats, and other projects with the RCDMC. In her free time she enjoys art, hiking, camping, and traveling.

Victor (he/him) is proud to be working with Shasta Land Trust in Redding, CA during his GrizzlyCorps fellowship, aiding the organization with property monitoring, community outreach, and GIS support. Victor is a lifelong Maryland resident who attended Towson University just north of Baltimore, MD, graduating in 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in Geography & Environmental Planning. He has previously worked at the Baltimore County Department of Environmental Protection and Sustainability, performing stream monitoring and sampling duties as well as working with the GIS department to update and improve geographic data for the county. He has also worked in a variety of agricultural positions, first at a vertical greenhouse in Baltimore and then at organic farms in North Carolina and Virginia as a WWOOFer. Victor is excited to bring his combination of farming knowledge and deep passion for environment to the table at Shasta Land Trust, and looks forward to helping permanently conserve agricultural, forested, recreational, and tribal land in Shasta County

Zach (he/him) recently graduated from UC Davis with a degree in Sustainable Environmental Design. He joins Yolo County Resource Conservation District for the 2022-2023 service year, where he will focus on plant installation, site maintenance, and improving pollinator habitat. He will also be serving as a mentor for high school students learning about native habitat restoration through volunteer field days. During the fellowship, Zach hopes to gain practical experience in plant identification, GIS, and land stewardship.

Natalie-Francesca (she/her) is so excited to be working with GrizzlyCorps this year! This past May, she graduated from Colby College with a double major in English Literature and Biology (concentrating in Ecology and Evolution) as well as a minor in Environmental Studies. She is stationed at Marin Water, the first municipal water district in the state and one that continues to be unique in its continued management of watershed lands. The focus of her service year will revolve around increasing outreach and public awareness of climate change and wildfire resilience strategies around Mount Tamalpais. She can't wait to learn about the immense biodiversity of the watershed and help to make scientific findings more publicly accessible through volunteer engagements and presentations! When not at the ranger station, one can find Natalie-Francesca pandering to the whims of her criminally oversized orange cat, playing guitar, or reading - especially when the world building involves the conception of sustainable alternatives to our present relationships to global and local ecosystems. She is also in the process of applying to graduate programs in forest ecology, which she hopes to enter after her time at GrizzlyCorps. She aspires to one day build her own tiny cob dwelling in the woods and read every book ever written, though acknowledges that the latter may be a challenge.

Previously a research fellow at Harvard Forest examining the impact of spongy moth defoliation on oak mortality, Dominick (he/they) is now a GrizzlyCorps Fellow building capacity for the Wildfire Resilience Program at CAFF. By creating outreach materials in English and Spanish, planning webinars and field days, and collaborating with various partner organizations and subcommittees, Dom is excited to make many new friends and acquaintances and serve them in the best way possible. On ideal days, Dom loves to look at the sky, cook a nice meal, and play video games with friends.

Jessica Reid (she/her) is a GrizzlyCorps fellow serving at Mendocino County Resource Conservation Service (MCRCD). Jessica was born and raised in Mendocino and Sonoma Counties, and is grateful for the chance to explore environmental resilience and restoration in her own neck of the woods. After graduating from Amherst College in 2020 with a B.A. in Geology and Russian, she worked as a research geologist at the United States Geological Survey Earthquake Science Center, studying tsunamigenic landslides, volcanos, and earthquakes. An interest in land management and climate action led her to GrizzlyCorps. At MCRCD, Jessica works with the sustainable ag and groundwater programs on outreach, planning and implementation of sustainable ag practices, as well as groundwater monitoring. In her free time, Jessica builds, brews, and hikes.