2023-2024

Alaina (she/her) is serving her second GrizzlyCorps term at Forestry and Fire Recruitment Program (FFRP). FFRP is a nonprofit that focuses on providing individuals with prior criminal convictions with a variety of wrap-around services including legal aid and a training program that seeks to place participants into gainful employment in forestry/fire careers. Since Alaina graduated from Santa Clara University with a B.S. in Biological Sciences, she has oriented her professional career towards making an impact on climate change. Her path started with environmental education and volunteerism, and then into wildfire mitigation. Alaina spent her first year with GrizzlyCorps serving at Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority working in outreach and communications.

Andrea (she/her) originally from the tropical climate of El Salvador, relocated to the United States to pursue her education. In 2019, she accomplished her goal, earning a Bachelor's degree in Biological Sciences with a focus on Human Biology from the University of California, Merced. During her time in university, she actively engaged in pre-med and environmental stewardship programs. This led her to Yosemite National Park, where she joined the Search and Rescue Team.

In YNP, Andrea encountered a major forest fire—the Ferguson Fire—an experience that ignited her passion for forest restoration initiatives and cutting-edge research in the Sierra Nevadas. This newfound interest propelled her into a role as a Research Assistant at the Sierra Nevada Research Institute. Following that, she spent a season working for the U.S Forest Service in Montana before diving into her own research project.

Continuing her academic journey, Andrea recently completed her Master’s degree in Quantitative Systems and Biology, specializing in Microbial Ecology, all while participating in her first-year GrizzlyCorps fellowship. Now in her second year as a fellow, she remains dedicated to supporting the MWPA in various capacities, from creating accessible resources for Spanish-speaking communities in Marin to developing defensible space project plans.

Candi (she/her) is serving at Western Shasta RCD this year. Candi grew up in the small foothill towns of Tuolumne County, CA and recently moved up to Redding. She studied at College of the Redwoods in Humboldt County and went on to earn a BA in Environmental Studies with a concentration in sustainable communities at California State University, Monterey Bay in 2021. Candi is looking forward to exploring the outdoors and local community in Shasta County over the next year.

Celeste (she/her) will be working as a researcher with the UC Agriculture and Natural Resources’s California Institute for Water Resources this year. Celeste earned a Bachelor’s of Science in Environmental Engineering from University of California, Merced in 2020. Celeste comes to GrizzlyCorps with experience in the environmental engineering sector where she worked to help make drinking water more accessible to people experiencing poverty in California.

​

Claire (she/they) grew up in Northampton, Massachusetts and spent her undergrad studying Environmental Anthropology at Middlebury College in Vermont. During her senior year, she spent six months living in Buenos Aires, where she conducted ethnographic research on urban public parks. She also spent a term at the Eco-Institute in North Carolina, where she received her permaculture certification and learned homesteading practices. Claire is spending her GrizzlyCorps service year working with the EcoFarm Association as Program Coordinator. She will support staff in their effort to incorporate more access and equity into their 44th annual conference in Monterey, California. Outside of work, Claire loves to sketch, write poetry, sing, run, and road bike. She is also a semi-professional frisbee player and has played competitive club in three continents.

Daniel (he/him) will be working with the Lost Sierra Food Project in Plumas County this year. Daniel was born and raised in Oakland and received a bachelor’s degree for University of California, Santa Barbara. He is interested in community oriented food systems, place-based learning, and traditional ways of land management. Daniel will be working towards expanding access to local and healthy food to underserved communities and in partnership with the Plumas Charter School system to promote outdoor and environmental education. Daniel hopes to help these organizations support their community and apply the skills he learns back to his hometown community in Oakland in the future. 

Dylan (he/him) will be serving the Mountain Recreation and Conservation Authority in Los Angeles. Born and raised in Southern California, Dylan attended San Francisco State University and majored in Environmental Science with an emphasis on Conservation and Restoration. Professionally, he is interested in building food system resilience, community, and environmental justice. Personally, Dylan loves to surf, watch movies, and share food with friends. 

Genna (she/her) is serving at the Mendocino County Resource Conservation District (MCRCD) as a Sustainable Agriculture and Water Technician, largely building capacity for the agency by helping the Sustainable Agriculture Program with Climate-Beneficial Agriculture projects, and supporting MCRCD’s Water Program on various monitoring and watershed restoration projects. Her professional experience includes supporting carbon monitoring projects on working rangelands across various landscapes such as in California and Texas. With a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Sciences and a focus on Regenerative Food Systems, she hopes to continue building skills in a sustainable food movement and is grateful to be participating in the GrizzlyCorps Program this year.

Gisel (she/they) is working with the Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF) in Davis. She was born and raised in Fresno and earned a B.S. Environmental Sciences and minors in Forestry and Food Systems from UC Berkeley in 2021. This year, Gisel will be working on CAFF’s Ecological Farming team to support capacity building for Ecological Pest Management and Climate Smart Farming projects within local farming communities. Gisel hopes to continue learning about how to utilize agroecological principles to help support farmers and their unique challenges during her GrizzlyCorps service term.

Joanna Szeremeta (she/her) recently received her Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science from Loyola University Chicago. She was born in Poland and grew up in Chicago. Joanna grew up in a family that gardens and forages - which helped her realize the importance of management and conservation of natural resources. She is currently serving the East Stanislaus RCD and their groundwater sustainability programs. As a water conservationist at the East Stanislaus RCD, Joanna hopes to bridge gaps in accessibility to groundwater conservation resources by working with partners and producers. In her free time, she enjoys cycling, hiking, and cooking.

Jon Theodore (he/him) is serving his fellowship 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. Jon will assist local agencies, non-profits, and private landowners in the field and using geospatial analysis. Jon graduated from Southern Oregon University in 2023 with an interdisciplinary major in Environmental Science and Political Science specializing in GIS/Remote Sensing. Prior to being a GrizzlyCorps fellow Jon interned with Energy Trust of Oregon.

Jonah (he/him) is serving with White Buffalo Land Trust in the California Central Coast. Jonah is spending his fellowship term working towards quantifying the positive impacts of regenerative agriculture on native biodiversity. Jonah is originally from a rural mountain town in California called Markleeville. He attended the University of California, Davis and majored in Environmental Science and Management with a concentration in ecology, biodiversity, and conservation. Having spent the majority of his childhood in the great outdoors backpacking, mountain biking, skiing, frolfing, etc., Jonah had a firm resolve that he wanted to work outdoors and work to conserve the diverse ecosystems that he has been able to enjoy throughout his life. 

Jose (he/him) is excited to work with the Shasta Valley Resource Conservation District in Siskiyou County during his GrizzlyCorps fellowship. Originally from Oklahoma City, Jose graduated from UCLA in 2023 with a degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering. He is interested in hydrology and the relationships between ecosystems and development. His work will focus on watershed management, water quality, and salmonid habitat improvement along the Shasta River as well as forest health and wildfire resilience in the surrounding area. He looks forward to working with the RCD and learning about the community, watersheds, and forests of Siskiyou County. In his free time, he enjoys camping, cooking, and swimming outside.

Joe (he/him) is serving with the RCD of Greater San Diego County this year. Joe earned a Bachelor’s of Arts in Geography with a focus in Environmental Science and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) at UCLA. Born on the central coast and raised in the Temecula Valley, Joe has always had a strong interest in the environment, exploring the hills and creeks behind his childhood home since he can remember. In his undergraduate career, he gained an interest in GIS and its ability to convey environmental and social issues through spatial data. In his sophomore year at Palomar College, Joe assisted a local non-profit (The Alliance for Regional Solutions) in building a map illustrating food insecurity in the city of Poway. After transferring to UCLA, he was privileged to travel across the state conducting research and fieldwork to better understand the impacts of climate change on California’s native vegetation.

Following graduation, Joe worked for Esri (The Environmental Systems Research Institute) on

their ArcGIS Online team as a support analyst. During this time he stumbled across the

GrizzlyCorps program and is extremely excited to start his 11 months of service. At the RCD of

Greater San Diego County he is looking forward to supporting the Fire Safe Council and their

initiatives to assist local communities prepare for and prevent wildfires. In his free time, Joe

enjoys hiking, cooking, and running a weekly Dungeons and Dragons game with his friends.

Josh (he/him) is spending his GrizzlyCorps fellowship year serving in Davis at the Community Alliance with Family Farmers. He will be working on the organization’s Wildfire Resilience Program. With interests in forest and fire ecology, he hopes to spend his career working on sustainable solutions to natural resource management and conservation that serve to benefit both people and wilderness. Josh graduated from the University of California, Santa Cruz in 2021 with a B.S. in General Biology and a B.A. in Critical Race and Ethnic Studies. Born and raised in California, Josh's interests and passions are deeply tied to the people and ecosystems of this state.

Kat (they/she) will be serving their service term at Tribal EcoRestoration Alliance. Kat graduated from Pomona College in the fall of 2022 with a B.A. in Environmental Analysis. They believe that ecological and public health are ultimately the same thing, and seek a career which bridges the gap between those fields. In their free time, Kat enjoys eating and cooking good food, making Spotify playlists, and giving out free photoshoots to frogs and spiders.

Liam (he/him) is serving at the Trinity County Resource Conservation District in Weaverville, CA. Liam grew up in the small ski town of Mammoth Lakes, CA in the foothills of the Eastern Sierra Nevadas. He recently graduated from the University of California, Davis with a B.S. in Biology. When he isn't spending time in the field or office he loves to read, ski, and backpack. 

Lily (she/her) is serving as a Climate Resiliency Fellow for the Hopland Research and Extension Center (HREC) this year. Lily grew up in the East Bay and after which she moved to San Luis Obispo where she earned a B.S. in Environmental Management and Protection at Cal Poly. In the first few years of her undergraduate education Lily worked as an application aid for Calfresh, federally known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). After that, she worked as a researcher on two different projects under the supervision of Cal Poly’s Natural Resource and Environmental Science Department. One project created a triangulated methodology for managing sustainable consumer experience using eye-tracking and biometric data collection. The other evaluated nitrogen mineralization rates of various organic fertilizers in order to better inform sustainable agricultural operations. In the spring of 2023 Lily received a grant from Cal Poly’s Natural Resource and Environmental Science Department to host the LEAD Scholars Talk. Exhibit, an on-campus event showcased the voices and experiences of black, indigenous, and queer environmental activists/industry professionals. 

Over the course of this year, Lily will be working with community educator Hannah Bird at HREC to develop and deliver environmental education programs to K-12 students about the importance of ecosystem management, fire science, rangeland conservation, and natural resource ecology. Lily considers the ability to foster a meaningful relationship with Earth’s natural resources an immense privilege! She is excited to share what she has learned with the HREC and the greater community it serves.

Louis (he/him) is serving his service term with Marin FIRE Foundry as an outreach specialist and education coordinator. He will be working with the new recruits in the FIRE Foundry and coordinating training, education, and scheduling. Louis will also work on community outreach and public engagement to bring fire awareness to Marin County. He recently graduated from UC San Diego with a degree in Ecology, Behavior, and Evolution. During his undergrad, Louis volunteered in multiple labs researching algal blooms and microplastics, and worked for the recreation department in event operations.

Micaela (she/her) is serving at UCCE: Urban Agriculture. Micaela grew up in Littleton, Colorado and recently graduated from Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska where she studied International Relations and Spanish. She is interested in the development of sustainable and urban agriculture and the food system towards a more climate adaptive future. At UCCE: Urban Agriculture will be conducting a farm incubator research and outreach project that will support new entry farmers and the growth of urban farming in Santa Clara County.In her free time, Micaela likes to read, swim outside, and tend to her plants. 

Michelle (she/they) is serving at the Tribal EcoRestoration Alliance. Michelle graduated from California State University, Monterey Bay with a B.A. in Environmental Studies. Their past experience includes researching remotely sensed fog distributions, conservation of California native flora, and navigating environmental participatory action research in underserved youth. Michelle is a proud AAPI representative and will always strive for restorative and inclusive work environments.

Modibo Keita (he/him) is serving with Sustainable Conservation at the San Francisco office for the 2023-2024 GrizzlyCorps term. As a fellow, Modibo will assist Sustainable Conservation’s Central Coast Team in conducting a High Carbon Soil Amendment trial intended to reduce nitrate contamination of aquifers on the Central Coast. He will also be involved in various agricultural policy research tasks, like reviewing implementation plans submitted for the CV-SALTS program. Prior to his service terms, 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 but has also helped him develop the capacity to adapt and feel comfortable in a wide variety of cultural contexts. 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. His primary ecological focus lies in developing systems of sustainable and holistic water management. Outside of work, Modibo enjoys watching or playing soccer, making music, biking around, and spending time in nature.

Natalie-Francesca (she/her) will spend her second service term with GrizzlyCorps as an in-house research fellow. In this role, Nat will synthesize fellow and host site data with ongoing CLEE projects, support meaningful activities and experiences for her cohort, and develop an accessible and scalable body of resources to aid early-career environmental professionals.

​

After graduating from Colby College in 2022 with BAs in English and Biology, Nat moved back to the Bay Area to work with the Marin Water Volunteer Program, based out of the Sky Oaks Ranger Station on Mt. Tamalpais. Last year, she spent hundreds of hours spent conducting public outreach on watershed & forest health, running volunteer events, and developing curricula to increase the accessibility of ongoing ecological research and natural resources initiatives to Marin's community members. Watershed management staff, members of her 2022-2023 cohort, and the diverse populations she engaged in community science events would humor her incessant questions, cementing in her mind the necessity of a learner's ethos - no matter who, theoretically, is the instructor of whom.

Nina (she/her) is serving at Gold Ridge RCD this year. Nina 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. A summer internship with Planting Justice, a grassroots food justice non-profit in Oakland fueled a passion for environmental justice and regenerative agriculture, and she became very involved with the Environmentalists of Color Collective during her time at UCLA. She’s spent the past couple years driving boats in Lake Arrowhead, teaching English in Sardinia, and doing her first GrizzlyCorps year at Farm to Pantry. She’s so excited to stay in Sonoma County and work with the Gold Ridge RCD. 

Oscar (he/they) is working with the University of California Cooperative Extension Fresno County with their small farms team. Oscar’s host site focuses on regenerative farming practices such as cover crop planting, hedgerow planting, and alternative weed elimination with the goal of soil health and  retention. Oscar graduated with a B.A in Public Health and wants to focus on using ecological restoration and environmental sustainability to improve a community’s social determinants of health. In his free time Oscar enjoys hiking, collecting records, and growing plants.

Petra (she/her) is serving at the Resource Conservation District of Tehama County (RCDTC). She graduated from the University of California, Davis with a B.S. in Evolution, Ecology & Biodiversity and a B.A. in Spanish. Specializing in plant ecology, Petra is keenly interested in ecological restoration and combating habitat loss. Through years of hiking and backpacking, she has gained a greater understanding of the importance of fire mitigation and fuel reduction, and she will be receiving prescribed fire training during the course of her fellowship. At RCDTC, Petra is excited to gain experience with community-centered ecological work, addressing watershed and forest health, and helping translate environmental science to the public sphere. In her free time, Petra is also an artist and a painter, drawing inspiration from the natural world around her.

Rachel (she/her) is working with the University of California Cooperative Extension on the project Santa Clara County: Small Farms Speciality Crops this year. Rachel is originally from New Jersey, but moved to San Diego a couple of years ago. She graduated from Boston College with a degree in Biology. Rachel is excited to apply the knowledge she gained from her work with one of her professors to protect local amphibian populations from chemical contamination. Rachel loves to cook, knit, crochet, sew, thrift, and hike! And now that she lives full time in California, she’s hoping to learn to surf.  

Rashel is serving her fellowship term at the Allensworth Progressive Association this year. 

Rose (they/she) is thrilled to be serving at Gold Ridge Resource Conservation District. Rose is excited to return to Sonoma County, where they grew up, after graduating from Oregon State University with a B.S. in Environmental Sciences with a focus in Applied Ecology. While living in Oregon, Rose explored up and down the coast researching the spread of invasive plant species in coastal dune systems and made sure to find time for hobbies including mushroom foraging, tidepooling, and ceramics. Rose is grateful for this opportunity to work on nurturing healthy forests and fire safe communities in beautiful western Sonoma County.

Sean (he/him) is serving his GrizzlyCorps fellowship with the La Jolla Band of Luiseño Indians in Pauma Valley. His work will focus on community stewardship, biological surveys, silvicultural projects, and geographic information systems. Sean received a bachelor's degree in Environmental Science from Washington State University in 2021. Prior to becoming a GrizzlyCorps fellow, he worked for the Chehalis Tribe's Department of Natural Resources as a Prairie Restoration Technician.

Shamik (he/him) is serving with the Allensworth Progressive Association to support the implementation of a regenerative food system to reinvigorate the economic, cultural and environmental systems of the historic town Allensworth, CA. Shamik was born and raised in Lexington, KY and graduated from Centre College with a BA in Environmental Studies. Shamik is passionate about regenerative food systems, ecological management and environmental education. Shamik also enjoys backpacking, sharing food with friends and swimming in freshwater. 

Sophie (she/her) will be working with Pie Ranch this year to assist in coordinating and expanding their Food Hub program to continue their efforts in supporting local farmers and those experiencing food insecurity in Pescadero and the greater Bay Area. Growing up just north of San Francisco, Sophie graduated with a B.S. in Environmental Management and Protection from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo and now aims to engage in work that connects herself and others with the Earth, all the while protecting the planet through persistent conservation and climate adaptability efforts. As a student, Sophie focused on regenerative land use and protection through her work with Swanton Pacific Ranch, Cal Poly’s Center for Sustainability, and West Marin’s Environmental Action Committee. Along with her work at Pie Ranch, Sophie will support an Integrated Aquaculture-Agriculture initiative in collaboration with UC Santa Cruz with the intention of enhancing coastal climate resilience and establishing models for wider adoption of native species aquaculture.

Tenaya (she/her) is working with Wild Farm Alliance (WFA) in Watsonville, CA where she will be assisting farmers to access grant funding through the state, planting hedgerows, and helping WFA grow their community of support around increasing biodiversity on farms. Tenaya earned a B.A. in Sustainability from San Diego State University, and was raised on a homestead in the eastern hills of San Diego. She grew up working the farm with her parents, playing music, and exploring her backyard, the Cleveland National Forest and chaparral foothills. Tenaya picked up a passion for rock climbing after high school and has since traveled Mexico, Canada and much of the US to climb and adventure in the mountains. During college, she embraced her roots in farming and her love of San Diego’s nature and pursued work in climate action, community natural spaces, and regenerative farming. Tenaya has worked on multiple farms, and has worked as an organizer to help communities connect with local nature, implement climate resilient strategies in their neighborhoods, and connect with local farmers. She is excited to continue to learn more ways to farm regeneratively and assist farmers meet their climate resiliency goals.

Victor (he/him) is a second year Grizzlycorps fellow, spending this year working on Mt. Tamalpais with the Marin Municipal Water District! Victor was 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. Last year, he moved to Redding, California to serve a GrizzlyCorps term with Shasta Land Trust, an agricultural land trust operating in Shasta County. Victor is excited to serve with Marin Water this year, coordinating volunteer and outreach programs, assisting park rangers with trail stewardship and park maintenance, and providing GIS support to the organization overall.