The Watershed Project is excited to have a new team member, Ethan Rayner, who will take the lead on our restoration projects as the Restoration Manager! If you read a little bit about him below, it’s evident why he’s a new member of the team.
What watershed do you live in and what do you like about it?
I live in the Pilarcitos Creek watershed in what is now the city of Half Moon Bay, California, on the unceded land of the Ramatush Ohlone peoples.
In my previous job I was the habitat restoration coordinator for State Parks in Half Moon Bay, so I lived close to work and I was able to see the changes that occurred there on a daily basis. On some days, the creek would meander around sand dunes and run parallel to the ocean for a while until it joined the Pacific, on other days it would cut a new channel though the dunes and rush out to the ocean. Seeing those changes can be quite shocking. The wildlife in that area of transition was also quite a draw. I’ve seen whales, dolphins, seals, and all sorts of shore and birds. Pictured below is a great blue heron fishing in the creek before it empties out into the ocean.
What was the path that brought you to TWP?
At school I studied history and politics with a focus on environmental and water policy in California. After graduation I did some research and data analysis for an organization focusing on climate change policy, but it was a tough time to work in the field of climate change. All the reports being published at the time had dire warnings for the human species if we did not change our ways, but nothing was being done on any level and I could feel myself spiraling down the drain of doom and gloom.
While doing that job I decided to take the UC California Naturalist course through my local community college. That program truly opened my eyes to the joy that could be found wherever there are plants and animals. Then during this course I started volunteering for a nonprofit doing habitat restoration in both wildlands and urban habitats. I was so inspired to see the effect I was having in a single 3 or 4 hour workday planting native plants and weeding invasive plants. Multiply all that by the 10 or 15 other volunteers I was working alongside in a community restoration workday and it was just so rewarding and inspiring. It really felt like we were making an impact, we could see what we accomplished in the landscape and it was real.
After that, the rest is history. I moved up the Bay Area to pursue jobs in habitat restoration and have been in the field ever since. As a driving focus on my work, I believe that native plants are for all. They do not just belong in isolated nature preserves, or alongside trails, but belong in our cities and neighborhoods, on playgrounds and in our gardens. While native plants are not a “silver bullet” that will solve all of our problems, if we reincorporate them into our daily lives I believe we all will become much richer for it. I am excited to bring this passion for native plants to our work with the Watershed Project.
What brings you joy and why?
I love seeing new plants or flowers. The surprise of finding a new species I have never seen before brings me such joy. Every wildflower is a gift. If you asked me what my favorite flower is I could not limit it to just one, I would give you a list. And that list would change from week to week and month to month as different flowers bloom at different times throughout the year. I am so thankful to be surrounded by such beauty.
Wildflowers from Table Mountain Ecological Reserve and Carrizo Plains. Photos by Ethan Rayner.
One other major category that brings me joy are my two cats. Their names are Jasper (3 years old) and Dobby (9 months old). They are both such sweet boys and love to cuddle. I used to not be a cat person growing up, but these two have wormed their way into my heart. Both love to cuddle up on my lap when I sit down to read. For me one of life’s most simple pleasures is petting a cat while they purr up a storm.
