We have welcomed new faces to The Watershed Project office! We want to introduce them, and share their stories on how they arrived at TWP.
Phaela Peck
Phaela PeckEducation Manager
Hometown: Santa Cruz, California
Hidden talent? I love carving pumpkins and I’ve even won pumpkin carving contests in the past.
Where in the Bay Area do you find nature? Lands End in San Francisco–wildness in the city and the only place I’ve discovered in San Francisco where you can’t hear cars. I also love the East Bay Regional Parks!
What led you to the Watershed Project? I grew up loving to explore nature and walk in the redwoods near my house. After college, I was a naturalist in Santa Cruz mountains, and have stayed in environmental and science education ever since. Taking kids outside to appreciate nature is my favorite thing! I love to explore and go camping with my husband and daughter. Fun fact about my daughter is that she regularly requests to go camping and be in places “away from cars”. Like mother like daughter I guess!
Kat Sawyer
Kat SawyerGreening Urban Watersheds Program Manager
Hometown? Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Unusual hobby? As a former DJ, I am very “tuned in” to music, and I’m an avid listener of radio stations. My favorites are KPOO in San Francisco, KCRW in Los Angeles, and WWOZ in New Orleans. I enjoy the ways that mood can be expressed through music when a real DJ is at the helm instead of a computer programmed show.
Where do you find nature in the Bay Area? There are many places that I feel connected to, such as the community garden where I built a cob (earthen) tool shed in the inner sunset. Or the special place on Ocean Beach where I go to celebrate celestial events like the solstice or the equinox.
What led you to The Watershed Project? I’ve been a partner with The Watershed Project since 2011, when I helped them install a rainwater harvesting system at Alice Fong Yu Elementary School. Since then, I have taught occasional workshops with TWP and managed the Oakland Rain Barrel Program from 2012 – 2013. As Program Manager for the Greening Urban Watersheds Initiative, I will develop projects and educate the public in utilizing earthworks like bioswales and rain gardens to manage and maximize the use of stormwater in the urban environment. I’m delighted to be a part of The Watershed Project!
Lauren Woodfill
Lauren WoodfillDevelopment and Communications Associate
Hometown? Oakland, CA
Unusual interest? I love reading, and my current obsessions are historical narratives from WWI and the Soviet Union.
Where do you find nature in the Bay Area? I love the parks in the East Bay hills, and grew up hiking and exploring those open spaces. I grew up next to an urban creek, and have always been fascinated by the intersection between nature and urban life. It never ceases to amaze me how we have gorgeous redwood trees, oak woodlands, and even campgrounds right in our own backyards.
What led me to The Watershed Project: I first became involved with TWP as a summer intern as part of the Environmental Careers program after finishing up my environmental policy degree at UC Berkeley. I love TWP’s commitment to offering young people opportunities to work in the environmental field and to becoming the next generation of environmental activists and stewards. I am thrilled to be working alongside such dedicated and talented people.
