What watershed do you live in and what do you like about it?
I live in the tidal marsh area of the Sausalito Creek Watershed on a houseboat in Richardson Bay! I like living there because I am able to get outside and see wildlife so easily. Since moving there, I have gotten into birding from looking outside or walking along the trail that is near my house. I get to see tons of resident birds and am always excited when I see birds coming through on their migration. Sometimes buffleheads float outside the house and curl up sleeping outside our back porch, it’s very cute. When the tide gets high enough, sometimes harbor seals even swim by!
What was the path that brought you to TWP?
I’ve always been outdoorsy, although I hated hiking as a kid. We had a creek in our backyard where I would climb all the willows with my dogs. When I got to college, I began taking environmental and sustainability related classes and got hooked on Geology when I figured out field trips were a required part of the major. I really loved learning about Geology, looking at rocks and formations and trying to picture what the world used to look like felt really important.
As I was graduating college, I really didn’t know where to start when looking for work. I had worked in restaurants all throughout college and knew I enjoyed working with the public. I also was/am extremely passionate about the climate crisis and was really concerned about the misunderstanding and distrust of science going on at the time. I had the chance to do some soul-searching and inner inquiry one evening and came to the epiphany… I could become a science teacher! Following that evening, I soon took several internships involving conservation and working with youth. Eventually, I landed my first big kid job, I became a Naturalist at an Environmental Education Science Camp in the Marin Headlands.
Working in the Headlands was an amazing experience, I couldn’t believe I was getting paid to connect students to nature… and get paid to go hiking! As the pandemic hit I took a random online job but really missed working with students and having the opportunity to talk about rocks. Eventually, I began working as an Earth Educator (and eventually Lead Teacher) at an all-outdoor school based in Marin County. Following that I finally actualized my dream… to become a science teacher! I taught 6-8 grade science and math for two years during the pilot year of a newly formed middle school. Although I loved teaching science to middle schoolers, I kept feeling more and more drawn to conservation work. This past summer I decided to move on from traditional classroom teaching and began searching for work more in the conservation and programming sphere. I like the idea of having a wider audience and having the opportunity to reach as many students as well as support teachers in their science curriculum. I have found this in The Watershed Project. The net of education is cast wide into working in many different parts of the East Bay as well as working with Youth Watershed Stewards in San Francisco.
Outside of work, what brings you joy and why?
Outside of work, I like to do a little bit of a lot of things, most of them involve being outside or learning about nature in some way, shape, or form. At the moment, I am currently taking an Ornithology class through the College of Marin. Birds are a new avenue for me, but my favorite part about the class is that we have field trips to beautiful places every few weekends throughout this fall semester. The field trips may be bird-centric, but my professor throws in bits of knowledge about everything around us. It has been really nice to find a community of like-minded people post-pandemic who want to spend their time learning about our local flora and fauna. Other than birds, I enjoy reading, cooking, and going to see music. Shout out to my favorite band Wand. I have a kitty at home who brings me the utmost joy. I lucked out finding a very sweet, cuddly cat. I also enjoy spending time with friends, my partner, and family when we are able to visit. I also really love traveling and seeing new places and pretending I’m going to move there after I visit.
