Sierra Nevada AmeriCorps Partnership Members come from all over the United States to Serve the Sierra. Right now, we have 25 Members serving at 15 partner organizations across the Sierra, from Oroville in the Northern Sierra to Visalia in the Southern Sierra, and every region in between! Learn more about our wonderful current SNAP Members.
Brooke Boeger
Recruitment Capacity & Outreach Coordinator, Sierra Nevada Alliance
Brooke was born and raised in little Yuba City, CA. She studied Anthropology and Environmental Studies at UC Santa Cruz. She is also an avid dog petter, mushroom forager, and an amateur sailor seeking a boat ride. Brooke enjoys spending her time outside with her two dogs Yeti and Winnie, skiing with her friends and riding her bike along the West Shore. She is interested in learning and interpreting people’s stories told by the environment.
Michael Burley
Environmental Educator, South Tahoe Public Utility District/ Tahoe Regional Planning Agency
Michael was born and raised in Washington, D.C., and learned how amazing streams can be while wandering through Rock Creek Park. A desire to understand the stories Earth’s landscapes tell led Michael to study Geology at the University of Puget Sound, where he incidentally fell deeper in love with being outdoors and sharing his passions with others. After serving for one year with AmeriCorps CivicSpark in Lake County, Michael decided to double down on AmeriCorps and is happier for it. In his current role, when not educating middle-schoolers on some environmental topic, or finding ways to encourage high water users to cut-back, Michael can be found rock climbing, skiing, staring at fish, or lounging on his giant couch watching a movie.
Abby Evans
COSA Education Coordinator, Bishop Paiute Tribe
Abby Evans was raised in Hilliard, Ohio and recently graduated from Ohio State University with a degree in Psychology. It was not until January of 2016 when she drove to Colorado that her interest in the outdoors, specifically the mountains took shape. After this experience she continued to explore mountainous regions on numerous road trips, and the summer of 2017 was when she finally had the opportunity to explore the Sierra Nevada. She also had the opportunity to intern for NOLS in Patagonia as an agricultural intern. Here she developed a deep passion for being close to the process of growing food. Abby also loves to climb and is excited to further explore the climbing possibilities in the Eastern Sierra!
Baylee Goodwin
Education Program Assistant, Tahoe Environmental Research Center
Baylee was born and raised in Lake Tahoe, CA where her love for nature and wildlife developed at a young age. Her passion for animals followed her to Oregon where she graduated with a degree in Zoology from Oregon State University. Her plan has always been to work in wildlife conservation with the goal of saving endangered species. During her time at OSU, Baylee enjoyed volunteering at the local wildlife rehabilitation center, the OSU goat club, and a snake research laboratory on campus. She is always happiest when working with animals in any capacity. After graduating, Baylee moved to Costa Rica for a wildlife conservation internship where she worked with jaguars, sea turtles, and primates. This internship taught her how important conservation and education are to preserving vital ecosystems. Baylee is very excited to move home and join the SNAP team in educating people on the importance of the natural world.
Lexi Hager
Education and Outreach Assistant, Sierra Nevada Alliance
Lexi grew up in Oakland, California and recently graduated from Loyola University Chicago with a degree in Environmental Policy. She started to gain a deeper interest in conservation through childhood visits to national parks and high school trips that focused on ecology and science education. At college, she realized that she was most interested in western land and water policy, and eager to return to the west coast. She is excited for the opportunity to contribute to the protection and restoration of the ecosystem and landscape of the Sierra Nevada at the Sierra Nevada Alliance!
Shannon Hedge
Stewardship Coordinator, South Yuba River Citizens League
Shannon grew up in the suburbs around Houston, Texas where she spent spent most days outside exploring the swamplands she called home. She obtained a bachelors degree in Evolution and Ecology at The Ohio State University and helped work in diversity programming as an ambassador of the multicultural center. She found her true love of outreach while in graduate school at Humboldt State University as a teaching associate and volunteer coordinator for the citizen science program FrogWatch. She is excited to combine her passions of environmental conservation and working with the community at SYRCL. Outside of work, she can often be found cooking, crafting, or looking for animals outside.
Lauren Herbine
Sierra Field Technician, Trout Unlimited
Lauren grew up on her father’s one-man sawmill operation in the Appalachian foothills of Virginia. After graduating from The College of William & Mary with a degree in Environmental Geology, she moved west to explore public land management, especially as it related to hydrology. Her first stop was a GeoCorps service term with the Forest Service in Oregon, then to the mountains of Southern California to work as an outdoor education instructor, and then on to western Montana to serve a year-long AmeriCorps term with Big Sky Watershed Corps. Having served two seasons with the federal government and a year with a small watershed group, she is excited to see what conservation looks like from the national non-profit perspective. Soccer has played a large roll in her life; she’s played, coached, refereed, and trained referees. In her downtime she enjoys backpacking, skiing, road-tripping, kayaking, and petting pups.
Andrea Johnson
Conservation Assistant, El Dorado and Georgetown Divide Resource Conservation District
Andrea comes from a small city in northern Utah. She recently graduated from Utah State University with a bachelor’s degree in Conservation and Restoration Ecology. During her time at USU she enjoyed learning about plant biology and identification. This interest lead Andrea to conduct an undergraduate research project focusing on Lupine growth with a changing climate. After her time as an undergraduate she has increased her passion for plants by working at the Intermountain Herbarium. Andrea also loves working with people and has been helping people with disabilities obtain long-term employment. When Andrea is not working she enjoys camping, hiking, or snuggling her cat Mojito.
Sneha Kumar
Education Technician, Sequoia Riverlands Trust
Sneha Kumar is serving as the Education Technician with Sequoia Riverlands Trust in Visalia, CA. She has moved to California from North Carolina, after graduating from UNC Chapel Hill with a bachelor’s in English. While in college, she gained lots of experience in education, and learned that her passion is helping others learn new things. In addition to teaching, Sneha loves to ride horses and hike mountains, and is excited to explore as much of the West Coast as possible!
Jenna Levy
Sierra Region Program Specialist, Tuolumne River Trust
Jenna was born and raised in Boulder, Colorado before migrating to CSU Chico to pursue her undergrad degree. During her time in school she was introduced to the Sierra Nevada mountains and was immediately hooked by their unparalleled beauty. After completing her degree in Environmental Science she began a several year stint as a vagabond, working in Tahoe, Santa Barbara, Yosemite and Colorado. Jenna joins the Tuolumne River Trust this year and is looking forward to growing her knowledge of the Yosemite watersheds while assisting in the protection and preservation of these places that have become home.
Daisy Mack
Volunteer Coordinator, Sequoia Riverlands Trust
You wouldn’t expect a young woman to discover herself at a summer camp for boys, but that is just what happened for Daisy Mack. Growing up and working at camp instilled a deep love of the natural world in her. In the northwoods of Wisconsin she explored nature, taking many canoe trips and hiking trips with family and friends. On the south shore of Lake Superior, Daisy found a passion in rivers and fresh water. In school, she wanted to take her love of lakes and rivers into her degree. She studied Chemical Engineering with the thoughts of clean waters on her mind. Feeling stuck in school, she turned to work that would help. Now, coming out west with the hopes of adventure and environmental work, she is ready to take on the Sierra Nevadas.
Elise Matera
Education Program Assistant, Tahoe Environmental Research Center
Elise is from Chapel Hill, NC and spent the first half of her life in Cleveland, OH. She graduated from Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, NY with a degree in Environmental Studies with focuses in Biology, Women’s Studies, and English. She is passionate about environmental and social justice. She is coming most recently from a job in sustainability and zero waste near Vail, Colorado and is excited to move even farther west. She spent a semester abroad in Zanzibar, Tanzania and studied human impacts on mangrove forests. She ran cross country and track in college and loves to run, hike, and camp.
Mary McDonnell
Restoration Coordinator, South Yuba River Citizens League
Mary grew up near Sacramento, CA, spending summer vacations fostering a love for California’s many diverse landscapes. In college, she studied land management techniques, completing a major in Conservation and Resource Studies and a minor in Forestry from UC Berkeley. Mary has worked as a research assistant in range ecology and forest ecology, and most recently, as a land steward an organization that conserves open spaces. Mary is eager to learn more about community-based management practices, and feels she found the right place at SYRCL, an organization that is community founded and focused. In her free time, you can catch Mary dancing, reading, baking, and doing puzzles.
Amanda Milici
Program Assistant and Outreach Specialist, South Lake Tahoe Resource Conservation District
Born and raised in Los Angeles, Amanda knew she wanted to get out of the city. Growing up, she spent most of her time outdoors and quickly developed a love for the natural world and a passion for urban and natural environmental issues. After high school, Amanda went to the University of California, Davis, where she studied Environmental Science and Management with goals of pursuing a career in resource management, sustainability, and environmental justice. During her time in Davis, Amanda helped with Rangeland Ecology research looking into the effect of cattle on mountain meadow streams in the Sierra Nevada. Then, shortly after graduating, Amanda moved to the west shore of Lake Tahoe where she worked for California State Parks as a Special Events assistant. On her free time you can find her running, cycling, swimming, or rock climbing, and she is looking forward to continuing her life in the beautiful Sierra Nevada serving for SNAP
Dorothy Punderson
Education Coordinator, Sierra Streams Institute
Dorothy grew up in Weybridge, Vermont, where she has spent many years exploring the Green Mountains and the Adirondacks. Curiosity about Vermont’s landscapes led her to study biology at Middlebury College, where she focused on botany and conservation. Despite spending most of her life in Vermont, Dorothy has also taken opportunities to study abroad in Spain and Chile, where she became fluent in Spanish. Dorothy spent this past summer teaching preschool science camps at the Montshire Museum of Science in Norwich, VT, and is excited to dive deeper into science education and communications with the Sierra Streams Institute this year. In her free time she enjoys cooking, playing music and getting outside in all seasons.
Caitlyn Rich
Sierra Region Program Specialist, Tuolumne River Trust
Caitlyn was born and raised in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada just north of Yosemite, where she became familiar with backcountry life. This summer she worked as a kayak guide on the Monterey Bay and in the Elkhorn Slough while she completed her degree in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of California, Santa Cruz. While in college Caitlyn conducted research on predator driven selection for various Ensatina salamander color morphs and participated in many field research courses. When she wasn’t studying you could find Caitlyn rock climbing, hiking, and kayaking. She is now excited to return back home this fall with new knowledge and experiences in order to educate her community and engage in local restoration projects.
Marie Ring
Education Coordinator, Eastern Sierra Land Trust
Born and raised in Maine, Marie fell in love with the outdoors at a young age and has always dreamed of experiencing life in the Sierra Nevada. She recently graduated from the University of Maine in May 2018 with a degree in Biology and a minor in Ecology and Environmental Sciences and found an opportunity to travel out west. While serving with AmeriCorps at ESLT, Marie is looking forward to working with children to get them excited about the environment at a young age and connecting the community to the Eastern Sierra. When not working, you can often find Marie spending time outside exploring new hiking trails, reading in her hammock or trying to become friends with any dogs she comes across.
Daisy Schadlich
River Assessment & Restoration Assistant, American Rivers
Daisy hails from the North Bay, but spent most of her time in Truckee through her teen years. Growing up, she enjoyed her summers of hiking, camping, and fly fishing with her family and her winters of ski racing. She became a river guide while studying Sustainable Environmental Design and Food Systems at UC Berkeley and decided she needed to take action to protect the rivers she loves. She did this first by working in a river food web ecology lab in college, then by advocating for a sustainable water future in California, and most recently by helping restore the coho salmon population in Sonoma County. Daisy is thrilled to take the next step by serving with American Rivers this year and looks forward to learning from her coworkers and fellow AmeriCorps members. This is a photo of her on one of her favorite rivers, the Rogue River.
Jaclyn Sherman
River Monitoring Coordinator, South Yuba River Citizens League
Jaclyn was born in Northern California and spent her early childhood exploring the redwood coast region. Her family later moved to Nashville,Tennessee where she spent her free time hiking in the Blue Ridge and Smoky Mountains. In 2019, she graduated from UC Santa Cruz with a double major in Environmental Studies and Economics. Her passion for sustainability and food systems compelled her to take on jobs with the Santa Cruz Farmer’s Market and other local biodynamic farms. While in college, she studied abroad in New Zealand, was a member of the ocean paddling team, and spent her weekends backpacking, biking, and hiking on the west coast. She has recently returned from traveling in Nepal and Thailand and is excited to reacquaint herself with the Eastern Sierra.
Wes Slaughter
River Scientist, Sierra Streams Institute
Wes grew up in Bethesda, Maryland, falling in love with nature in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. He moved to California after high school to study molecular environmental biology at UC Berkeley, with a minor in forestry. He became obsessed with river science and ecology working for a river food web ecology lab in college. This led him to work for the Watershed Stewards Program at California SeaGrant on the Russian River last year doing salmon life cycle monitoring. He’s really excited to learn as much as possible about all aspects of stream and river ecosystems, and is looking forward to achieving that goal as the river scientist at Sierra Streams Institute this year. He also loves backpacking, playing music, and just generally nerding out about anything from river science, to folk music, to the Lord of the Rings.
Shepard Smith
Conservation Project Specialist, Butte County Resource Conservation District
Shepard is from Santa Clarita, CA, a suburb north of Los Angeles. Growing up, he enjoyed playing outside, reading about ecosystems, and identifying local flora. Upon taking AP Environmental Science in high school, he knew he wanted a career in ecological restoration. Shepard recently graduated from University of California, Davis with a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science and Management. During his time at UCD he engaged with agricultural opportunities through his professional fraternity, Alpha Gamma Rho. He also familiarized himself with the economics of small and large businesses to be better prepared for managerial positions in the future. Shepard is excited to join the SNAP program as his first job post-graduation.
Claire Thompson
Lands Conservation Technician, Sequoia Riverlands Trust
Claire grew up in frigid Minnesota knowing she belonged elsewhere. She is now located in the warm central valley of California as a Conservation Technician with Sequoia Riverlands Trust. Growing up, Claire would collect northern leopard frogs and plant freeman maples in her backyard. She was raised with the quintessential “Minnesota cabin life” in north-central Minnesota, where she would spend summers fishing with her dad and swimming in Minnesota’s iconic lakes. She knew from a young age that her passion for life was ignited by a fascination with figuring out how the natural world operates. She graduated from the University of Minnesota with a BS in Environmental Sciences, Policy and Management with emphases in earth science and forest ecology. She has previously served two AmeriCorps positions in Washington State through the Student Conservation Association with the National Park Service and The Nature Conservancy working on habitat restoration and invasive species control. Claire likes to evaluate ecosystem restoration through a natural history lens by comparing previous environmental processes to the drastic environmental changes that are currently happening, and using that comparison to make conclusions on what steps should be taken to restore ecosystem function in a changing world. She enjoys the variety of work and the application of her past studies to her current position at Sequoia Riverlands Trust. In her free time she enjoys going on trips to photograph rare tree species and is very excited about all the unique trees California has.
Sydney Tichenor
Program Coordinator, Forest Trails Alliance
Sydney was raised in Arlington, Virginia, but spent six weeks out of every summer in South Florida growing up. She has always enjoyed outdoors activities like camping, hiking, and swimming. But her interest in going into the environmental field didn’t start until one summer when volunteering at a nature center in Florida. Sydney graduated from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelors in Science, where my major was Interdisciplinary Studies and a minor in Environmental Studies. She served an AmeriCorps term with the Virginia Service and Conservation Corps in District 5 as a resource crew member, where she helped maintain trails, prescribed burns, and other resources throughout Virginia State Parks. She would love to some day work with the ocean and studying turtles.
Grace Van Kan
Conservation Technician, Sequoia Riverlands Trust
Grace spent most of her childhood in Maryland, taking delight in hikes with the family, trips throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed, and small-time adventures in the creek behind the house. In traveling with her family, she has attended high schools in Maryland, the Philippines, and Japan. After graduating, Grace took a gap year during which time she took part in a coral reef restoration and conservation project in Thailand, performing scientific dives and lectures, and solidifying her passion for environmental stewardship. In 2017, she served summer term with the Virginia DCR as a Youth Conservation Corps crew leader. Grace graduated from DePaul University with a BA in Environmental Studies, concentrating in sustainability. She spent her final spring breaks with DePaul Outdoor Recreation on service trips to Cumberland Island National Seashore in Georgia and Canyon Rims Recreation Area in Utah, volunteering with the Park Service and Bureau of Land Management, respectively.
Alex Wells
Program Coordinator, Forest Trails Alliance
Alex Wells grew up in the High Rockies of Colorado, where he was seeded with a deep love of the outdoors and an interest in environmental issues. Both of these came to flower during his time at Middlebury College, from which he graduated in 2018 with a degree in Conservation Biology. Not quite ready to leave the Green Mountain State, he spent a year serving in the ECO AmeriCorps program at the Vermont Center for Ecostudies, where he was the project coordinator for a statewide project monitoring vernal pools (which are very different in the northeast from in California). Though project coordination mostly seemed to involve sending emails, Alex enjoyed it nonetheless, and is excited to keep it up at Forest Trails Alliance. When not sending emails, Alex is a big fan rock climbing, trail running, and playing music (poorly).
