Vanessa lives on the ancestral homelands of the past and present Odawa, Bodwêwadmi, & Peoria people, known as Michigan. She’s from Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico and immigrated to the U.S. with her family at the young age of 3. She grew up near blueberry fields and along the beautiful shoreline of Lake Michigan in Dutch… Continue Reading Vanessa DeLeon
Vail (they/she) grew up in Boise, Idaho and attended Western Washington University where they completed a B.S. in Environmental Science with a minor in Education and Social Justice. Their current role as an Education Specialist at the Monterey Bay Aquarium is an attempt at blending these genres of work, and continues to show them the… Continue Reading Vail Dark
Monie Corona, a proud native New Mexican, has dedicated her life to fostering a deep appreciation for nature and cultural heritage among her students. Growing up amidst the breathtaking landscapes of Albuquerque, Monie’s passion for the outdoors was ignited at a young age. With over three decades of experience as an educator with the Albuquerque… Continue Reading Monie Corona
Jenna (she/her) is passionate about facilitating spaces to cultivate relationship with nature and engaging youth and community members of all ages to seek community transformation together. Currently a Program Manager at Community Nature Connection, she incorporates equity, inclusion, and civics into outdoor engagement. As a biracial Indonesian-American woman and lifelong resident of Tovaangar (Los Angeles… Continue Reading Jenna Cobb
Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Tiara (prefers Tia). I’m a paddlesport coach and development coordinator with a very bright personality. My mission is to help make the outdoor/adventure therapy space more inclusive, diverse, and equitable. Not only is my leadership an inspiration to young people in my community who rarely see people… Continue Reading Tiara Coats
Pame Chévez is a Multimedia Designer from Mexico City currently living in Maine. She Co-founded More Women+ Surf in 2021 with the mission of making board sports in and out of the water more accessible for marginalized and underrepresented folks. She aims to help people with a complicated relationship with water to heal that connection,… Continue Reading Pame Chévez
Howdy, I’m Celeste (they/them) and I live in Denver, Colorado. I’m an Asian-American, queer individual that feels for beautiful things, whether it be pleasing to the eye or to the fingertips. I have a background in ceramics and wildlife research with a degree from Texas State University. I currently work for the US Fish and… Continue Reading Celeste Chen
Celeste was born and raised on traditional Coast Miwok land in Petaluma nestled between the Sonoma hills, and a stone’s throw away from the Russian River. She is a strong advocate for equitable environmental policy that protects, supports, and empowers all people. Celeste holds a BA in Environmental Studies and Geography from UC Santa Barbara.… Continue Reading Celeste Chavez Hernandez
Ruth was born in Tapachula, Chiapas, Mexico, and later raised in San Pedro Sula, Honduras. Ruth moved to the US when she received a university scholarship for the University of Maine. After university, Ruth has spent her free time advocating for underrepresented groups to access the outdoors in her local community, through her social media… Continue Reading Ruth Castillo
Dorothy Valerie Cardenas is an abolitionist passionate about connecting people to the outdoors and strengthening community partnerships that advance accessible education, youth development, and environmental justice. As the Community Partnerships Manager at AltaSea at the Port of Los Angeles she leads the community engagement and community education programming, developed the Blue Wave volunteer program, and… Continue Reading Dorothy Valerie Cardenas