Meet Miles Cosselmon

Pronouns: He/him

Best email: milescosselmon@gmail.com

Affiliation: California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo

Current position: Undergraduate student

County: San Diego

How will you participate as a mentee: Virtually

How often can you meet? As needed

Specializations: Conservation, Conservation biology, Ecosystem ecology, Ecosystem health assessment, Endangered/threatened/rare/sensitive species, Aquatic biology, Aquatic habitat restoration, Environmental monitoring, environmental monitoring, Forest restoration/forestry, Grasslands, Invasive species management, Mammal restoration, Mycorrhizae/fungi ecology, Mycorrhizal inoculation, Native habitat restoration, Native plant ecology, Plant ecology/botany, Reptile/amphibian restoration, Stream restoration and salmonid habitat, Terrestrial plant restoration, Tidal/coastal restoration, Microbial ecology

Bio/Interests: I'm a San Francisco native born and raised. I'm currently finishing my freshman year at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. I'm currently a Kinesiology major but will be switching my major to Biology next school year. My interests include nature, wildlife, food, exercise, and sports.

Meet Danielle Parsons

Pronouns: She/her

Best email: daniellesarahparsons@gmail.com

Affiliation: San Diego State University

Current position: Graduate student

County: San Diego

How will you participate as a mentee: Both in-person and virtually

How often can you meet? As needed

Specializations: Aquatic habitat restoration, Bird restoration, Climate resilience, Collaboration, Community outreach/community science, Community-based restoration, Conservation, CRAM, Ecology graduate school/research, Ecosystem ecology, Endangered/threatened/rare/sensitive species, Fire ecology, Habitat enhancements on working farms, Habitat restoration planning/design/prioritization frameworks, Land and food sovereignty, Land sovereignty/Indigenous land stewardship, Landscape ecology, Mycorrhizae/fungi ecology, Mycorrhizal inoculation, Native habitat restoration, Native plant ecology, Native Seed, Plant ecology/botany, Restoration Ecology, Soil ecology, Social justice, Sustainable agriculture, Traditional Ecological Knowledge, Working lands restoration, Watershed sciences

Bio/Interests: I am an ecosystem steward with a desire to support my local community through impactful ecosystem restoration. I am entering a master's in ecology at SDSU this fall focusing on fieldwork with fire ecology in a native habitat context. I'm a passionate birder, botanist and backpacker. Through mentorship I aim to develop my research skills and vocation focus.

Meet Kt Lynch

Pronouns: She/her

Best email: kalynch@ucdavis.edu

Affiliation: UC Davis post-bac

Current position: Early career professional

County: Sacramento

How will you participate as a mentee: Both in-person and virtually

How often can you meet? As needed

Specializations: Chaparral restoration, Conservation, Ecology graduate school/research, Ecosystem ecology, Ecosystem health assessment, Endangered/threatened/rare/sensitive species, Environmental consulting, environmental monitoring, Fire ecology, Forest restoration/forestry, Freshwater wetland restoration, Habitat restoration planning/design/prioritization frameworks, Invasive species management, Long-term ecological monitoring, Mammal restoration, Microbial ecology, Mitigation services, Mycorrhizae/fungi ecology, Monitoring, Mycorrhizal inoculation, Native habitat restoration, Native plant ecology, Native Seed, Nursery, Plant ecology/botany, Project Management, Project management/program development, Restoration Ecology, Salt marsh restoration, River/riparian/fish restoration, Sensitive species surveys/protocol surveys for listed species, Soil ecology, Terrestrial plant restoration, Tidal/coastal restoration, Traditional Ecological Knowledge, Water resource management, Working lands restoration

Bio/Interests: Hi! I am a post-bac from UC Davis looking to understand the field of ecological restoration, specifically in California. With experience in both academic research and land stewardship, I'm hoping to learn what avenues are available for emerging professionals in the field of restoration and conservation. Thank you!

Meet Jazmine Leiva, Mentee

Pronouns: She/her/hers

Best email: jl0095@princeton.edu

Affiliation: Princeton University

Current position: Undergraduate student

County: Los Angeles / Princeton NJ

How will you participate as a mentee: Both in-person and virtually

How often can you meet? As needed

Specializations: Climate resilience, Climate science, Collaboration, Community outreach/community science, Community-based restoration, Conservation, Environmental engineering, Environmental justice, Hydrology/water quality monitoring, Plant ecology/botany

Bio/Interests: Hello! My name is Jazmine leiva, a rising junior at Princeton University majoring in environmental/civil engineering and a minor in latinx studies! In the future I hope to become part of a team to be able to bridge the gap of disproportionate effects of climate change in low income communities as well as create the next generation of STEM leaders. On my free time I enjoy doing Zumba and listening to music!

Meet Carly Sussman, Mentee

Pronouns: She/her

Best email: carlyasussman@gmail.com

Affiliation: Cal Poly SLO

Current position: Undergraduate student, Early career professional

County: Santa Clara

How will you participate as a mentee: In-person

Going to the 2023 Conference? Yes, in-person

How often can you meet? Quarterly

Specializations: Carbon farming, CEQA/NEPA, Arboretum/botanic garden, Climate science, Climate resilience, Chaparral restoration, Community outreach/community science, Collaboration, Community-based restoration, Conservation, Working lands restoration, Water resource management, Sustainable agriculture, Soil ecology, Restoration Ecology, Project management/program development, Plant ecology/botany, Native plant ecology, Native habitat restoration, Mycorrhizae/fungi ecology, Mycorrhizal inoculation, Landscape ecology, Long-term ecological monitoring, Landscape architecture, Land and food sovereignty, Land sovereignty/Indigenous land stewardship, GIS/mapping, Grant writing, Habitat restoration planning/design/prioritization frameworks, Invasive species management, Microbial ecology, Non-profit sector, Environmental policy, Environmental monitoring, Environmental justice, Environmental education/science outreach, Environmental consulting, Environmental compliance/regulatory permitting, Ecosystem ecology, Ecology graduate school/research, Conservation biology, Data science, environmental monitoring, Forest restoration/forestry, Freshwater wetland restoration, GIS, Government sector, Grasslands, Traditional Ecological Knowledge, Urban planning/ecology

Bio/Interests: I just graduated from Cal Poly and am starting a job in commercial landscaping as a junior manager. I accepted this job in hopes of learning about the landscaping world and using my knowledge as a soils/earth science to bring native plants and low chemical inputs to commercial landscaping. But I know very little about native plants and ecological restoration in practice which is what I hope to learn about! My goal is to get into ecological restoration (maybe with a focus on landscaping) eventually do a PhD after working 2-3 years. In my free time I love to be active outdoors, listen to podcasts, write poetry, and cook!

Meet Elisa De Oliveira Riondet, Mentee

Pronouns: They/them

Best email: elisaofficialemail@yahoo.com

Affiliation: Laguna Hills High School

Current position: High school student

County: Orange

How will you participate as a mentee: In-person

Going to the 2023 Conference? Virtually

How often can you meet? Monthly

Specializations: Conservation, Social justice, Restoration Ecology, Other, Non-profit sector, Marine/ocean/coral reef restoration, Mammal restoration, Land sovereignty/Indigenous land stewardship, Government sector, Environmental law, Environmental justice, Endangered/threatened/rare/sensitive species

Bio/Interests: I am always looking for new ways to become involved in protecting my planet. Although I don't plan on majoring in any environmental sciences, I still want to be educated and involved when it comes to saving our planet and fighting climate change.

Meet Cev Adee, Mentee

Pronouns: He/him

Best email: bashmoran@gmail.com

Affiliation: Santa Rosa Junior College

Current position: Early career professional, Undergraduate student

County: Marin

How will you participate as a mentee: Both in-person and virtually

Going to the 2023 Conference? Yes, virtually

How often can you meet? As needed

Specializations: Traditional Ecological Knowledge, Urban planning/ecology, Urban stream, Sustainable agriculture, Soil ecology, Sensitive species surveys/protocol surveys for listed species, Seed collection and nursery work, Social justice, Restoration Ecology, Plant ecology/botany, Nursery, Native Seed, Native plant ecology, Native habitat restoration, Mycorrhizal inoculation, Mycorrhizae/fungi ecology, Monitoring, Land sovereignty/Indigenous land stewardship, Land and food sovereignty, Habitat restoration planning/design/prioritization frameworks, Habitat enhancements on working farms, Grasslands, GIS/mapping, GIS, Geoscience, Fire ecology, Environmental justice, Environmental education/science outreach, Endangered/threatened/rare/sensitive species, Data science, Collaboration, Carbon farming

Bio/Interests: I have a BA in applied linguistics from UCSC which gives me a basic scientific foundation. I'm currently self studying and attending Santa Rosa JC to move myself towards a career in rewilding, habitat restoration, and environmental justice.

Meet Bob Schneider, Mentee

Pronouns: He/him

Best email: bob@sonomaecologycenter.org

Affiliation: Sonoma Ecology Center

Current position: Early career professional

County: Sacramento

How will you participate as a mentee: Virtually

Going to the 2023 Conference? Yes, virtually

How often can you meet? Monthly

Specializations: Arboretum/botanic garden, Fire ecology, Grant writing, Habitat enhancements on working farms, Habitat restoration planning/design/prioritization frameworks, Landscape architecture, Landscape ecology, Native plant ecology, Native habitat restoration, Nursery, Plant ecology/botany, Project Management, Project management/program development, Restoration Ecology, Social justice, Seed collection and nursery work, Sustainable agriculture

Bio/Interests: I've worked in landscaping with a focus on CA native plants, ecological restoration, and local food systems for years. I'm trying to advance my career, and am considering multiple pathways toward this end. I may want to finish my undergrad, and consider a graduate degree. Or, maybe more of a certification route would be wiser for me. I'd love to get support from a mentor in my field to assist in this process.

Meet Kees Hood, Mentee

Pronouns: He/him

Best email: kwhood@ucdavis.edu

Affiliation: UC Davis

Current position: Undergraduate student

County: Yolo

How will you participate as a mentee: In-person

Going to the 2023 Conference? Yes, in-person

How often can you meet? As needed

Specializations: Arthropod/pollinator restoration, Chaparral restoration, Community-based restoration, Ecology graduate school/research, Ecosystem ecology, Endangered/threatened/rare/sensitive species, Fire ecology, Grasslands, Habitat restoration planning/design/prioritization frameworks, Invasive species management, Landscape ecology, Mammal restoration, Native Seed, Native plant ecology, Native habitat restoration, Restoration Ecology, Terrestrial plant restoration

Bio/Interests: I am captivated by California's native grassland forbs and interested in methods to restore and protect them and the organisms that depend on them. 

Meet Julian Palmisano, Mentee

Pronouns: He/him

Best email: julian.palmisano@ccc.ca.gov

Affiliation: Watershed Stewards Program

Current position: Early career professional

County: San Luis Obispo

How will you participate as a mentee: In-person

Going to the 2023 Conference? Yes, in-person

How often can you meet? As needed

Specializations: Ecosystem ecology, Climate science, Climate resilience, Chaparral restoration, Carbon farming, Aquatic biology, Aquatic habitat restoration, Data science, Environmental engineering, Environmental justice, Fire ecology, Fish passage, Freshwater wetland restoration, Hydrology/water quality monitoring, Land and food sovereignty, Land sovereignty/Indigenous land stewardship, Landscape ecology, Landscape architecture, Long-term ecological monitoring, Microbial ecology, Mycorrhizae/fungi ecology, Native habitat restoration, Native plant ecology, Native Seed, Nursery, Plant ecology/botany, Restoration Ecology, Social justice, River/riparian/fish restoration, Seasonal wetlands, Seed collection and nursery work, Soil ecology, Sustainable agriculture, Terrestrial plant restoration, Traditional Ecological Knowledge, Urban planning/ecology, Water resource management, Watershed sciences

Bio/Interests: Having studied ecology to gain a broad understanding of all the interrelated aspects of biology, I am seeking a career that can have a supportive impact on all of life. I have not specialized in any particular taxon, but always return to the importance of water. I'm interested in working with watershed scale restoration, and enjoy community organizing and project implementation.

Meet Laura Drenth, Mentee

Pronouns: She/her

Best email: ldrenth1@gmail.com

Affiliation: Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo

Current position: Early career professional

County: San Luis Obispo

How will you participate as a mentee: Both in-person and virtually

Going to the 2023 Conference? Maybe

How often can you meet? As needed

Specializations: Aquatic habitat restoration, Conservation, Ecology graduate school/research, Chaparral restoration, Ecosystem ecology, Endangered/threatened/rare/sensitive species, Grasslands, Invasive species management, Native habitat restoration, Native plant ecology, Plant ecology/botany, Reptile/amphibian restoration, River/riparian/fish restoration, Salt marsh restoration, Seasonal wetlands, Seed collection and nursery work, Sensitive species surveys/protocol surveys for listed species, Tidal/coastal restoration, Conservation biology, Traditional Ecological Knowledge

Bio/Interests: Hello! My name is Laura. I am currently a Field Technician with the Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo conducting invasive species management. I enjoy working outside and love learning about native plants, insects and herpetofauna. I look forward to gaining new skills to help promote ecological restoration.

Meet Celia Davalos, Mentee

Pronouns: She/her

Best email: davaloscelia@gmail.com

Affiliation: Better World Group, AmeriCorps, UC Berkeley

Current position: Early career professional

County: Los Angeles

How will you participate as a mentee: Both in-person and virtually

Going to the 2023 Conference? Maybe

How often can you meet? Quarterly

Specializations: Working lands restoration, Urban planning/ecology, Social justice, Project management/program development, Project Management, Land and food sovereignty, Environmental policy, environmental monitoring, Environmental law, Environmental justice, Environmental compliance/regulatory permitting, Environmental consulting, Community-based restoration, Conservation, Ecology graduate school/research, Climate resilience, Collaboration, Community outreach/community science

Bio/Interests: I am less than 6 months into my first corporate job at a private urban planning and public policy firm providing project support. I am an alum of an environmental AmeriCorps program on Cape Cod where I first garnered interest in environmental efforts. I am interested in pursuing a Master's degree in either planning or environmental research, I have a B.A. in English from UC Berkeley.

Meet Lucy Montgomery, Mentee

Pronouns: She/her

Best email: lucy.montgomery@waterboards.ca.gov

Affiliation: Watershed Stewards Program

Current position: Early career professional

County: Alameda, San Francisco

How will you participate as a mentee: Both in-person and virtually

Going to the 2023 Conference? Yes, in-person

How often can you meet? Monthly

Specializations: Aquatic habitat restoration, CEQA/NEPA, Climate resilience, Climate science, Collaboration, Community outreach/community science, Community-based restoration, Conservation, Conservation biology, Ecology graduate school/research, Ecosystem ecology, Ecosystem health assessment, Environmental compliance/regulatory permitting, Environmental consulting, Environmental education/science outreach, Environmental justice, Environmental monitoring, environmental monitoring, Environmental policy, Freshwater wetland restoration, GIS, GIS/mapping, Government sector, Grant writing, Hydrology/water quality monitoring, Invasive species management, Land and food sovereignty, Land sovereignty/Indigenous land stewardship, Landscape architecture, Landscape ecology, Mitigation services, Monitoring, Native plant ecology, Native habitat restoration, Native Seed, Non-profit sector, Phycology, Project Management, Project management/program development, Regulatory permitting with focus on restoration projects, Reptile/amphibian restoration, Restoration Ecology, Social justice, Soil ecology, Sustainable agriculture, Traditional Ecological Knowledge, Urban planning/ecology, Urban stream, Water resource management, Watershed sciences, Working lands restoration

Bio/Interests: This last spring I graduated from Reed College with a degree in Biology. During my time at Reed I worked as a grounds maintenance worker for the Reed canyon, a 28 acre watershed and natural reserve. This 4-year job gave me a brief, observational introduction to the planning, funding, and implementation of an urban watershed restoration project and gave me experience with the hands on ecology needed to make project goals happen. Currently I’m at the SF Bay water quality and control board learning about water quality monitoring and legislation. Moving forward in my career I am interested in continuing in the urban water field, but am open to continuing to explore and learn about my options.

Meet Lily Partida, Mentee

Pronouns: She/her

Best email: partidald@gmail.com

Affiliation: Watershed Stewards Program

Current position: Early career professional

County: Contra Costa

How will you participate as a mentee: Both in-person and virtually

Going to the 2023 Conference? Yes, in-person

How often can you meet? Monthly

Specializations: Climate resilience, Conservation, Data science, Ecology graduate school/research, Environmental compliance/regulatory permitting, Environmental consulting, Environmental education/science outreach, Freshwater wetland restoration, GIS, GIS/mapping, Hydrology/water quality monitoring, Landscape ecology, Monitoring, Long-term ecological monitoring, Native plant ecology, Project Management, Regulatory permitting with focus on restoration projects, Restoration Ecology, River/riparian/fish restoration, Stream restoration and salmonid habitat, Soil ecology, Watershed sciences, Water resource management

Bio/Interests: I graduated from UCSB in 2022 with a BS in Hydrologic Sciences and Policy with an emphasis in Biology and Ecology. I am a Corpsmember through the Watershed Stewards Program working at the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board where I am on the surface water ambient monitoring program team. I want to stay in the Bay Area and work to help engage my community in water/ watershed science. I also want to learn how to use R coding and things like that for data analysis.

Meet Zury Marroquin, Mentee

Pronouns: She/her/hers

Best email: zury99@gmail.com

Affiliation: Scripps College

Current position: Post-doc, Early career professional

County: Los Angeles

How will you participate as a mentee: Both in-person and virtually

Going to the 2023 Conference? Yes, in-person

How often can you meet? Monthly

Specializations: Arboretum/botanic garden, Conservation, Ecology graduate school/research, Mycorrhizae/fungi ecology, Mycorrhizal inoculation, Native plant ecology, Nursery, Plant ecology/botany, Project Management, Project management/program development, Seed collection and nursery work, Soil ecology, Sustainable agriculture, Terrestrial plant restoration

Bio/Interests: My name is Zury and I just graduated from Scripps College with a degree in Environmental Analysis and Biology. I am interested in plant pathology, botany, nursery work and agriculture. Some of my hobbies include crocheting and embroidery.

Meet Quinn Haaga, Mentee

Pronouns: She/her

Best email: qhaaga@g.ucla.edu

Affiliation: UCLA

Current position: Graduate student

County: Los Angeles

How will you participate as a mentee: Both in-person and virtually

Going to the 2023 Conference? No

How often can you meet? Monthly

Specializations: CEQA/NEPA, Climate resilience, Environmental justice, Community outreach/community science, Community-based restoration, Conservation, Environmental consulting, Environmental compliance/regulatory permitting, Environmental policy, Environmental monitoring, Environmental law, GIS, GIS/mapping, Mitigation services, Social justice, Urban planning/ecology

Bio/Interests: I am a current urban planning student at UCLA focusing on environmental analysis and policy. I have five years of work experience in public health and am looking to bridge my interests in public health, urban planning, environmental justice, and the built environment in a career related to environmental policy/planning.

Meet Nick Saglimbeni, Mentee

Best email: nsaglimbeni@ucsb.edu

Affiliation: UCSB

Current position: Graduate student

County: Santa Barbara

How will you participate as a mentee: Both in-person and virtually

Going to the 2023 Conference? No

How often can you meet? As needed

Specializations: Ecology graduate school/research, Fire ecology, Habitat restoration planning/design/prioritization frameworks, Native habitat restoration, Native plant ecology, Plant ecology/botany, Restoration Ecology, Terrestrial plant restoration, Salt marsh restoration, Invasive species management, Ecosystem ecology, Chaparral restoration, Landscape ecology  

Bio/Interests: I am an ecology grad student at UCSB. I am studying restoration ecology in coastal bluff ecosystems. Some of research explores how to maximize success while minimizing costs, how to design restoration strategies in the face of invasive species, and how removing one invader may open up space for another.

Meet Mando Valencia, Mentee

Best email: mandovalencia@gmail.com

Affiliation: Cal State East Bay

Current position: Undergraduate student

County: Alameda

How will you participate as a mentee: Both in-person and virtually

Going to the 2023 Conference? Yes, in person

How often can you meet? As needed

Specializations: Arthropod/pollinator restoration, Bird restoration, Chaparral restoration, Conservation, Conservation biology, Community-based restoration, Ecology graduate school/research, Ecosystem ecology, Endangered/threatened/rare/sensitive species, Environmental compliance/regulatory permitting, Environmental consulting, Environmental education/science outreach, Environmental justice, Environmental policy, Grasslands, Habitat enhancements on working farms, Habitat restoration planning/design/prioritization frameworks, Invasive species management, Landscape ecology, Long-term ecological monitoring, Native plant ecology, Native habitat restoration, Project Management, Project management/program development, Regulatory permitting with focus on restoration projects, Restoration Ecology, Seasonal wetlands, Sensitive species surveys/protocol surveys for listed species, Traditional Ecological Knowledge, Working lands restoration, Urban planning/ecology  

Bio/Interests: I am an environmental studies student with the intention in joining a graduate program in 2024 for Ecology or a field related to environmental management ,with emphasis on habitat conservation or restoration. I currently work with horses and I prefer to work outdoors, but I am also am artist, and my work background leans toward that narrative; with most of my experiences relating to promoting arts and humanities or leading teams for general labor. I am hoping to be able to learn from and be of use to someone who can see the value of joining multidisciplinary backgrounds to the developing conversation on community and ecology.

Meet Allison Menelli, Mentee

Pronouns: She/her

Best email: acmenelli@ucdavis.edu

Affiliation: UC Davis

Current position: Undergraduate student

County: Davis

How will you participate as a mentee: Both in-person and virtually

Going to the 2023 Conference? Yes, in-person

How often can you meet? As needed

Specializations: Chaparral restoration, Community outreach/community science, Community-based restoration, Conservation, Ecology graduate school/research, Ecosystem ecology, Ecosystem health assessment, Terrestrial plant restoration, Restoration Ecology, Long-term ecological monitoring, Landscape ecology, Habitat restoration planning/design/prioritization frameworks, Environmental monitoring, Environmental education/science outreach

Bio/Interests: Allison is a 4th year student at UC Davis, studying Environmental Science and Management with a minor in Education. She is interested in pursuing a research in restoration ecology and ecosystem health assessment.

Meet Griffin Solsburg, Mentee

Pronouns: he/him

Best email: Griffin.Solsburg@ccc.ca.gov

Affiliation: Watershed Stewards Program

Current position: Early career professional

County: San Joaquin County

How will you participate as a mentee: Both in-person and virtually

Going to the 2023 Conference? Yes, in-person

How often can you meet? As needed

Specializations: Aquatic biology, Bird restoration, Ecology graduate school/research, Long-term ecological monitoring, Conservation biology, Restoration Ecology, Mammal restoration

Bio/Interests: My name is Griffin Solsburg and I am currently employed by the Watershed Stewards Program, where I take part in federal environmental survey programs and lead community outreach events. I graduated from UC Santa Cruz with a degree in Ecology and Evolution, and I would like to pursue a career in field ecology. I am particularly interested in the ecology of seabirds and aquatic ecosystems.