STAFF
Tyler Feld
Co-Executive Director
Tyler’s (he/him) love of the outdoors, particularly native plants, began from early childhood experiences exploring the oak woodlands of Southern California and the pine forests of the Sierra Nevadas. He first joined Grassroots Ecology in 2021 to manage restoration projects at Foothills Nature Preserve and the Midpeninsula Open Space District sites. He joined Alex as Co-Executive Director in 2025 and steers our restoration and education programs and strategic plan implementation. Tyler has a background in youth outdoor education and is also the founding director of Branching Out Adventures, a nonprofit dedicated to celebrating queerness through connection to the outdoors. In his spare time, Tyler is passionate about exploring diverse ecosystems through cycling, camping, and recreating outdoors.
Alex Von Feldt
Co-Executive Director
Alex (she/her) was the Executive Director of Grassroots Ecology when the organization was founded in 2016 and led the way in creating our shared co-leadership structure, which has been in place since 2023. Alex oversees funding and financial management, and she enjoys enabling new programs that improve local biodiversity, engage the community and advance equity - all at the same time. She was drawn into restoration after getting involved in the daylighting of Sausal Creek at the Portola Valley Town Center and seeing it transform from a concrete pipe into a vibrant creek habitat. Alex has experience as a project manager in the fields of business consulting and software development and has a degree in Industrial Engineering from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. She enjoys taking care of her native plant garden with the “help” of her golden retrievers.
Paola Bueno
Project Lead
Paola (she/her) is the Project Lead for the Cooley Landing and Ravenswood Preserve projects. She first joined Grassroots Ecology in 2021 as a college intern and previously worked as an interpretive aide for the East Bay Regional Park District, which sparked her interest in restoration and environmental justice. As a lifetime Bay Area resident, Paola is excited to be a part of restoration projects in urban areas and is committed to working with low-income and immigrant communities to create positive experiences with nature and the land. Paola has a degree in Environmental Science from the California State University, East Bay.
Fran Callan
Business Director
Fran, an experienced start-up professional, joined Grassroots Ecology in 2018. She brings to the position an extensive background in community service, as well as prior experience establishing a non-profit organization. Fran enjoys the outdoors and is a strong believer in working to preserve our California native environments. She has a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and an MBA from Santa Clara University.
Hannah Cunningham
Project Manager
Hannah (she/her) is a naturalist and educator currently running the Arastradero and Alviso Bufferlands restoration projects as well as the summer naturalist internship program. She found her way to environmental work through volunteering at Grassroots Ecology events and participating in its 2017 California Naturalist Certification Program and joined our staff in 2019. Hannah holds a B.A. in Political Science from NYU, and has a background in sustainable economic development and nonprofit administration. Look for her on the trails of the Peninsula’s parks and open spaces!
Halle Donovan
Restoration Specialist
Halle (she/her) joined the team in 2024 as a California Climate Action Corps Fellow and has been working at our San Francisquito Creek watershed and Mountain View Shoreline restoration sites ever since. She’s eager to help build compassionate relationships between people and the lands they inhabit, particularly in urban settings. In her free time, you can find her reading, taking macro shots of native bees, and making all sorts of art! Halle holds an A.A. in Geography from Cañada College and a B.S. in Conservation and Resource Studies from UC Berkeley.
Deanna Giuliano
Nursery Director / Botanical Consultant
Deanna has nurtured thousands of native plants since taking the reins of our nursery in 2006, including rolling out new protocols to ensure pathogen-free nursery stock. She has served as president of the Santa Cruz Chapter of the California Native Plant Society, and remains active in CNPS initiatives such as Rare Plant Treasure Hunts. Deanna previously worked for Central Coast Wilds and the UC Santa Cruz Arboretum. She has an A.S. in Horticulture from Cabrillo College and a B.A. in Environmental Studies/Biology with an emphasis in Plant Ecology from UC Santa Cruz.
Valerie Lee
Director of Community Engagement
Born and raised in California, Val (she/her) is an advocate for prioritizing diversity in both wildlife and human communities. After learning to care for habitats while earning her B.S. in Environmental Studies from UC Santa Barbara, she joined Grassroots Ecology in 2016 to manage habitat restoration projects and lead educational events. Now, her focus is to bolster Grassroots Ecology's community engagement strategies to be more inclusive through staff development, programs, partnerships, and outreach. Her goal is to invite community members facing systemic barriers to engage with nearby nature, to support their relationship with land, self, and one another.
Serena Myjer
Ecologist
Serena (she/her) was born and raised in the South Bay, and first worked with Grassroots Ecology in 2020 as a summer intern. After college, she served at Grassroots Ecology as an AmeriCorps member through the Watershed Stewards Program and California Climate Action Corps. Her other work experience includes summer camp counselor, making coffee, leading bike tours, conducting rare plant surveys, and most recently planting and caring for native plant hedgerows with Point Blue Conservation Science in the STRAW program (Students and Teachers Restoring a Watershed). She is motivated to do habitat restoration work by the joy of being in and with nature, but also the desire to create a livable future for all.
Maya Nagaraj
Project and Communications Lead
Maya (she/they) joined Grassroots Ecology in 2023 as a California Climate Action Corps fellow. She grew up in the Bay Area hiking, riding horses, and learning to love nature. Prior to working for Grassroots Ecology, she worked as a research assistant for a variety of behavioral and population ecology studies. She also spent time in Germany as a scientific researcher and educator, studying evolution and science communication. She holds a B.S. in Evolution, Ecology, and Biodiversity, and a B.A. in Classical Civilizations, from UC Davis.
Aylara (Aya) Odekova
Nursery Manager
Aya’s grandmothers carried and planted the seeds of plant wisdom and land stewardship as part of their rich cultural upbringing in Turkmenistan. After immigrating to the United States, Aya (she/they) regained her sense of belonging by building a relationship with the land through her work as a Native Plant Program Manager for the Amah Mutsun Land Trust and as a Park Ranger for Santa Clara County Parks. Aya enjoys participating in the full cycle of tending from seed collection, plant propagation and establishment to prescribed fire and revegetation. She holds a Masters degree from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies and a Bachelors from the College of William and Mary. In her free time, she can be found translating Turkmen poetry, backpacking, and doing martial arts.
Shelley Pneh
Ecologist III
Shelley (she/her) joined Grassroots Ecology in 2017, bringing expertise in aquatic insect research, water quality monitoring, pollinators, and habitat restoration. She is currently leading our San Francisquito Creek watershed and Mountain View Shoreline restoration projects. Concurrently, Shelley is an aquatic entomologist at UC Berkeley assisting researchers studying food web interactions in the South Fork Eel River and its tributaries. She holds a degree in Molecular Environmental Biology with a concentration in Entomology from UC Berkeley. A lifelong San Jose resident, Shelley enjoys exploring and commuting on local bicycle trails.
Stephanie Saffouri
Project Manager
Stephanie is interested in urban ecology and creating connections between communities and their natural spaces. A Bay Area native, she is excited to apply her field ecology background to her local community as a Project Manager at McClellan Ranch Preserve and Sunnyvale Baylands. Stephanie has done research in a wide range of habitats from salt marshes to the Hawaiian rainforest. In her spare time, she loves to bake treats, cook, and work in her vegetable garden. She has a B.A. in biology from Pomona College and an M.S. in biology from San Francisco State University.
Andrea Serna
California Climate Action Corps Member
Andrea is excited to continue as a California Climate Action Corps Fellow for her second term at Grassroots Ecology. She is a graduate from UC Davis, who earned her B.S. in Environmental Science and Management, with a focus on ecology, biodiversity, and conservation. Growing up in the Bay Area, Andrea spent much of her time playing outdoors, which sparked her love for nature. She is grateful to give back to the community and the land she calls home. In her free time, she enjoys visiting the beach, exploring new trails, discovering new restaurants, and writing movie reviews.
Ezikio Serna
Restoration Specialist
Ezikio (he/him) joined Grassroots Ecology in 2024 as a California Youth Leadership Corps (CYLC) intern. He grew up in San Jose and enjoys fishing, hiking, and camping. He graduated from San Jose State University with a degree in Environmental Studies with a minor in Environmental Impact Assessment in December 2025. He also earned a certificate for Leadership and Social Change and looks forward to making meaningful positive impacts in the communities of the Bay Area.
Emily Sharp
Operations Director
Emily (she/her) is passionate about building relationships and increasing access to green jobs. She joined Grassroots Ecology in 2019 as a Climate Corps AmeriCorps Fellow. After the fellowship, she managed the Byrne Preserve and Redwood Grove restoration projects and coordinated our seasonal internship program. In her current role as Operations Director, she supports all restoration teams on project management, hiring, staff development, reporting, and administration. She holds a degree in Earth and Environmental Sciences from Vanderbilt University. In her free time, she enjoys running, hiking, reading, and crossword puzzles.
Clara Sorensen
Restoration Specialist
Clara joined Grassroots Ecology in 2025 as a California Climate Action Corps Fellow. Originally from St. Paul, Minnesota, Clara first fell in love with the natural world while camping and canoeing through the forests, lakes, and plains of the Midwest. Clara is motivated by her curiosity and a desire to help people connect to their local ecosystems. Outside of work, she enjoys reading, hiking, and whatever new craft she’s working on that week! Clara holds a B.A. in Biology with a focus in Biodiversity, Ecology, and Conservation from Smith College.
Brian Tatsuta
Project Lead
Brian (he/him) joined Grassroots Ecology as a Habitat Restoration Intern in 2022 while pursuing a degree in Horticulture. As a lifelong Bay Area resident, he developed his love for nature by exploring the vast amount of open spaces that this region has to offer. Prior to working as a full time staff member, Brian participated in the California Youth Leadership Corps, where he built his skills in community organizing. He is excited to put these skills to use by building community and promoting diversity in the outdoors. In his free time, Brian enjoys hiking, kayaking, fishing, and growing native plants for his garden.
Siena Watson
Project Lead
Siena (she/her) is currently leading the Byrne Preserve and Foothills Nature Preserve restoration projects. She has supported multiple restoration projects and the native plant nursery since she joined Grassroots Ecology as a Watershed Stewards Program Corpsmember in 2019. Siena loves exploring the preserves she stewards, collecting seed, and connecting with people in nature. She is especially passionate about supporting local Indigenous communities and their efforts to restore traditional ecological practices to their land. She holds a B.S. in Marine and Coastal Science from UC Davis and was a summer intern with Grassroots Ecology in 2018.
Laurel Wee
Project Manager
Laurel (she/her) is an alumnus of UC Santa Barbara’s Bren School of Environmental Science and Management, where she specialized in Conservation Planning with an Environmental Communication focus. While at Bren, she worked with Parks California as a Resource Stewardship Intern and researched tools used by park planners to balance public access and resource protection. Previously, Laurel worked in environmental education for four years as a Teacher and then as a Program Director. She received a B.A. in Environmental Studies and Biology from UC Santa Cruz. Laurel is passionate about environmental stewardship that connects community engagement, education opportunities, and climate solutions. She joined Grassroots Ecology as a Project Lead for the Redwood City sites in January 2023.
2026-27 INTERNS
Kai Ando
he/him
Madison Cantu
she/her
Anna Greene
she/her
Julia Hilton
she/they
Sanvi Mehta
she/her
Kayde Basil Perez
they/he/she
Diego Reyna-Wood
he/him
Luna Sanchez
they/them
Sathvi Shenoy
she/her
Jorge Torres
he/him
STAFF EMERITI AND CONSULTANTS
Junko Bryant
Special Projects Consultant
Junko (she/her) joined Grassroots Ecology in 2009 to launch the Redwood Grove restoration project, and held various positions in the organization including the Co-Executive Director role from 2023-25. She has a special interest in how cities intersect with nature. Junko takes particular pride in seeing our urban spaces transform into habitats that support both people and wildlife, and played a key role in building our programs and partnerships in Redwood City and East Palo Alto. Junko holds a B.S. in Earth Systems from Stanford University and a Master of Regional Planning from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
Claire Elliott
Senior Ecologist Emeritus
Claire retired as Senior Ecologist in 2023 after 17 years with Grassroots Ecology. She is a lifelong naturalist and educator who can still be spotted weeding and sharing nature facts at our restoration sites, especially at McClellan Preserve and Bol Park. Among her many contributions, Claire started Grassroots Ecology’s partnership with the Americorps Watershed Stewards Program, ran our first Youth Stewards and California Naturalist certification programs, and applied her engineering skills to guide our green infrastructure work. She loves California everlasting and detests privet.
Paul Heiple
Botanist Emeritus
Paul retired as Staff Botanist in 2019 after 11 years with Grassroots Ecology. Trained as a geologist, he found his way to botany while noticing the relationships between plants and different soil types. He led the Arastradero Weed Warriors for many years and advised Grassroots Ecology’s approach to controlling yellow starthistle using timed mowing and followup manual removal with volunteers. Paul currently keeps up his weeding skills with the Friends of Edgewood and continues to be a trusted advisor to Grassroots Ecology.
Kristen Williams
Habitat Restoration Consultant
Kristen left her position as our first Habitat Restoration Director in 2025. During her 12 years with Grassroots Ecology, Kristen launched the Byrne Preserve restoration project and our first Midpen projects at Hawthorns and Russian Ridge and led the Redwood Grove project. As Habitat Restoration Director, she guided our open space restoration teams, built our collaborative staff culture, and improved the quality of our programs in countless ways. She was also instrumental in initiating our Indigenous allyship and DEI work. Kristen continues to be a trusted advisor though her time is now dedicated to tending to her family and a plot of land in her home town of Mendocino.