The success of Living Arroyos rests on the shoulders of the amazing people who have been a part of this program. Whether it’s gathering thousands of acorns, harvesting hundreds of willow stakes, or mowing/watering/weeding for the gazillionth day in a row — a good team of people is absolutely essential to keeping up morale and motivation!
We express our gratitude to the many talented individuals have been with us on our journey.
Thank you!
Living Arroyos Staff — Past and Present
| NAME | ROLE | DATES | NOTES |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linnea Neuhaus | Field Lead | 2013-15 | — |
| Joni Redmond | Program Coordinator / Outreach and Media Manager | — | — |
| Chanddeep Singh | Intern | 2013-16 2017-21 | “Thank you Living Arroyos for this great opportunity. You have helped me to find the path towards which I want to steer my career, and also taught me so many amazing and cool things in the process. At last, it helped me in forming lifelong connections with some of the most amazing individuals in this world.” |
| Curtis Lewis | Intern | 2013-15 | — |
| Jessica Gore | Intern | 2014-15 | — |
| Joseph Steelman | Intern | 2013-16 | “I have always been the kind of person who removed trash in the creeks near my home and have felt the need for stewardship of the land I live on. This program enables me to take care of our watershed and to educate and engage the local community.” |
| Joseph Steelman | Program Manager | 2017-present | — |
| Felisha Walls | Program Coordinator | 2015-16 | Felisha joined the program in 2016 as the Program Coordinator. Felisha laid the foundation for the current program, setting up systems of data collection, biomonitoring and reporting. After managing the program for eighteen months, she was accepted into the Integrative Life Sciences PhD program at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia. |
| Jacob Kinney | Intern | 2015-16 | “I’ve always been interested in helping to protect the environment in any way possible and this program gave me that opportunity. I like this program because it provides opportunities for the local community to learn about certain environmental issues and get involved in helping our environment.” |
| Alyssa Tenney | Intern | 2016 | “I wanted to join the living arroyos program so that I would have the opportunity to transfer what I have been learning in my college courses to hands on experience in the environmental field. The thing I like most about the program is that most of the work we conduct is outside in the field, up close and personal with the environment and local community.” |
| Leonard Druker | Intern | 2016-17 | — |
| Sierra Mathias | Intern | 2017 | — |
| Tim Galanis | Intern | 2017-19 | “I have always been passionate about the environment and many of my personal and professional goals are centered on that. In this position I have been able to work with riparian habitats while learning more about them. I have also gained experience in enhancing them and encouraging community interest in them. I enjoy watching the competing dynamics between the land, the plants, and the water as well as the various kinds of animals we see enjoying our sites.” |
| Charlie Chesnie | Intern | 2017 | “Living Arroyos gave me hands-on experience that has allowed me to contribute a different point of view during discussions at Oxford. Community engagement, working in a multi-partner organization, and implementing management techniques are great to learn about during a lecture, but actually having experience in each of these areas from the Living Arroyos internship has allowed me to share a real world example with my course mates. I can’t wait to visit a creek restoration site in England to be able to compare and contrast different country’s approaches to restoration, flood control, and engaging local citizens with their natural world.” |
| Megan Arp | Intern | 2017-22 | “I wanted to feel like I was making a difference. Actually utilizing the knowledge I gained in college was a bonus. I really enjoy working outdoors in the environment that I can help improve and I am excited to look back years from now to see what we’ve accomplished on a more grand scale.” |
| Natasha Maranhas | Intern | 2017-18 | — |
| Andrea (Ani) Oliver | Intern | 2017 | — |
| Mandy Hollman | Intern | 2017-19 | “I joined Living Arroyos to gain field experience in habitat restoration and to learn about how riparian ecosystems function. Doing the hands on work for these mitigation projects provides a valuable ground level perspective on natural resource management. As a side benefit, I’ve gotten a little better at keeping my houseplants alive. I love this job because I get to be outside all day, spot wildlife, and hang out with a fun team of fellow nature lovers”. |
| Amandine Denoix | Intern | 2018-19 | — |
| Kevin Girardelli | Intern | 2018-19 | — |
| Richelle Vital | Intern | 2019-20 | “When I first joined, I was just expecting a job that would help jumpstart my career in the environmental sector. Living Arroyos delivered an experience that turned me into a life long steward and made me feel valued every day, knowing that our work matters”. |
| Mitchell Gonzalez-Rivera | Intern | 2019-20 | — |
| Jesse Sanchez | Intern | 2019-20 | — |
| Brian Smith | Intern | 2019-20 | “My experience at Living Arroyos has significantly impacted my personal idea of what it means to have a job and work with other people. The work we do for the program has meaning and the results are visible and tangible. I’m immensely proud to be able to come in every morning and know that I’m serving my community and aiding the environment we live in”. |
| Maverick Wilson | Intern | 2021-22 | — |
| Loren Roman-Nunez | Intern | 2021-22 | “I had some limited experience in restoration work previously but was looking for an opportunity to grow my knowledge and understanding of riparian ecosystems. Working with Living Arroyos provides a valuable, enriching experience that benefits the local sycamore alluvial woodland as well as educating the local community about our work. It’s rewarding to return to restoration sites and see native plants that we’ve either planted or been caring for thriving”. |
| Vanessa Ferona | Intern | 2021-Present | “I joined the Living Arroyos program because I believe ‘to be native to a place we must learn to speak its language’. Being a new inhabitant to the Bay Area, I felt it necessary to expand my language of its diverse ecology. Living Arroyos was a timely opportunity for me to meet like-minded nature enthusiasts while also receiving real world natural resource conservation skills”. |
| Liam Hazelton | Intern | 2021-Present | “I joined Living Arroyos to gain field experience in natural resource management. I love this job because I get to be outside all day, spot wildlife, and hang out with a fun team of fellow nature-lovers. It has done wonders for my general health and well-being”. |
| Mason Scheffer | Intern | 2021- Present | “The living arroyos program has been a big part in laying the groundwork for gaining experience towards my future career as a Park/Fish and Game Ranger. Getting to work in the outdoors is a big plus”. |
Photos
2013-2014 Living Arroyos Alumni
(from left to right, top row to bottom row): Mike Chu (regular volunteer), Curtis Lewis, Joseph Steelman, Linnea Neuhaus, and Joni Redmond.
2013-2015 Living Arroyos Alumni
(from left to right): Chandeep Singh, Jessica Gore, Joseph Steelman and Curtis Lewis
2015-2016 Living Arroyos Alumni
(adults from left to right): Joseph Steelman, Jacob Kinney, Alyssa Tenney and Felisha Walls
2016-2017 Living Arroyos Alumni
(from left to right): Tim Galanis, Leonard Druker, Sierra Mathias
2017-2018 Living Arroyos Alumni
(from left to right): Natasha Maranhas, Megan Arp, Joseph Steelman, Tim Galanis, and Mandy Hollman
2018-2019 Living Arroyos Alumni
(from left to right): Megan Arp, Mandy Hollman, Amandine Denoix, Tim Galanis, Joseph Steelman, Kevin Girardelli and Chanddeep Singh.
2019-2020 Living Arroyos Alumni
(from left to right): Megan Arp, Chanddeep Singh, Joseph Steelman, Bryan Smith, Jesse Sanchez, Richelle Vital and Mitchell Gonzales.