My name is Jocelyn Marquez and I grew up in a Texas bordertown where agriculture was a dominant commercial enterprise. This led me to become passionate about nature-based solutions and environmental health. I graduated with a Master’s degree in biology from The George Washington University where I conducted research on the impact of climate change on ecological interactions, particularly focusing on the biocontrol agents found in organic farms in Virginia. I am excited to continue my work with climate change ecology as an Integrated Natural Resource Management Plan Climate Fellow with the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service. In my free time, I enjoy Latin dancing, cooking and hiking!

Cody Tiffany is originally from Alturas, California but has spent the last seven years as an Army Geospatial Engineer. Currently pursuing a degree in Civil Engineering, Cody is passionate about geospatial technology and plans to expand his knowledge by pursuing a degree in Geographic Information Systems. He's now starting a role as a GIS Infrastructure Data Resource Assistant, combining his military background with his educational pursuits. Outside of work and school, Cody enjoys fishing and coaching wrestling. He is also a loving husband and proud father of two children, finding a balance between his family life and professional aspirations.

My name is Brittany, and I recently graduated from the University of Washington and earned my degree in Wildlife Conservation. I’m from Texas and I’m excited to explore all the beautiful nature of Colorado. I love hiking and encountering any kind of wildlife on my adventures. I’m thrilled to begin my career in the outdoors with the opportunity at ElDorado Canyon State Park!

Sharika is from Chicago, Illinois and graduated from the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor with degrees in International Studies and Environmental Studies: Aquatic Ecosystems and Restoration. She has worked as a field technician in diverse areas of the conservation field, including fisheries biology, horticulture research, and restoration ecology. She has a special interest in plants, ethnobotany, and ecosystem restoration.

Abigail is a recent college graduate from the University of Texas at El Paso, where she earned a BS in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. As an undergrad student, she had the opportunity to research native bees in the El Paso region and volunteered in the Climate Change Soil Lab at UTEP. Throughout her undergrad career she worked as a community college tutor, and became passionate about making education accessible. She also held a leadership position for the Environmental Advocates UTEP SEEDS chapter, a national program of the Ecological Society of America, dedicated to provide mentorship to underrepresented students in ecology. As a leader, she helped develop career workshops, sustainability projects and science literacy outreach. Through SEEDS, she was awarded participation in The Henry L. Gholz National Field Trips to the White Mountains of New Hampshire at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest and to the W.K Kellogg Biological Station in Hickory Corners, Michigan, where she gained field experience and met other undergraduates from the all over the nation to discuss social, political and environmental issues in today’s world. Abigail now plans on completing her fellowship with the San Luis National Wildlife Refuge to serve the public in wildlife and natural resource education. On her free time, Abigail enjoys playing Mario Kart competitively, hiking and camping, stargazing, playing guitar and reading fiction novels.

Letty Rodriguez is a recent graduate from Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, AZ and has a bachelor’s in science (major in geology and minor in anthropology). For the past 3 years she has been involved in research on the structural geology and geomorphology of the Japan trench and work under her mentor Dr. Regalla. Letty’s research led her to apply to the AmeriCorps position through GEM environmental in the pursuit of environmental preservation. She has volunteered numerous times to assist in field work, both in the geology and anthropology departments of NAU, where she tested soil permeability in a fire scar, dug soil pits for sampling, and helped in the preservation and cataloging of ancient arrowheads and fragments. In addition, she has also worked in the First-Generation office on campus for a year and a half as a front desk worker, and as a first-gen student herself enjoys giving help and advice to incoming freshmen.

Adriana Meléndez is currently finishing her Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies with two minors in Biology and Sustainability, and an Environmental Education Certificate. Through her
courses and field work at Boise State University, Adriana learned the importance of communicating with diverse communities when it comes to environmental issues. She recently participated in a group project on creating a model mobility hub that allowed for communication between various stakeholders in the community. She hopes to continue to serve her community and be able to educate others about the environment.

Cris Flores was raised in a small town in Illinois. He competed in cross country and wrestling in high school. Cris came to the U.S. as an infant from Mexico. He has overcome many obstacles as a first -generation student without access to government grants or loans. He developed a love for the outdoors at S.I.U.-Carbondale, where he hiked and kayaked in the Shawnee National Forest. He recently graduated with two bachelor’s degrees, one in geography with a specialization in environmental sustainability and another in Spanish. He traveled to Puerto Rico with an Illinois College study abroad delegation to work on hurricane relief in 2018. His background has influenced his desire to work in an outdoor setting while using his Spanish language and cultural experience.

Jaidyn is originally from Los Lunas, New Mexico and has spent her whole life enjoying the outdoors. She recently graduated from New Mexico State University with her bachelor’s degree in Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Ecology. She has spent the last year focusing on ecological parasitology. She assisted on a project in and around the Valles Caldera National Monument looking at how fires in the region are influencing the extent to which ungulates and small carnivores are likely to become infected by parasites. She also assisted with research that focused on examining the impacts of botflies on wild rabbit populations across southern New Mexico.

Zachary has a passion for learning about the environment and sharing that knowledge with others. He grew up in Oklahoma and attended college in Washington. Zach first became interested in the natural world when hiking with his mom and fishing with his dad while growing up. He went to The Evergreen State College where he studied plant ecology and Unity College where he studied environmental geographic information science. He worked on a environmental restoration crew for two years where he got firsthand experience observing and interacting with the natural world. In the future, he hopes to use technology to better understand nature and continue to share that information with all who are interested.