It’s a Wrap! Big thanks to our Sierra Nevada AmeriCorps Partnership (SNAP) Cohort of 2023
Over the past year we were joined by three incredible SNAP members to support our Headwaters team — working on projects aimed at restoring and building a more resilient and healthy watershed. We couldn’t be more grateful to our 2023 cohort and the incredible work and fun they contributed to our organization.
Thank you Tyler!
Tyler planting pine saplings in the Rim Fire burn print.
Thank you Holly!
Holly demonstrating one of her many talents by the Tuolumne!
Thank you Leonel!
Leonel and TRT staff member Julia Stephens in the field.
“During my time with TRT, I thoroughly enjoyed being a part of our volunteer events to improve the health of local watersheds. My service term has expanded my knowledge of forest health and ecological issues that threaten the Sierra Nevada. I’m grateful for my time with TRT and my growth as an environmental steward.”
Tyler Llewellyn served as a Sierra Nevada AmeriCorps Partnership member with the Tuolumne River Trust's Headwaters program. His role primarily supported our restoration program. Tyler has been involved with a variety of our efforts including reforestation in burn areas, meadow health assessments, botanical surveys, trail maintenance, and willow plantings along the banks of the Tuolumne. One notable outcome of his time here is a meadow assessment report he conducted through geospatial and field analysis, to help us identify meadows for us to prioritize for future restoration efforts on the Stanislaus.
Tyler is originally from Toledo, Ohio and received a B.S. in Environmental Engineering from Ohio State University. Outside of work, he spends his time rock climbing, writing music, and practicing yoga.
“Forest restoration is really important to me because I grew up in the Calaveras County area and that’s the neighboring county to Tuolumne. I remember when the Rim Fire hit back in 2013 - we were just watching this get bigger and bigger and hearing the stories of these beautiful areas that we love getting burned to the ground. So it feels really good to get to be a part of this project and to get to see these trees get planted and the ecosystems start to recover.”
During her term, Holly supported us with a variety of projects, including a reforestation project within the former burn zones of the Rim Fire. She assisted with meadow restoration projects, fuel break quality control, botanical surveys, trail building, native seed collecting, willow planting, and volunteer coordination.
A native of the Sierra Nevada, Holly grew up in Murphys, California, and earned a B.S. in Environmental Science from Humboldt State University. She loves native plants and was excited to build skills to identify locally threatened and endangered species to aid in their protection on Forest Service lands. We are thrilled to share that Holly will be joining TRT as a full time staff member to continue her great forest health work with TRT!
“During my time at TRT, I learned about the ins-&-outs of protecting our forests and keeping our communities safe from catastrophic wildfire, including the practical realities of how grants and contracts are managed and how work gets done on the ground. I’m grateful to TRT for all the great people I met and for all my professional and personal experiences that helped me on my personal journey.”
Working throughout TRT’s range of field based projects throughout his term, Leonel utilized his forestry background to support forest health and restoration projects that TRT manages on public land, ranging from fuel reduction projects, to quality control on botany survey contracts, to assessing the next set of meadows for TRT to focus restoration efforts on. Leonel gained his Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) license to assist our programs in documenting our work progress from a drone perspective, especially the meadow assessment work. Leonel also compiled project accomplishments of restorative work done in the Rim Fire footprint and created a compelling StoryMap to share the story of our efforts.
Leonel grew up in Sacramento, CA and graduated from UC Berkeley with a Bachelor's in Ecosystem Management and Forestry.
What is SNAP?
Each year, the Sierra Nevada Alliance places AmeriCorps members with partner conservation organizations throughout the Sierra Nevada. During their terms of service, members restore and monitor impaired Sierra watersheds, educate and outreach to Sierra residents and visitors on environmental issues, and recruit and manage volunteers for a variety of programs. SNAP members gain skills and technical training, are mentored by outstanding environmental leaders, and provide a meaningful impact to the communities of the Sierra Nevada. A living allowance, loan forbearance, and health care benefits are provided during the term of service, as well as an end-of-service education award.
