Growing up around the deserts and chaparrals of Southern California, Juyung developed a fascination around conservation and natural history. A recent graduate of The University of California, Santa Cruz, Juyung holds a bachelor’s degree in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. During his undergraduate career, Juyung spent his time working for the UC Natural Reserve system as a native plant restoration technician, bird banding intern and participating in field courses. Much of his work however has been in the mountains of the Sierra Nevada. After first being introduced to the alpine as an intern with CAMINO studying avian breeding habitat, Juyung has since worked with Freshwater Life, conducting aquatic restoration in the alpine lakes of Yosemite. Juyung is an avid rock climber, cyclist, and peak bagger and in his free time you can find him birding and botanizing. He aspires to make conservation an inclusive field and hopes to continue his education into graduate school.

Alleene earned her Bachelor of Science in Biology from University of California, Santa Cruz. Her current professional goal is to find more biological field technician positions, and to eventually work for the Forest, Park, or Fish and Wildlife service. Previously she had worked as a lab technician within the United States Forest Service, as an intern through UCSC’s Fort Ord Natural Reserve, and as a biological field technician with Cornell University before landing a job as a field tech with Fresh Water Life. She is interested in botany and population ecology, as well as human impacts on the environment and endangered species management. Alleene is wilderness first responder (WFR) certified, and loves to do any and every outdoor activity, especially climbing and riding her bicycle!

Natasha grew up in Southern California, in close proximity to Mount San Antonio. She developed a love for animals and nature early on and knew she wanted to protect them in their natural habitats. She graduated from The University of California, Santa Cruz with a Bachelors in Environmental Science. During her undergrad, she learned to use coding software to model climate change effects like glacier melt, sea-level rise, global sea surface temperature increases on the land and ocean. Furthermore, she took laboratory samples from the Younger Lagoon Reserve to analyze its chemistry, biology, physics, and geology. She strives to start an inclusive environmental non-profit that provides and funds conservation opportunities for the youth and young professionals. She takes joy in rock climbing, creating music, gardening, pranks, and spending time with her dog.