Jackie Peña

Bilingual Conservation Educator | STRAW Program

I am a Bilingual Conservation Educator with the STRAW Program where I teach about wetlands and riparian restoration throughout the North Bay and Bay Area. Prior to my role at Point Blue, I spent the past 4 years working all throughout Sonoma County bringing youth to outdoor spaces and helping them build their confidence in nature.

Born and raised in Santa Rosa, CA, (the ancestral lands of Coast Miwok and Southern Pomo peoples) I spent most of my youth taking family camping trips, visiting the coast, and road tripping along Hwy 1. To me the outdoors has always been a space for me to build community. After I received a double B.A in Spanish and Broadcasting and Electronic Communication of Arts from San Francisco State University, I felt like something was missing. I returned to Sonoma County and began to volunteer at local non-profits where I was introduced to environmental education. Once I reconnected with nature, I remembered that sense of community and knew that this is where I needed to be.

As a bilingual environmental educator, my motivation has been to provide equal access to environmental education and help youth build community in nature. As a Latina, I am driven in changing the narrative of how we are perceived in outdoor spaces and using our traditions to bridge our cultural knowledge with nature.

When I am not working, you will most likely find me at a concert, taking dance classes, baking, enjoying cringey movies, learning traditional medicine, or practicing Muay Thai.

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