Kylie Crisostomo-Rickman

STRAW Project Manager

As a Project Manager with STRAW, I am leading and supporting the in-field implementation of various riparian habitat restoration projects in San Benito and Santa Clara counties. I am actively and intentionally engaging K-12 students in these counties, leading in-classroom lessons on watersheds and leading students in hands-on habitat restoration. Seeing a student’s spark of excitement grow for the plants, animals, and the land itself throughout this work is incredibly rewarding.

Born and raised in the Bay Area and having family I often visit in the Northern Sierras, my connection to the awe-evoking and diverse California ecology is deeply intertwined with my identity. I’m committed to uplifting and supporting others—especially queer, women, and BIPOC individuals—as leaders in the environmental field.

I earned a double major in Plant Biology and English from the University of California, Davis. During my time there, I served as a lead in plant vegetation mapping for the UC Davis Arboretum. After graduation, I led post-fire vegetation surveys throughout the Sierra Nevada. Not long after my time in the mountains, I serendipitously found an apprenticeship with STRAW at Point Blue—and I’ve been fortunate to continue growing ever since, thanks to the support of my incredible team.

When I am out of the field, you often can still find me outside- on frisbee fields playing Ultimate with my team, hiking around looking for rare flowers, and kayaking with my mom.

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