Board

Heidi McFarland

Board President

Heidi is a seasoned environmental education and interpretation professional with extensive experience in volunteer management. She is currently a professor for the prestigious West Valley College Park Management Program, and previously worked 3 years at the Santa Clara Valley Water District as the Education Outreach Coordinator and served a short time as a Water Conservation Specialist. Prior to that, Heidi spent over 16 years with Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation.

Teri Rogoway

Board Vice-President

Teri is the Educational Programs Coordinator for the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority where she manages seasonal educational aides, a corps of 80 docents, and create an ongoing, engaging educational experience where the public can come and learn about the benefits of Open Spaces.

Aniko Milan

Board Treasurer 

I, Ranger Kiko, as my fave Jr. Rangers call me, am thrilled to be a transplant from the streets of southwest Los Angeles to the environmentally rich habitats of the Santa Cruz Mountains.  I can’t say I’ve had it rough, but I’ve had it different. Guided by my parents, who did in fact have it rough, to always go for extraordinary and live by the Golden Rule, I consider myself one lucky ugly duckling to have realized the good fortune and blessings that came my way.

Emily Green

Board Secretary

Emily is a Research Associate at ETR, where she works with local school districts to broaden participation and work towards equity and inclusion in STEM. 

Previously, she was the director of IRIS Science Academy and founder/educator at Green STEAM Education, both in Scotts Valley, CA.

Shay Franco-Clausen

Director of Fundraising 

Shantá Franco-Clausen, also known as "Shay," is a fierce, strong, dynamic powerhouse, who works tirelessly to create a voice of the voiceless in Santa Clara County. Understanding the importance of being active in local government, Shay has been a community organizer for the last 15 years, leading community beach and creek cleanups, advocating for environmental social justice, mentoring youth, advocating for justice-involved women and girls, and running political campaigns.

Andrea Fraume Valencia

Co-Director of Public Relations

Born and raised in Colombia, Andrea comes from a family of gente hechada pa’lante and a generation of educators. Andrea is an educator herself and knows first-hand the transformative power of learning from the earth. Andrea is passionate about making environmental and outdoor education in the Bay Area more reflective of and accessible to our diverse communities.

Merav Vonshak

Co-Director of Public Relations

Merav Vonshak has moved to the Bay Area from Israel in 2010 to pursue a postdoctoral study at Stanford University. She has a PhD in Zoology from Tel Aviv University, in which she focused on the impact of invasive ant species on the natural environment and people's lives. 

Today she divides her time between teaching in San Jose State and organizing citizen science events such as nature walks, BioBlitzs’, and volunteering for various environmental organizations.

José G. Gonzalez

Honorary Director 
Partner - Avarna Group

José G. González is the Founder of Latino Outdoors. He is an experienced educator as a K-12 public education teacher, environmental education advisor, outdoor education instructor and coordinator, and university adjunct faculty. He is also an illustrator and science communicator.

Sam Ham

Honorary Director 
Professor Emeritus - University of Idaho

Sam H. Ham is Professor Emeritus of communication psychology, sustainable development and international conservation in the University of Idaho's College of Natural Resources, as well as former Director of the Center for International Training and Outreach. In addition, he has served as Deputy Director of the Tourism Research Unit at Monash University, Australia.

Elizabeth Hammack

Honorary Director 
Park Interpreter III - California State Parks

Elizabeth has worked for the California Department of Parks and Recreation for over 30 years.  Elizabeth has been a leader in the California State Parks Interpretation and Education Division, and is this year’s recipient of the department’s Olmsted Award for Leadership and Vision. .

Join the Board

We're looking for a few passionate individuals to help take Saved By Nature to the next level! 

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Join a team that works to provide nature opportunity for Black, Indigenous, & People of Color (BIPOC). We're a miraculous nonprofit with so much potential and solutions. We need leaders and advocates for Saved By Nature that truly want to share our message and vision with their family, friends, and beyond! 

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Fill out the form below and email it to to get started!