People

Victor’s journey in protecting and studying the natural world started at the University of California, Chico where he graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Animal Science with a focus on wildlife biology and environmental conservation. Since his formal education, he has had the opportunity to work through many different avenues of conservation. From surveying Wild Chinook Salmon and Ringtail Cats in rural California to studying behavior of Northern Spotted Owls in the forests of Tillamook. Victor is proud of his Mexican and Indigenous heritage and strives to work with BIPOC (black, indigenous, people of color) communities within environmental and wildlife conservation. He has gotten the opportunity to foster this inclusive type of conservation by educating at BIPOC focused programs for nature centers throughout the Western United States and fostering community relationships while conducting environmental research. When Victor is not immersed in his work, he enjoys exploring the outdoors with his fiancé, Alexander, and their twin poodles, Meeka and Ash. They also have an adventurous cat, Olive. On a rainy day, Victor can be found curled up on the couch with his cat watching true crime TV shows and, on a sunny day, paddle boarding with his fiancé throughout the PNW.

Karen has been a freelance landscape designer since 2008, working with residential clients to create habitat friendly gardens. She has designed gardens for six Backyard Habitat Program applicants. She earned her landscape design certificate from Portland Community College, an Organic Master Gardener Certificate from OSU Master Gardener program and has also studied Horticulture at Clackamas Community College. She has worked at several retail nurseries since 2010, ordering plants from wholesalers and working with customers. She has also spent a season maintaining a 70 acre estate garden near Forest Park and currently maintains three gardens she designed. Karen’s most valuable experience has come from working in her own Portland gardens for over 20 years.

Shelby is a nature enthusiast and environmental advocate who has proudly called Oregon’s Willamette Valley home for the majority of their life. They hold a B.A. in Environmental Studies – Sustainable Design with a minor in Outdoor Leadership from Pacific University. After finishing their education, they dedicated themselves to helping others create a connection, find belonging, and a sense of wonder in nature. They’ve had the privilege to work with several PNW based non-profits as an environmental educator and outdoor guide, encouraging folks to appreciate and protect the natural world around them. In their free time, Shelby finds joy by exploring outdoor spaces either by foot or kayak and is passionate about foraging for wild edibles, cooking them, and most importantly eating them!

Greer began restoring trails in National Parks as a teenager, and has loved working and recreating outdoors ever since. When she moved to the Pacific Northwest, Greer worked in riparian habitat restoration and water quality with the Clackamas River Basin Council. She then obtained her Masters degree in Geography from Portland State University, where she researched the effect of dam removal on riparian vegetation. Greer is so excited to help people create native habitats in their own backyard.

Jo has loved the natural world all her life, and since moving to the PNW over twenty years ago, she has learned the power of plants and gardening. Her journey with Backyard Habitat began in 2019 when her yard was certified, and her interest in native plants and desire to restore our land has continued to blossom. Jo enjoys hiking where she often pauses to identify native plants, visiting nurseries, birding, reading, traveling, and spending time with her family and her cats, which she keeps inside to create a safe environment for birds and other welcome creatures. She finds joy in sharing her native plant knowledge, and loves to help her friends garden. When not caring for her yard, you’ll find Jo with her family, exploring Oregon and beyond.

Mariah grew up in Portland, Oregon, and has spent seven years in administrative positions with nonprofits and education institutions. She received her B.A. in International Studies from Portland State University and her M.A. in Global Development & Peace from the University of Bridgeport. Mariah is excited to work for an organization that assists gardeners in creating a habitable backyard for people and wildlife. In her free time, you can find her hiking, shopping at local nurseries, reading, and cuddling with her cat, Kami.

Kate comes to the Backyard Habitat program as a personal learner of the patterns and relationships of humans and non-humans who live here, land stewardship and permaculture farming,  regenerative landscape design, and wetland and pond design and construction. Kate has always lived in what is now called Oregon and has a deep affinity with the places and biomes that make this place special. They have been exploring their own settler colonial worldview and the impacts of this worldview on our daily life cycles and the non-humans we live with. They weave this process into their work at Backyard Habitat to learn alongside other non-native humans to deepen our care for the place we love and build new practices to engage with our fellow beings. Kate is passionate about water resiliency and waterbody creation, forest advocacy, wetland ecology, decolonization, and climate resilience. They are always excited to have conversations about these topics, so feel free to ask.

Meet JP, our dedicated Program Coordinator. With a BA in Business Administration and a decade of experience as an office manager in the healthcare industry, JP brings a unique blend of skills to the program. After moving to Portland and switching careers to work closely with nature, JP joined the program in 2017 and has been instrumental in its success.

JP is not just an employee but a passionate advocate for sustainable gardening. With a knack for databases and technology, JP ensures the smooth operation of the program. He maintains a healthy work-life balance with a simple reminder: “It’s just gardening, not heart transplants!”

As a Latino immigrant, JP’s journey to the Backyard Habitat Certification Program has been unique. From container-gardening with his mom as a child to immigrating alone at the age of 20, JP’s experiences have shaped both his personal and professional lives to make the world a better place, often one yard at a time.

Born and raised in Oregon, Katherine has spent over 8 years working with nonprofits in the Portland area with a focus on advocacy and community engagement. She is passionate about the native plants and wildlife and began developing skills around habitat rehabilitation while volunteering with the Forest Park Conservancy. She joined the Backyard Habitat team in February 2023 and is excited to continue expanding her knowledge and skill set. Her hobbies include: hiking, backpacking, plant identification, creating nature inspired art, and reading with her indoor rescue cat, Merlin.

Rachael Pecore-Valdez is an environmental scientist, educator and writer who began learning about Pacific NW plants as a child growing up on Two Rivers Farm in Aurora, Oregon. Her favorite plants are edible. After earning a B.S. in BioResource Research at OSU and an M.S. in Holistic Science from Schumacher College, Rachael worked for nonprofits leading programs in community science, clean water, nature connection and Science-Tech-Engineering-Arts-Math education. She also produced the Wolf OR-7 Expedition, a documentary film about the people along an Oregon wolf’s dispersal route. Work in habitat restoration brought her passions for wildlife, rivers and trees together, it took her about 5 years but her yard is now gold certified! As a kid with sensory processing sensitivities Rachael found solace in nature early on and still does. She enjoys spending time in trees and is working toward an arboriculture certificate. Her current focus is on oak habitat and finding homes for baby oak trees that sprout up in her yard!

Susie grew up in the Pacific NW and has a deep love for its flora and fauna. She likes long backpacking trips, learning new things about local plants and insects, and spending time with friends, family, and her cat (Europa). She is a certified arborist and joined the Backyard Habitat team in July 2016. She has been a Backyard participant since 2010 and is Gold certified, but still has many projects in mind for her yard!