Mary Jane Franus grew up in the beautiful Monterey Peninsula and is a 9th generation descendent of an original Spanish land grant family on the coast from Carmel to Pt. Sur. Such deep roots were instrumental in developing her lifelong love of the natural world. Mary Jane’s first garden, in her parent’s backyard at age five, was the beginning of a long career in horticulture and plant science. She is now a Master Gardener.

After college at CSUF, Mary Jane landed in the Napa Valley and spent much of her 30 years there working in the wine industry as a research viticulturist and enologist.  A life-long interest in horticulture as therapy inspired a return to college to study psychology and marriage and family therapy which she supported by establishing “Garden Therapy,” a landscaping business, and managing the St. Helena Farmer’s Market, serving as Board president for her five years of graduate school. During these busy years, she practiced “horticulture therapy” with Alzheimer’s patients, young adults from Napa State Hospital, elementary school students, and later establishing her private practice as an MFT. 

The subsequent 10 years were spent in Guerneville, CA developing BirdhiSattva Farm, a 10 acre organic farm with her spouse, Mary Beth. They sold fruit, vegetables, cut flowers, eggs and honey at both the Guerneville and Occidental Farmers Markets. 

Retirement in 2017 led Mary Jane to Mt. Shasta, where she discovered the Siskiyou Land Trust and brought enthusiasm, compassion and her relevant background to the board.