Welcoming New Staff
Welcome, Erica! Erica Harris joined Siskiyou Land Trust this October in a new position as Stewardship Program Director position.
“I’m thrilled to join SLT’s team protecting the working and wild lands of Siskiyou County. Safeguarding our astonishing biodiversity and unique rural character is an incredible opportunity.”
Erica has a background in ecology, species recovery, sustainable agriculture, and vegetation management and a degree in Environmental Studies from UC Santa Cruz. As a wildland firefighter for the US Forest Service, Erica worked on hotshot, engine, and helicopter crews, gaining experience in fire behavior, fuels management, and prescribed burning. This work laid the foundation for advancing forest health and fire resiliency projects.
With a knack for networking and lifelong study of California ecosystems, Erica loves finding collaborative and innovative ways to solve conversation challenges. Her experience with impact networks includes participation in the Santa Cruz Mountain Stewardship Network, founding the Bay Area chapter of Skate Like A Girl, and the development and support of worker-owned cooperatives. Erica’s passion for wildlife is evident through active participation in birding, wildlife surveys, and educational outreach.
California Climate Action Corps in Action
Thanks to a grant from the State of CA, and an intern program grant from Steve Suttell, SLT is able to host four CA Climate Action Corps (CCAC) Fellows for a year. What is CCAC? CCAC is the country’s first state-level climate service corps to empower all Californians to take meaningful action to safeguard the planet from climate changes. Corps members can focus on ‘urban greening,’ wildfire fuels reduction, or organic waste and edible food recovery.
Since their arrival in September, Siskiyou Land Trust’s CCAC Action Corps Fellows (or as we like to refer to them, the “Climate Action Gals”), Erin, Reilly, Stacey, and Simbala, have been working hard to steward SLT’s conserved lands. Collectively, they have planted and maintained over 100 native plants and removed invasive species from approximately 12 combined acres throughout the Sisson Meadow, Garden Greenway, Luginbuhl Ranch and Wherrit Forest.
SLT Action Gals have been busy engaging with community through Friends of the Meadow Stewardship days, attending out West Mount Shasta Forest Resiliency Workshop and volunteering with other partnering organizations for ecosystem restoration. CCAC Action fellows and staff will be attending a Chainsaw certification class in preparation to begin wildfire resiliency on SLT Conserved lands throughout Siskiyou County which is a key component of their climate action service.
In their words: “As stewards for both the Climate Action Corps and the Land Trust, we are grateful for the opportunity to blend climate action with land conservation in ways that serve our community. From replacing invasive species with native plants to implementing home hardening measures for wildfire resilience, we are excited to continue pursuing projects that educate, inspire, and drive meaningful climate action.”
SLT is so grateful for this state program and the energy and enthusiasm the action gals bring for community stewardship.
