Our Team

Nature in the City works with partners and volunteers to care for local nature. Together, we're committed to building a community to advocate, restore, and protect nature in San Francisco.

Staff & Interns

Habitat Stewardship & Native Plant Nursery Programs Manager, Ella was born and raised in San Francisco and graduated from UC Berkeley with a Bachelor’s degree in Social Welfare and minors in Education and Food Systems. While at Cal, Ella focused on environmental and food justice through her internship at Malcolm X Elementary School, where she taught kids how to garden and grow food for their community.

Ella Bhat (she/her)

Garden Design & Services Director, Ken aims to bring more nature and beauty to San Francisco. He loves designing, building, and maintaining gardens, focusing on local native landscapes. He is a community leader and has experience as a creative director and brand strategist. Ken is a graduate of Georgetown University and Oxford with a degree in business.

Ken Fisher (he/him)

California Climate Action Corps Fellow, Akani is dedicated to building an eco-centric society. Growing up in Albany, CA, he developed a passion for preserving and stewarding ecosystems for the benefit of people and all who we share habitat with. He is a farmer at the Gill Tract Community Farm and has a degree in Environmental Studies with a concentration in Natural Resource Management and Conservation from San Francisco State University.

Akani James (he/him)

Executive Director, Amber began her Nature in the City adventure as an Advisory Council member in 2006 and became Executive Director in 2013. She has supported innovative, creative projects and partnerships including: Green Hairstreak Corridor, Green Connections Plan, SF Crosstown Trails, Tigers on Market Street, Nature in the City Gardening, Climate Career Corps, and Reimagining San Francisco.

Amber Mahlberg (she/her)

Youth Programs & Community Science Specialist, Rachel is passionate about accessible, green urban spaces, and they are thrilled to merge their interests in environmental justice, community science, and ecology. They studied Ecology & Society at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and are currently pursuing a Masters in Geography at San Francisco State University.

Rachel Maunus (they/them)

Garden Installations Program Lead, Seth is plant nerd who studied Environmental Science at the University of Washington in Seattle. No matter where he lives, he creatively finds ways to grow native plants, share them with the community, and connect with those who also share a deep passion for increasing biodiversity in urban spaces.

Seth Thomas (he/him)

California Climate Action Corps Fellow, Raffy grew up volunteering in Nature in the City’s Green Hairstreak Corridor, and witnessed the change brought by NTC’s projects in real time. He is passionate about revitalizing and bringing awareness to San Francisco’s amazing biodiversity and native landscapes. After studying Geography at the University of Vermont, Raffy is excited to be back living on–and working to support his home soil.

Raphael (Raffy) Weiner (he/him)

Garden Maintenance Technician, Isa is deeply passionate about expanding access to natural spaces and nurturing relationships with people, plants, and animals. She holds a degree in Recreation, Parks, and Tourism Management with a minor in Race and Resistance Studies from San Francisco State University. Some of her experience cultivating native plants, urban agriculture, and engaging with our shared community was learned completing an internship with the SF Recreation and Parks Department and a Agroecology Apprenticeship program at Alemany Farm.

Isa Rodriguez (she/her)

Garden Maintenance Manager, Jasper is dedicated to community-engaged conservation. They have worked in a variety of aligned spaces, from an environmental justice seed research farm to S.F. Recreation and Parks. They studied Sustainability Policy at Princeton and received their Permaculture Design Certificate (PDC) from Cornell University. Jasper loves gardening with their Outer Richmond neighbors and looks forward to nurturing your space as part of that ecological community.

Jasper Lydon (they/them)

Advisory Council

Aatna Ashok Kumar

  • Aatna is a Sustainability Leader with over 20 years of experience in Program Management and Data Analytics, committed to steering organizations towards a better future. Expertise in ESG Data Management, Carbon Calculations, Net Positive strategy and ESG Reporting frameworks.

    She is passionate about collaborating with communities and NGOs to promote biodiversity conservation and sustainable community development in an effort to drive impactful environmental and social transformations.

Laura Castellini

  • Laura is the Sustainability Coordinator at the National Park Service, Golden Gate National Recreation Area. She has been involved with Nature in the City since its beginning in 2005. She has a background in aquatic and wetland ecology and is slowly learning her dune plants by participating in the Backyard Natives Nursery Network. Laura also plans our nature walks that explore natural areas around the city.

Tiffany Do

  • Tiffany is passionate about connecting people to the more-than-human world. She worked as a Senior Research Associate for a global advisory firm and has a background in digital experience design, project management, and research.

Helen Doyle

Emil Fogarino

  • Emil is a former science teacher at George Washington High School and lifetime educator. His focus and interest on marine biology and population studies helps him to understand the Bay Area on an intimate level, which is pivotal in his role with Nature in the City. He's been leading fun & engaging NTC nature walks for the past couple of years. He also spends his time volunteering at the California Academy of Sciences Rocky Shore Naturalist Program and partners with the National Marine Sanctuary Educational Programs and the Aquarium of the Bay to create and implement relevant curricula surrounding climate change.

    Falling Achovies, Dancing Butterflies: Emil's insights as told to Helen Doyle

Tom Scharffenberger

  • Tom is a landscape architect who assists landowners and non-profit organizations with conservation planning and transactions. His training includes regional planning, land management, land-use regulation and real estate finance. He assists family landowners, conservation organizations and municipalities with conservation easement and fee acquisition projects, as well as strategic plans for entire regions.

Kirstin Weeks

  • A leader in regenerative design and urban ecology, Kirstin works with interdisciplinary teams to create regenerative, resilient built environments where people and ecosystems thrive together. 

    After 12 years as an energy and building ecology specialist at Arup, Kirstin started Bio Studio in 2021. She provides innovative, collaborative, climate-positive consulting, all driven by her dedication to living systems and enhancement of well-being and environmental justice through a connection to nature for all. Kirstin joined Nature in the City’s Council in 2015 and acts as design community liaison, helping to raise awareness of the opportunities for biophilic design and integration of ecological function in the built environment.

Interested in joining us?

We are seeking new members of our team and strive to reflect San Francisco's culturally and economically diverse communities. Our goal is to sustain a skilled and passionate group of people that serve on our staff, Advisory Council, Youth Council, and as volunteers.

Contact us