For the past 36 years, Amy has led outdoor education and leadership training trips throughout the U.S., including the Rocky Mountains, Sierra Nevada, Southwest, Pacific Northwest, and Alaska. Her students have ranged from college students at the National Outdoor Leadership School, rural and urban high school students and youth at risk. Amy co-created Sierra Institute’s P-CREW (Plumas Conservation Restoration Education in Watersheds), GOAL (Greenville Outdoor Adventure Learning) and Friday Night for Teens programs as well as Plumas County’s Mt Visions, a backpacking program for teens with mental health challenges. She taught as a substitute and ran the after-school program at our local Greenville Jr/Sr High School, helping students who were failing classes get back on track to graduate. She also raised 3 children here in Indian Valley who have earned various degrees from California Universities. Her certificates include Adult Mental Health First Aid, Youth Mental Health First Aid, Behavior First Responder and Wilderness First Responder. She serves as the P-CREW’s Crew Member Experience Specialist, weekend Recreation planner and the Alumni Communications Coordinator. She goes into the field on an as needed basis to help the Crew Leaders and Crew Members have the best experience possible. In addition to her diverse experience in outdoor leadership programming, Amy has also served as Sierra Institute’s financial manager since 1998. In her spare time, you can find Amy hiking, running, snowshoeing or cross-country skiing with her dogs, working diligently in her garden, and backpacking or climbing in the High Sierra.
Danielle began working for the Sierra Institute in 2019 as the Stewardship Project Coordinator and is involved in both the collaborative forest stewardship and wood utilization initiatives. Prior to this, she served as the Sierra Institutes' Collaborative Landscape Stewardship Apprentice. She received a B.S. in Biology from CSU Bakersfield and an M.S. in Environmental Policy and Management from UC Davis. Born and raised in the southern San Joaquin Valley, she spent her free time in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks where she revered the studies of John Muir and developed a passion for the outdoors. Throughout her time working within private, public, and NGOs sectors, Danielle has acquired a range of experiences and has come to recognize the importance of interdisciplinary communication in the implementation and effectiveness of environmental stewardship. As an advocate for the conservation of natural resources, she is interested in the application of environmental science to real-world environmental policy and management issues. When Danielle is not working you will likely find her partaking in the many adventures the Sierras have to offer.
Will became a part of Sierra Institute in February 2023 as the P-CREW Assistant Field Coordinator. He is a Wilderness First Responder and has helped build many trails both professionally and personally in the Plumas and Lassen County areas. As a Quincy local, Will sees the importance of community involvement in conservation and increased access to recreation on public lands. He is studying Outdoor Recreation Leadership at Feather River College and aims to share his love for the outdoors as much as possible. Away from work, Will can be found mountain biking, rock climbing, or skiing.
Megan Fletcher is excited to return for the 4th summer with P-CREW and 5th summer with Sierra Institute! She will be interviewing Crew Members and helping with recruitment in local schools this season before returning as a Crew Leader. Megan grew up locally in Westwood. She started out as a member in the P-CREW program in 2018. After that, she knew conservation was something she wanted to do as a career. In 2020 she was a AAA for P-CREW, during this time she found her passion for youth stewardship. In the spring of 2021, she graduated from Feather River College with an A.S in Environmental Studies. The following summer, she returned to Sierra Institute as a part of the Wilderness Trails crew. In 2022, she worked part time as a P-CREW Coordination Assistant until the P-CREW program began, where she was a P-CREW leader for the summer of 2022. Megan enjoys her time by hiking, exploring the beauty of the Lassen and Plumas county area, and reading a good book with a cup of coffee. She is absolutely excited to be coming back to be a part of P-CREW once again.
Gilian grew up exploring the outdoors all throughout California and the greater Pacific Coast. Primarily from Napa Valley, CA, Gilian has spent many seasons playing in the high Sierra Nevada, on wild Northern California beaches and in the stunning redwoods. She has also spent significant time in the Pacific Northwest and the beautiful red deserts of Arizona and Utah. This past May, Gilian graduated from the University of California - Berkeley with a B.S in Society and Environment. After graduation, Gilian embarked on a 4-month solo trip through Europe to backpack, farm and wander in famous foreign cities. Gilian was first introduced to trail work in summer 2020, when she served as an Americorps trail crew member in the western Rocky Mountains. She is so excited to work in the Plumas wilderness on a team of awesome young people. In her free time, you can find Gilian strumming guitar and singing, reading, rock climbing, or whipping up something delicious to snack on.
Oliver grew up in San Francisco, and is now a 4th year Environmental Studies student at UC Santa Cruz. He first realized his connection with the natural world on hikes in Marin Headlands, and backpacking trips through the High Sierra’s. As his passion for outdoor adventures has grown, he has focused more on working in groups, both as a leader and an active participant. As a wilderness guide through the Adventure Recreation department at UC Santa Cruz, he’s had the opportunity to develop skills related to leadership, community building, and risk management. Involvement in restoration projects across California has helped him develop an appreciation for environmental conservation and experiential learning. He is excited about sharing some of his own perspectives on life, and equally excited about learning from others. He can’t wait to be a part of the P-CREW experience! He is a certified Wilderness First Responder.
Sam Hall is a Wisconsin native currently studying Community Sustainability with an Environmental Justice emphasis at UW-Stevens Point. After serving with AmeriCorps for a year as a firefighter in Idaho's breathtaking Salmon-Challis National Forest, she realized how rewarding it feels to work outdoors alongside other nature enthusiasts. Sam looks forward to stepping back outside the classroom this summer to build meaningful relationships with the P-CREW team, perform impactful project work in the Sierras, and contribute to a sense of inclusive community and environmental stewardship. She spends her time outside napping in hammocks, hiking with friends (furry ones included), kayaking, sitting around campfires, and she recently discovered the thrill of downhill skiing.