Vida Verde Staff

paula alves she/her/hers
BUSINESS AND OFFICE MANAGER
PAULA@VVEDUCATION.ORG

Paula Alves grew up in Modesto, CA after her family emigrated from the Açores Islands in 1980. (As you may have guessed, Açores is the Portuguese spelling of Azores!) Paula loved helping her father take care of the baby calves at the dairy where he worked for over 30 years, and they always had a vegetable garden at home. Being Portuguese always meant big family gatherings!

Paula and her husband have lived in Half Moon Bay since 1995 and they are raising their five children on a working ranch. Her family is very involved in Half Moon Bay 4-H and Half Moon Bay FFA, and her children have raised many animals including pigs, cattle, goats, chickens, lambs, and rabbits to show at the San Mateo County Fair.  Paula is active in her community, especially in the Portuguese Culture Center and IDES Portuguese hall.

Paula likes to travel and she and her husband love to explore the United States, always discovering hidden treasures everywhere they go. She especially likes visiting the missions throughout California, and of course, visiting family in the Açores Islands is always amazing.  

Paula has a background in finance and as an administrative assistant, and she is excited to work at Vida Verde.  She loves how Vida Verde educates children about nature and how the land provides us with great healthy food.

Jessie Blundell    she/her/hers                                                          grants manager     jessie@vveducation.org                                                      

I grew up on the East Coast and spent a lot of time as a kid reading, playing in fields and barns, riding bikes, floating down the Potomac River on tractor tire inner tubes, and walking the old C&O Canal Towpath with my dad and brother. There were also long summer weeks spent in the mountains of Western North Carolina, at the beaches of the Outer Banks, and along the DelMarValous coastline.  In college, I spent time exploring the Blue Ridge Parkway, Shenandoah National Park, and the James and Rappahannock Rivers.  Since moving to California in 2000, I’ve had the great fortune to spend time hiking, camping, glamping, and backpacking throughout the state, and one of my all-time favorite spots is the beach at Pigeon Point Lighthouse.  

I spent the first 25 years of my career working in K-8 education, and took my own class to Vida Verde way back in 2001!  During those years I worked as a classroom teacher, a special education teacher, a literacy specialist, an instructional coach, a curriculum developer, and a grant writer and project manager in Title 1 public, independent, and Montessori schools across the Bay Area.  What’s best for children has always been my north star, and I believe that education and access to the outdoors, as outlined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, are fundamental human rights!

In addition to teaching, learning, reading, and writing, I also love traveling with my daughter, being outside with my friends, running, costume parties, playing cards, growing flowers, collecting rocks, and knitting wacky hats.   

jOE “groot” eDMONDSON
he/his/him Lead Instructor
JOE@vveducation.org

Joe grew up in Baltimore, Maryland. He spent his childhood either inside drawing, listening to music, playing video games, or was outside hanging out with friends and spending lots of time asking questions about how the world worked. There wasn't much exploring in the outdoors other than the suburban wooded areas. However, he did yearn to explore a much more wild world. As a child and into young adulthood, Joe had many interests but didn't know how to explore them.

In 2017, Joe luckily found his answers at a summer camp called Hidden Villa as a camp counselor. Here, he got his first taste of the West Coast and fresh organic fruit! He was able to fully get to explore his curiosity of the natural world and have a greater understanding of food and how it gets to the grocery store and then to our plates. 

Being a summer camp alum, Environmental Education Intern, and a Community Programs Intern at Hidden Villa pushed him to use these tools to share information with youth that changed his life. These are the experiences that he wished he had growing up.  Joe enjoys cooking, drawing, plants, music, learning new things, and making people laugh.

Jeremy hartje he/his/him development director jeremy@vveducation.org

Jeremy Hartje is Vida Verde’s Development Director and a nonprofit leader who believes deeply in the power of nature to shape confident, connected, and resilient young people.

Raised in the Santa Cruz Mountains and along the Russian River, Jeremy grew up exploring the outdoors, from frog ponds to coastal backpacking trips, experiences that sparked a lifelong connection to the natural world. That connection continues to guide his work today, grounded in the belief that when young people have access to meaningful experiences in nature, it can shape how they see themselves and their place in the world. He is passionate about expanding educational equity by ensuring that all students, regardless of background, have the opportunity to build these connections.

Jeremy began his career as a naturalist and has since held senior leadership roles supporting organizational growth, fundraising, and program development, helping mission driven organizations navigate change while staying rooted in their values. At Vida Verde, he focuses on building authentic relationships with donors and partners, connecting them to the impact and joy of supporting this work.

When he is not at Vida Verde, you can find Jeremy spending time with his family, mountain biking, backpacking, playing pickleball, surfing, gardening, or tinkering on projects around the house.

Izabella “ganas” Rodriguez she/her/hers head of program izabella@vvedcucation.org

I spent most of my time growing up commuting, split between the redwoods here in La Honda and in the suburbs of San Jose, where I was born. My parents had a firm philosophy that I would not get into trouble if I was never bored and kept me occupied and outside in every extracurricular imaginable. From theater to hockey, to painting, to camping, I was always on the go! Out of the extensive list, my current favorite pastimes to stay busy are taking my rambunctious pack of dogs on trail runs, learning how to fix my truck, and finding the best spring rolls on the peninsula.

The seed that planted my passion for education was when I started working in the Belle Haven and East Palo Alto community for the Boys and Girls Club of the Peninsula. There, I learned valuable tools and made positive, lasting relationships as an educator. During my time at Belle Haven Elementary, I developed my belief that all youth should be empowered to have equitable access to social and academic opportunities so that they may thrive. I look forward to growing my love of trying and learning new things and passing those passions to students who come to Vida Verde.

PONY (LILY) HOLKER THEY/THEM INSTRUCTOR PONY@VVEDUCATION.ORG

I grew up in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and have called many different states my home since 2021. Since I was young, I have always loved singing, dancing, and laughing for hours. Growing up in Minneapolis with nature at the heart of the city, I have always felt the importance of playing outside. 

At 23, I became the first known nonbinary person to complete the triple crown, hiking over 8000 miles across 22 states on the Appalachian, Pacific, and Continental Divide trail. I met thousands of people who inspired me to explore what it means to belong outside. While hiking, I truly understood the importance of feeling safe & accepted outdoors, which I believe means having a community of people who love and support you.

After completing the Triple Crown, it was extremely important to me to continue finding ways to make the outdoors more accessible and welcoming for everyone, which is how I became involved with outdoor education. I worked as an Intern at Outward Bound, helping guide students on multiweek backpacking trips, where I found a great passion for teaching. I believe every student has not only the right to access the outdoors, but the ability to thrive once seeing the beauty of the natural world. 

When I’m not walking for months, you can usually find me dancing, making a breakfast sandwich, or picking my new favorite outfit. I love talking about nature, but I also love giggling about a funny new phrase I’ve made up, or asking your favorite song to dance to. I can’t wait to see you outside! :) 

GALILEA BERTHON AKU SHE/HER/HERS INSTRUCTOR GALILEA@VVEDUCATION.ORG

Hi! My name is Galy. I love hiking, running, exploring new places, filmmaking, and painting!

I’m half Bolivian and half Guatemalan, and I grew up in both countries. At 17, I received a scholarship to finish high school at a boarding school in Canada. I then moved to beautiful Colorado to pursue my undergraduate degree. Although my college was well known for being “outdoorsy,” I never felt like it was a place where I fit in.
It wasn’t until I began working with the Office of Outdoor Education that I discovered how much I loved the combination of education and the outdoors. While working there, I noticed that many of our students faced barriers to accessing our programming. That experience inspired me to commit to creating more equitable access to outdoor education for every student.

This experience had a lasting impact on me and strengthened my desire to help young people experience the outdoors in ways I never had growing up. I’m so excited to bring that passion to Vida Verde and share these experiences with students!

SAMIRA LOTT SHE/THEY INSTRUCTOR SAMIRA@VVEDUCATION.ORG

I grew up in Houston and spent summers visiting my grandma in Corpus Christi, where I found small ways to connect with the outdoors—watching sunsets on evening walks, loving the beach, and eventually discovering environmental science in high school. But my relationship with nature really bloomed during COVID, when I began volunteering with nature organizations and connecting with Indigenous communities in San Antonio and San Marcos. I was searching for community and healing, and I found that the Earth could be a reliable source of both.

I’ve always known I wanted to work with young people, originally imagining a path in mental health or social work. Through AmeriCorps, public education, and nonprofit work, I discovered that I wanted to do that work outside. I like to think of myself as a free-range chicken—curious, creative, and happiest when I’m moving, exploring, and learning.

I want to help young people see the Earth as a great friend and discover that caring for the places around them can also be a way of caring for themselves and each other. I love weaving art, culture, and storytelling into outdoor education, and I’m always learning from the people and places around me.

My curiosity about outdoor education has taken me from the Gulf Coast to Washington’s Pacific shores and now to California. I’m excited to keep growing, learning, and giving back to the land and its people.

Outside of work, you’ll probably find me reading, singing, chasing waterfalls, or learning a new language!

RYAN RODRIGUEZ HE/HIS/HIM FACILITIES TEAM MANAGER RYAN@VVEDUCATION.ORG

I spent my childhood in a small town outside of Buffalo, NY. From an early age, I was active in the great outdoors. I learned to ski at four years old and spent my adolescent years developing a deep appreciation for nature. As a teenager, I worked in my friend’s family vineyard.

When I became an adult, I moved Westward to California, where I majored in Agriculture at CSU Chico. The majority of my professional career has been working for community-centered non-profit organizations in facilities management. In 2024, I obtained my Facilities Management Credential from the International Facilities Management Association.

This most recent career search was for my “dream job”. I wanted a role where I could spend the foreseeable future in a place surrounded by unrivaled beauty. The answer turned out to be Vida Verde Nature Education. What drew me here was the profound learning opportunities they provided to underserved children who would otherwise not have the chance to experience nature in a meaningful way.

As the Facilities Team Manager, I am honored to lead the staff that supports the organization by maintaining natural and built environments for the benefit of children’s programming.

Vida Verde for life!

shawn sears                        he/him/his                 CO-FOUNDER and executive director and program coach SHAWN@VVEDUCATION.ORG

I like to cheer for people. It started when I cheered for kids I was on baseball teams with, and for those who I was on swim teams with. Later, when seeing people ride their bikes to LA to combat AIDS I cheered and was humbled & overwhelmed, and now there are 3 awesome groups that I get to witness and cheer for on the daily:

·      the students who come to Vida Verde and who are challenging themselves        deeply,
·      donors & volunteers who are digging in and taking a stand, and
·      the staff members who I have the pleasure of working side by side with.

Cheering and watching people give what they have brings me to tears. It touches me. When you see someone in an authentic moment, trying hard, they are making themselves vulnerable and it is true beauty and very real. When this is possible, I say “go get it!”  This is why I like to cheer.

(I also hold myself and others to a high standard, because I have seen what each of us is capable of. I know how much potential each of us has!)

Life is short and it can get me down. However, there are magic moments that give me shivers and overwhelm me with joy, emotion & clarity. For this body and mind that I have and the way that I experience the world, I find those magic moments most often when there is music, when we are outside – because “Nature Never Disappoints”, when I am in the water, and when I exercise.

I hope that I get to cheer for you, …and that we get to be together, outside, sharing music, plunging in the cold water, running or biking, or walking.