Our Team:
Jeffrey Adams, Water Sustainability Coordinator
Jeffrey Murdock Adams - Synergizing experience in appropriate technology, construction trades, landscaping, project management, business, ecological restoration, water systems, and program development, Jeffrey brings a unique and practical perspective to his work. Jeffrey has worked on projects and facilitated workshops throughout the United States, and is currently focusing on rainwater harvesting and edible forest gardens in the Bay Area. Among other professional trainings, he is certified as a Permaculture Design Consultant (2002), earned an Interdisciplinary B.S. in Indigenous Technology from Humboldt State University, CA (2006), and is an American Rainwater Catchment Systems Association Accredited Professional (2009).
Paola Bouley - Co-Founder
Paola Bouley is SPAWN's former Conservation Director and co-founder of the 10,000 Rain Gardens Project.
She is a community ecologist working to protect and restore native ecosystems and endangered species and is passionate about community-based conservation and restoration. In 2006 she helped launch SPAWN's Rainwater Harvesting Program that was later recognized as a "Bay Area Success Story" by the State Water Resources Control Board. She also launched SPAWN's new volunteer-run Native Plant Nursery that supports watershed restoration projects in West Marin.
Paola received the Environmental Action Committee of West Marin's 2008 "Peter Behr Memorial Steward of the Land Award" for her efforts to protect and restore the streams of West Marin.
She has lived in Fairfax for 6 years and practiced harvesting rainwater in her home and garden for over 4 years.
She holds a B.S. in Marine Biology from U.C. Santa Cruz and a M.S., in Ecology from the Romberg Tiburon Center for Environmental Studies and San Francisco State University.
Visit her website to learn more about her work at http://paolabouley.weebly.com/
She is a community ecologist working to protect and restore native ecosystems and endangered species and is passionate about community-based conservation and restoration. In 2006 she helped launch SPAWN's Rainwater Harvesting Program that was later recognized as a "Bay Area Success Story" by the State Water Resources Control Board. She also launched SPAWN's new volunteer-run Native Plant Nursery that supports watershed restoration projects in West Marin.
Paola received the Environmental Action Committee of West Marin's 2008 "Peter Behr Memorial Steward of the Land Award" for her efforts to protect and restore the streams of West Marin.
She has lived in Fairfax for 6 years and practiced harvesting rainwater in her home and garden for over 4 years.
She holds a B.S. in Marine Biology from U.C. Santa Cruz and a M.S., in Ecology from the Romberg Tiburon Center for Environmental Studies and San Francisco State University.
Visit her website to learn more about her work at http://paolabouley.weebly.com/
Lisa Chipkin, Water Sustainability Coordinator
Lisa Chipkin is an educator, writer and community organizer with a passion for global and local food and water issues and sustainability. A graduate of New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, Lisa spent fifteen years working in non-profit arts organization management and production, and team-teaching an interdisciplinary, art-centric curriculum. Along the way, her focus shifted to environmental and sustainability education, leading her to complete the Environmental Forum of Marin, and Dominican University's Sustainable Practices Certificate Program. In 2008, she served as a lead campaign coordinator for the successful Stop the Spray campaign, and is co-author of the forthcoming Do-It-Yourself Sustainability Revolution: A Guide for Community Organizing. She lives with her partner, David, and stepson, Mael, in San Rafael, California, as well as very part-time on the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica, in an earth bag house they designed and built with local sustainable materials.
Todd Steiner, SPAWN's Executive Director
Todd Steiner, Executive Director and founder of SPAWN, a project of Turtle Island Restoration Network, has over 30 years experience in environmental conservation, restoration and education. He earned a B.S. in Conservation Nature Interpretation and an M.S. in Biology, and has led field research on endangered species in California, Florida and Costa Rica. He worked for the National Park Service, Archbold Biological Field Station and Earth Island Institute before founding Turtle Island Restoration Network in 1997. Since 1997, his focus has included leading salmon recovery efforts in Central California and he has over 10 years of community-based restoration work completed in priority reaches for coho salmon recovery and protection in the Lagunitas watershed. He currently serves as President and Executive Director of Turtle Island Restoration Network, on the Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council, International Union for the Conservation of Nature Marine Turtle Specialist Group, Lagunitas Creek Technical Advisory Committee, and Marin Environmental Housing Coalition.
Todd has received Social Justice Center of Marin's "Outstanding Community Organizing Award 2000", the Certificate of Special Congresssional Recognition by US Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey, Marin Sierra Club's "Steward of the Land Award" and the Environmental Action Committee of West Marin's "Peter Behr Memorial Steward of the Land Award."
Todd has received Social Justice Center of Marin's "Outstanding Community Organizing Award 2000", the Certificate of Special Congresssional Recognition by US Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey, Marin Sierra Club's "Steward of the Land Award" and the Environmental Action Committee of West Marin's "Peter Behr Memorial Steward of the Land Award."
Julie Vogt, SPAWN Rainwater Harvesting & Water Conservation Council Leader
Julie Vogt is a Lagunitas homeowner and volunteer with SPAWN. In 2008, during a SPAWN-facilitated rainwater harvesting workshop, Julie's backyard was transformed from a high water use but dying lawn patch to a beautiful, low water use rain garden. Since then, as a diehard rainwater harvesting convert, Julie has lead SPAWN workshops and tours to share her knowledge and enthusiasm about collecting rain. Julie and her family proudly host SPAWN's native plant nursery on their property, where it is irrigated with rainwater runoff collected from the nursery roof in 2,500 gallon cisterns.
