Welcoming New Field Team Members in Nevada, California
Conservation Lands Foundation is excited to introduce two new members of our Field Team: Bertha Gutierrez joins us as Associate Program Director in Nevada, and Maricela Rosales is our new Associate Program Director in California.
Each brings unique expertise and a passion for helping a diverse array of communities connect with and explore their public lands.
Originally from El Salvador, Bertha (pronoun: she) moved to Las Vegas from Northwest Arkansas in late 2016 and fell in love with the Mojave Desert. Her love for nature and service inspired her career change from non-profit financial counseling to land conservation. She has served as a volunteer leader in our Friends Grassroots Network and for the past two years, Bertha led the growth and expansion of the Get Outdoors Nevada volunteer program, creating service opportunities to connect local communities to Nevada’s outdoor spaces.
She is aunt to 16 nieces and nephews (and counting) and has been trying to convince her Siamese cat Dwayne to start hiking with her for about four years now.
Maricela (pronoun: she) is a native of Southern California, and after experiencing the physical and emotional benefits of engaging with the outdoors, she has made it her life’s mission to bring cultural relevance to the forefront of outdoor recreation and change the narrative of black, indigenous and people of color in conservation.
She has served as a Youth Climbing Coach for Touchstone Climbing, a Community Advocacy Program Coordinator for Disability Rights Legal Center, and was the Los Angeles Regional and Advocacy Coordinator for Latino Outdoors.
During her free time, Maricela volunteers for Latino Outdoors as the Brands Partnership Coordinator. She is a member of the Access Fund, the American Alpine Club’s Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) Climb the Hill Taskforce, and the American Hiking Society’s JEDI Federal Outdoor Recreation Policy Working Group.
Maricela graduated from the University of California Riverside with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology/Law and Society. She enjoys listening to jazz, dancing, gardening, photography, rock climbing, and spending time with her mini-dachshund Dalí.
Bertha and Maricela will drive community-based advocacy efforts to ensure that the voices of the people who live near and are passionate to protect America’s large landscapes are heard.
