Our Team
One Cool Earth is a dynamic and passionate group united by a shared mission: growing happy, healthy youth through garden-based education. Our team brings together a wide range of backgrounds, experiences, and skill sets, from educators and gardeners to artists and organizers. This diversity strengthens our work and fuels our creativity, collaboration, and impact in school communities across the region!
Our Leadership Team
Ariann Landaverde
Regional Manager & Garden Educator At Monarch Grove Elementary
Ariann grew up in Southern California but moved up to the Central Coast to attend Cal Poly SLO. She graduated with a degree in Environmental Management and Protection with minors in both Biology and Spanish. While at Cal Poly, Ariann had the opportunity to work with Sprout Up, a club that teaches environmental science lessons to elementary school students, and ended her time with the club as President. Additionally, she served as a curriculum developer and program coordinator for Nuestra Ciencia, a research project that aims to teach microbiology topics in Spanish. Through those two organizations, Ariann discovered her passion for teaching. In her free time, Ariann enjoys the beach, painting, and hiking.
Greg Ellis
Grants Manager
Over the years, Greg has worked with One Cool Earth in almost every role, from Garden Educator to Executive Director. Growing up in the mountains of Wyoming with a family that hunted, foraged, and grew their own fruits and vegetables, he gained an early appreciation for nature that he hopes to foster and share through outdoor classrooms. His favorite local fruit is the hachiya persimmon, his favorite fungus is the chanterelle mushroom, and his favorite native salad is miner's lettuce.
Itzel Camarena
Community Engagement Coordinator, Garden Educator At Baywood Elementary
Itzel grew up in Palmdale and moved to Bakersfield during the pandemic, where she discovered her love for gardening. She started off volunteering at the Buena Vista Edible Schoolyard and spent four years there as a garden educator, watching students and families connect to nature in the kitchen and garden classrooms. She loves hands-on learning and seeing how garden spaces bring people together while teaching us to slow down and learn from the earth. Now living on the Central Coast, Itzel is excited to continue this work with One Cool Earth and share her passion for garden education with local schools. When she's not teaching, she loves camping, checking out farmers' markets, gardening, and crafting with her homegrown dried flowers.
Katharine Krieg
Executive Director
Katharine fell in love with sustainable food while completing her bachelor's degree in Environmental Studies and Biology at UC Santa Cruz in 2010. She went on to work in garden education, organic farming, and curriculum development before completing her master's in Sustainable Food Systems from Green Mountain College in 2019. Most recently, Katharine was the Organic Garden Manager at Santa Clara University, where she managed a 1/2 acre production garden, oversaw food justice initiatives, and taught courses on urban agriculture and sustainable food systems. She believes that school gardens are key to growing the next generation of environmental stewards. She enjoys hiking, cooking, watercolors, beekeeping, and adventuring outdoors with her three sons.
Leila Daniel
Director of Education, Lead Play Guide
Leila Daniel comes from a multicultural background and speaks four languages. She was born in Cairo, Egypt and lived there for six years. She has family in Germany, Egypt, Guatemala, Colombia, and the US. Her love of travel and learning about new cultures brought her to the education world. After getting her master's degree, she became a bilingual elementary teacher and taught for two years in the Bay Area. She, along with her husband and their dog, moved to San Luis Obispo where she taught 2nd grade for four years. She believes garden education is vital for creating a strong community of environmental stewards. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, traveling, and gardening (harvesting homegrown peaches, for example!)
McKenna Lenhart
Director Of Communications And Operations
McKenna grew up just outside of Denver, Colorado, and moved to California in 2013 to attend California Lutheran University. After graduating with degrees in Environmental Science and Fine Arts, she moved herself up to the Central Coast to begin her journey with One Cool Earth as an AmeriCorps volunteer - and never really left! Amazed by the ability to grow food and flowers YEAR ROUND, she developed her love of gardening both at home and in schools. Outside of work, you can find McKenna trail running in Montaña de Oro, surfing at the rock, painting and printmaking, or walking her little dog, Ryker, on the beach.
Natalie Perez
Director Of School Programs
Natalie grew up watching her Nona and family dancing around the kitchen using fresh ingredients to whip up wholesome meals for the family to enjoy. This inspired her to stay connected to her food source and her community. She often found herself outside in the dirt or under a tree, with an innate affinity for nature and life of all kinds. She studied Viticulture at Cal Poly, where she found her calling in environmental protection. Natalie is humbled by the power children possess on this planet and is so excited to hold space for them to learn sustainable ways of living. Natalie makes play one of her priorities. She values the healing that comes from nature and all its wonders.
Yarrow Wilson
Regional Manager, Garden Educator at Cappy Culver Elementary
Since childhood, Yarrow has cultivated a deep love for the animals, plants, and landscapes of California's Central Coast. After studying permaculture and earning a degree in philosophy from UC Santa Cruz, Yarrow returned home to northern SLO County to co-manage a community garden prior to joining the One Cool Earth team in 2017. Outside of One Cool Earth, Yarrow can be found writing, rock climbing, and playing basketball.
Our Educator Team
Alyssa Checkeye
Senior Garden Educator At Mary Buren Elementary, Oceano Elementary & Lange Elementary | South County Maintenance Specialist
Alyssa grew up on the Central Coast with the beaches, valleys, and hillsides as her playground. After finishing Hancock College's Culinary program, she furthered her interest in teaching and became a preschool teacher. The pandemic led her down another path in social services, working with foster children and her community. She enjoys being in nature, working on her garden, staying active, and finding all the hidden gems along our coastline. She looks forward to teaching and growing alongside our local youth's hungry minds and busy hands within the garden. She is a mother, food connoisseur, and lover of the outdoors.
Bahar Vasli
Garden Educator at Glen Speck Elementary
Bahar has a degree in Environmental Earth and Soil Science from Cal Poly with a minor in Ecology Restoration. She grew up spending most of her time at the beach in Santa Monica, CA. For the past six years, Bahar has worked with children and youth, focusing on community empowerment and environmental education. Her passion for sustainable agriculture, nutrition, and food equity began in high school, when she helped create community gardens on vacant lots in underserved communities. Through this work, she became especially interested in the role that access to fresh, organic, and healthy food can play in supporting individuals and families from the ground up. At Cal Poly, she managed the Food Pantry gardens for two years, helping connect students to gardening and food production. After connecting and volunteering with OCE, she found a community that brought together everything she values. She believes outdoor education is an important but often missing piece of overall well-being and hopes to help make these experiences more accessible to future generations. In her free time, Bahar creates art, serves her community, practices yoga, or points out CA native plants on hikes.
Brenda De Dios
Garden Educator At Glen Speck Elementary, Sinsheimer Elementary & Nipomo Elementary
Brenda De Dios just moved to the Central Coast from Los Angeles, where she grew up. She’s a recent graduate from Cal State Northridge with a B.A. in Liberal Studies. For five years, she’s worked as a Teacher Assistant. Brenda enjoys being outdoors, walking on the beach, and going to the movie theater. She’s excited to start this school year in the Garden with curious minds! She’s also excited to start this new chapter in her life and new beginnings.
Christopher Apple
Senior Garden Educator At Virginia Peterson Elementary &North County Maintenance Specialist
Christopher lives in an oak woodland in Templeton, where he enjoys watching scrub jays and tree squirrels bury acorns beneath layers of leaves to store food and help future trees grow. In 2017, he earned a degree in Environmental Engineering and a minor in Gender, Race, Culture, Science, and Technology from Cal Poly. He went on to teach science and engineering at a local high school, but currently teaches outdoors to help young people connect with themselves, each other, and the planet. Christopher also enjoys playing soccer, petting cats, riding bicycles, watering by hand, chopping veggies, being with others, and sitting outside.
Gabrielle Rojo
Garden Educator At Kermit King Elementary
Gabrielle graduated from Cal Poly SLO with a degree in Environmental Management and Protection with minors in Sustainable Agriculture, Sustainable Environments, and Land Rehabilitation and Restoration Ecology. While at Cal Poly, Gabrielle spent three years working with the Center for Engineering, Science and Mathematics Education teaching lessons to elementary and middle school students across the county. Gabrielle also interned at City Farm SLO, where she gained hands-on experience in regenerative agriculture and continues to volunteer regularly. Additionally, she serves as a Conservation Science Educator at Creek Lands Conservation. In her free time, Gabrielle enjoys knitting, camping, and spending time outdoors with friends.
Madeline Schechter
Senior Garden Educator At Templeton Elementary & Vineyard Elementary
Madeline grew up in Templeton, California, and chose to remain on the Central Coast by attending Cal Poly, where she graduated with a degree in Environmental Management and Protection and a minor in Child Development. She has always had a passion for working with kids but was torn between that and having a job in sustainability. After participating in a club called Sprout Up in college and having internships with the Guadalupe Dunes Center and the Land Conservancy in San Luis Obispo, Madeline realized she could have the best of both worlds through environmental education. Her goal is to work with younger generations to help them create a relationship with the natural world and reduce their impact on it. In her free time, she enjoys hiking in the great outdoors, yoga, and cooking meals with local ingredients.
Margaret McCloskey
Garden Educator At Shandon Elementary
Margaret is grateful to call California’s Central Coast home. As a mother and a lover of the Earth, she believes in the power of connecting care for our children with reverence for our planet to inspire and grow a regenerative legacy for future generations. After earning a degree in Community Health Education from San Francisco State University, Margaret pursued a path of service through permaculture and land tending in the Peruvian Andes, where she lived for nearly seven years. Margaret is continually inspired by the wonders of the natural world and finds joy in gardening, mothering, singing, and sharing elemental rituals that honor Mother Earth.
Marly Miller
Volunteer Coordinator & Play Guide Co-lead
Marly hails from San Francisco, CA, where she grew up running wild in Golden Gate Park. She attended Cal Poly SLO where she was the Chapter Director of Sprout Up, an environmental education program, and graduated with a degree in Liberal Studies and minor in Child Development. During her time at Cal Poly, she taught preschoolers at an art summer camp for four summers. She went on to teach third grade for two years, where she enjoyed raising butterflies with her class. Through teaching, she earned her multiple subject teaching credential. As a garden educator with One Cool Earth, she developed gardening and outdoor education skills. This passion for learning with children outside led her to Playgrove. Currently, she has completed series 2 of 3 in the Academy of Forest Kindergarten Teachers training series. She is honored to connect to nature with children and finds children’s curiosity and creativity infectious. To Marly, there is nothing better than making art outside and getting muddy with littles! She loves growing sunflowers, roller skating, reading, thrift shopping, sewing, and playing with her cat!
Melissa Donaldson
Senior Garden Educator At Cambria Grammar School And Santa Lucia Middle School
Marly hails from San Francisco, California, where she saw the value of outdoor education in her schools and spent hours in Golden Gate Park building forts. She attended Cal Poly SLO, where she was the Chapter Director of Sprout Up, an environmental education program, and graduated with a degree in Liberal Studies and a minor in Child Development. She went on to teach third grade for two years, where she enjoyed raising butterflies with her class and hosting science education programs for her students. Most recently, Marly was the Curriculum and Operations Coordinator with Sprout Up, where she updated their environmental education curriculum for first and second grade. She loves growing wildflowers, roller skating, reading, thrift shopping, playing with her cat, and is currently learning how to surf!
Miriam Sullivan
Garden Educator At Lillian Larsen Elementary School
Miriam lives in San Luis Obispo and graduated from Cal Poly. Her professional background is in food access and nutrition education. She is super excited for the opportunity to grow as an educator with One Cool Earth, teaching kids about the magical natural world and its bounty we're so lucky to live amongst here on the Central Coast. In her free time, Miriam loves working on art projects, going camping, and cooking for the people she loves!
Sarah Cobb
Play Guide At The Play Grove
Sarah is originally from a small town in the Central Valley and moved to SLO County three years ago for college. She is currently attending Cal Poly SLO, where she is studying Liberal Studies for Elementary Education. For the past two and a half years, Sarah managed a small organic produce market called the Avocado Shack. There, she was able to connect with the Central Coast community and even had the privilege of working on a couple of local organic farms. These jobs showed her the importance of organic farming, supporting local farmers, and sharing this wealth of knowledge with the community. Sarah is passionate about kids and getting them outdoors where they can truly learn the art of PLAY. Sarah loves to stay connected to the community, which is why she was led to the playgrove by an attending family. She is incredibly excited to work as a playguide this year alongside Leila and Marly, where she will be able to watch kids grow and connect with the natural world around them, appreciate the food they will grow and put in their bodies, and make unshakable memories. Sarah feels honored to get to grow alongside these little ones. In her free time, she loves to read, play the guitar, swim in the ocean, camp in Big Sur, and cook for her friends and family.
Shelby Matthew
Garden Educator At Los Ranchos Elementary & Grover Beach Elementary
Shelby studied Environmental Science with a concentration in Environmental Systems and Society at UCLA. While at UCLA, she helped run the campus student community garden for a few years. After graduating, she began interning at a small non-profit urban farm, practicing regenerative agriculture, growing organic produce, and providing environmental education to the community. She also interned with the Garden School Foundation to explore her interest in teaching and discovered her love for it! She then worked for Enrich LA, teaching gardening and environmental science to elementary schoolers for a year before relocating to SLO. She is passionate about building regenerative systems, particularly in agriculture, and making growing food a local, community affair! In her free time, she enjoys live music, being outside, making new recipes with garden produce, reading, making art, and exploring new places!
Our Volunteer Team
Our internship and volunteer program brings together Cal Poly and Cuesta College students, retired teachers, parents, and passionate community members to support garden-based education across local schools. Interns gain hands-on experience in teaching, sustainable gardening, and community engagement while making a meaningful impact in the lives of students.
To learn more about our volunteer programs, visit our volunteer page!
Edie Blanke
Edie grew up in Sacramento, CA, and is a third-year Environmental Management and Protection major and Photo & Video minor at Cal Poly. She loves working with kids and has worked as a camp counselor and taught environmental science at schools. In her free time, she loves hiking, knitting, baking, and doing arts and crafts!
Isaiah David Lvovsky
Hi, my name is Isaiah and I am a first-year physics major at Cal Poly. I’m from Orange County and a couple of my interests are Climbing, Volunteering and just about anything outdoors. So far, I’m absolutely loving the area and I can’t to explore more as the year progresses.
Lucca Bert
Lucca grew up in the Bay Area and moved to San Luis Obispo to attend Cal Poly, where she is in her fourth year studying Environmental Management and Protection. She has always loved spending time outdoors and is especially interested in sustainability, environmental education, and helping others build a stronger connection with the natural world. She previously volunteered with Sprout Up, where she helped teach environmental science lessons to elementary school students. She is excited to continue sharing these interests with students and make learning about the environment fun and approachable. In her free time, Lucca enjoys cooking, running, traveling, making art, and baking with her sourdough starter.
Marlaina Coury
Marlaina Coury is a third-year Nutrition major at Cal Poly SLO. After she graduates, she plans to attend an accredited master's program/dietetic internship to become a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN). She’s passionate about local food systems, sustainable agriculture, and gardening! In her free time, she likes hiking, crocheting, and trying new recipes!
Wendy Kinney
Wendy is an incredible member of the volunteer team here at One Cool Earth! We can always count on her for her support and hard work.
Brian Kinney
Ever since I have been old enough to play outside I have been happiest when playing in the dirt. As an adult, gardening and landscaping have always been an important part of making my home feel like it is really mine. For the last 20 years I have worked as a speech therapist and have always tried to include science and nature in therapy lessons and discussions. I also volunteered in the school community garden whenever possible.
Our Board of Directors
Victoria Carranza
Board Member & 'Under the Trees' Program Facilitator
Victoria earned a B.S. in Natural Resources Management specializing in Community Planning & Sustainable Environments from Cal Poly. She was the former Education Director of One Cool Earth and before that a Garden Educator herself. She is honored to be working with the One Cool Earth team and community again. Victoria and her husband are raising their three children in northern SLO County and often enjoy wandering the local creek bed, tracking animals, and identifying plants. She is very active in the birth work community and runs her own business called The Gardening Doula.
Morgan Kavanaugh
Board Member
Morgan has a degree in Environmental Science from UC Santa Barbara and a background in environmental education, with experience in curriculum development and instructional coaching in addition to her time spent in the private sector. Growing up in multiple spots along California’s coast, the Central Coast has always held a special place in her heart because of the community and the wide open spaces. Now, as a public school teacher, she shares her love for the environment by teaching Environmental Science and Biology. A big believer in local, sustainable living, she agrees with John Denver when he says, "I know what this country needs—homegrown tomatoes in every yard you see.” When she’s not working, you’ll find her spending time with her family, with sand between her toes or dirt under her fingers. As a board member of One Cool Earth, she’s excited to help empower communities through hands-on environmental education and create a sustainable future for all."
Madison Treiber
Board Member
Growing up in Lake Tahoe imbued Madison with a deep love and appreciation for the outdoors and a natural passion for stewardship. She studied Biology at Cal Poly, focusing on wildlife and botany, and subsequently worked in conservation before pivoting to a career in marketing. In her spare time, she reads, creates, gardens, and backpacks with her wonderful husband and children.
Celeste Royer
Board Member
Celeste has 40 years of experience as an environmental and outdoor education educator and administrator. She was the director of environmental and outdoor education at SLOCOE for over 30 years and directed the Rancho El Chorro Outdoor School. She served as the statewide director of the CREEC Network for the CA Department of Education and was a part-time professor at Cal Poly SLO. Since retiring in 2020, she has worked for Ten Strands, a statewide nonprofit that works to advance environmental literacy for all CA students. A strong advocate of outdoor learning and environmental literacy, Celeste has served on numerous boards and committees that advance equity, inclusion, outdoor learning, and environmental literacy. She is passionate about getting children and adults into the outdoors to appreciate nature, improve their health, and learn to care for the planet. Celeste holds degrees from UCLA, SFSU, and Cal Poly SLO and resides in Los Osos with her husband where they get outdoors often. She loves to read, travel, spend time with family and friends, and visit her children and grandchildren.