Past Interns

Erik Horngren - Summer 2011 Intern

On May 2011, Erik graduated Magna Cum Laude from Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington, with a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies.

His passion and motivation about environmental issues led Erik to Sierra Institute. and while here, Erik did extensive work in the wonderful world of biomass. His accomplishments included authoring a report on biomass heating for small-scale facilities for Eastern Plumas Health District, preparing a list of indicators for sustainability related to biomass utilization, and developing an informational brochure to help teach the public more about biomass.

In the summer of 2011, Erik traveled across the western United States, and earned his Wilderness First Responder certification and Master Educator status from the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics. Erik is an avid hiker, biker, and snowboarder who loves being outdoors.  He also spends his time volunteering for various organizations including the Sisters of the Road Cafe in Portland, Oregon; a cafe for the homeless and those on low income.

Beth Macinko - Summer/Fall 2011 Intern

Beth came to us from Connecticut, a recent Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology graduate of St. Mary's College of Maryland. She was continuing her interest in rural communities and in the environment by helping with the Westwood Community Survey and the Greenville High School Natural Resource Academy.

For the Westwood Survey, Beth spent many days and evenings canvasing the community with the survey questionnaire and dog biscuits-to placate the many dogs she ran across! After several weeks, data was collected and compiled. While Beth was living in Taylorsville, she enjoyed the many hiking trails, hot springs, and making new friends.

After spending a summer in Rhode Island life guarding, Beth traveled to Eleuthera to take a WFR course and prep for the new semester where she was to team-teach the Histories class, which draws on cultural anthropology to look at local history.  Interviewing in nearby settlements brought Beth back to the 'interviewing' days in Westwood.  Beth started the semester out with Hurricane Irene, which made for an exciting and intense semester from the beginning!  After spending the holidays in the States with family, she will be returning back to Eleuthera for another semester of teaching.

Jennifer Kaufmann - 2009 AmeriCorp Member / 2010 Intern

Originally from Arizona, Jennifer ran the Center of Forestry outdoor educational tours for the public while also working to establish the Greenville High School Natural Resources field component.  She planned, coordinated, and carried-out  twelve to fourteen tours with approximately 25 to 30 participants.  While working with the Greenville High School Natural Resource Academy, she accompanied the students and their teachers on many field trips to the Moonlight Fire area to do monitoring, and also to the Crescent Mills Wetland Mitigation area.  Jennifer worked at Sierra Institute for two (2) years; 1-year as an Intern and 1-year as an AmeriCorp Member.

Today, Jennifer is living locally in Quincy and loving it!  She is still enjoying the beauty and community of Plumas County that kept her in this area initially.  She spends lots of her time outdoors hiking and enjoying new places to explore.  She's associated with the Forest Foundation and presents to 3rd through 6th graders a program called Talk About Trees. Additionally, she runs an after-school program for girls with Women's Mountain Passages, and an exercise and games program with the APOLLO after-school project in Greenville.  Jennifer also keeps busy being a substitute teacher throughout Plumas County.

Kelly Weintraub - 2006 Watershed Intern (ABWAC Staff)

Kelly is a currently studying at Humboldt State in the Wildlife Graduate Student Society, writing her thesis topic on the nesting biology of tri-colored blackbirds in the southern San Joaquin Valley.

"My love of wildlife and wild places stems from a childhood filled with camping, hiking, and studying nature up close in the Sierra Nevada", says Kelly. "I'm very excited to be pursuing a masters degree here at Humbolt State."

As the Watershed Intern at Sierra Institute, Kelly was very instrumental in working with the ABWAC group in Chester, including creating and running the annual Lake Almanor Clean-Up.

Kelly has a BS in Environmental Studies-Biology from Southern Oregon University, Ashland, Oregon.

Beth Rose Middleton - 2001 Research Associate

Working as a research associate with Dr. Kusel before and during her graduate career allowed Ms. Middleton to investigate rural and environmental justice issues, particularly the impacts of transitioning from resource-related economies in the Pacific Northwest.  In addition, Beth Rose compiled a Rural Environmental Justice Sourcebook, a project she is still working on.  The book is intended to raise awareness of rural environmental justice issues and includes information on issues such as the contamination remaining from the gold rush, non-point pollution sources, impacts of dams, pesticide use in mountain and wood gathering communities, and non-native fish kills.

Dr. Middleton says, "Growing up in a rural area of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, I spent a lot of time outside and my parents encouraged it...I was always walking the hills, always had a garden, and always watched the animals.  Spending a lot of time outdoors also exposed me to many of the negative impacts, both environmentally and culturally, of activities such as rapid growth of land use and conversion, unplanned development, mill closings, and gold mining.  These early experiences gave me a passion for the environmental field and influenced my future career choices."

Bobby Cochran - 2000 Summer Intern

Currently, Bobby Cochran is associated with the Willamette Partnership in Hillsboro, Oregon.  Willamette Partnership is a coalition of diverse leaders working to shift the way people value, manage, and regulate our environment.  As Executive Director, Bobby is specializing in developing collaborative policy tools and approaches at the intersection between economics, technology, and the environment.  He's sometimes accused of wearing 'rose-colored' glasses, but he's still convinced those are cool.  Bobby holds a PhD / MA from Portland State University.

If you were an intern at Sierra Institute and would like to update your file with us, please contact Lauri Rawlins-Betta at (530) 284.1022 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .  (This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)