Meet The Trail Stewards at Jenner Headlands Preserve
Liz Sanders
Liz was born in Kentucky and raised in the midwest. Having traveled extensively throughout the U.S. and overseas, she moved to California in 1996 to find adventure and learn about the outdoors.
Liz has spent her lifetime learning about horticulture and Indigenous studies and joined Wildlands in 2022. She’s grateful to reside in the ancestral home of the Kashia Pomo in Sonoma County and enjoys sharing her knowledge as a trail steward.
“Something I love about Jenner Headlands is the diversity of species of flora and fauna I get to learn from. I get to observe salamanders, snakes and mountain lions, listen for owls at night and count varieties of native grasses.”
Liz runs her own urban farming and native plants business and serves on multiple food security and social justice committees for a local nonprofit. When she’s not at the preserve leading guided hikes or stewarding the land, you can find her in the mountains, coastal ranges, or the desert, hiking and backpacking whenever she can.
Rebecca Andrade
A native to Sonoma County, Rebecca has lived and worked in some of the most wild and beautiful places throughout the North Coast and the Sierra Nevada mountain range. Rebecca has worked for the National Park Service, United States Geological Survey, United States Forest Service, and California State Parks doing trail construction, ecological restoration, and outdoor education.
Rebecca joined Wildlands in 2022 as a trail steward and shares her passion for native plants and wildlife while leading guided hikes and volunteer days at the preserve. Rebecca is a certified California naturalist and Leave No Trace trainer and enjoys sharing outdoor experiences with others, imparting wisdom along the way.
California’s North Coast is particularly inspiring to Rebecca, a born creative who is known to spend her time in nature journaling, botanizing, painting, and photographing. Rebecca’s favorite season to enjoy at Jenner Headlands Preserve is spring and says a perfect start to her day would be at the trailhead as the sun rises. When asked about her favorite plant and wildlife species she admits it would be impossible to choose, but her current favorites are the California nutmeg tree and the bald eagle.
“The story of the bald eagle returning to Sonoma County embodies what the conservation movement in America is all about,” says Rebecca.
Richard Shipps
“Sunrise casting light on the sea mounts at the mouth of the Russian River can be spectacular, but generally sunsets at the coast, from our parking lot, are regularly bell ringers.”
Born in Ohio and raised in San Diego County, Richard has witnessed many coastal sunrises in his lifetime. The Northwest region of California has become near and dear to Richard, particularly the redwoods and rugged coastline of Sonoma County where he’s worked as a docent leading nature hikes and monitoring camera traps for multiple nature preserves and local organizations. Richard says these experiences have helped him to hone in what’s most important to him — sharing the natural world with others and conserving and restoring the environment for future generations.
Richard’s involvement with Wildlands started back in 2017 assisting with camera traps for wildlife research on the preserve and volunteering for land stewardship days the year after that. In 2022, Richard joined the Wildlands team as a trail steward, sharing his knowledge and passion for the landscape with our visitors, enhancing their experience at the preserve. His favorite hiking trail at Jenner Headlands Preserve is the Sea to Sky trail for the stunning views and enchanting forest.
On his days off, you can find Richard volunteering in the community, hiking, staying current in the news, and continually learning new things, particularly nature related. Some of Richard’s favorite wildlife species include the puma, northern harrier, banana slug, skink, and arboreal salamander, with redwoods and seep monkey flower being high on the list of his favorite plant species.
