Meet Wind Wolves Preserve Manager, Daisy Carillo

“I love what we are able to provide to the community. It’s really special to me, to see people enjoy the outdoors and enjoy Wind Wolves Preserve as a result of the work that we do and the dedicated staff that we have here.” 

Preserve Manager, Daisy Carillo planting Bakersfield cactus at Wind Wolves Preserve

Daisy Carillo has been with The Wildlands Conservancy for ten years. Currently, Daisy is the preserve manager for Wind Wolves Preserve. Consisting of 93,000 acres, the Preserve is nestled in a unique ecological region where the Transverse Ranges, Coast Ranges, Sierra Nevada, western Mojave Desert and San Joaquin Valley influences converge.

Daisy grew up in the small town of Pacoima in Los Angeles County where access to greenspaces was limited. She loved watching NatGeo as a kid, and always had a love for animals. Some of her favorite childhood memories were visiting family in Mexico every year where her uncles owned horses, donkeys, and cattle.

“My connection to nature really developed once I started working for Wildlands,” says Daisy.

Daisy received a bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of California, Los Angeles. During her last year of college she enrolled in a California ecosystems class, an experience that was a catalyst for her career path in conservation. In 2014, she participated in a field trip to Wind Wolves Preserve for the first time where she met Landon Peppel, Wildlands Director of Conservation and Restoration Programs, who informed her of an internship opportunity. Daisy joined the Wildlands team as an intern a few months later and never looked back. She worked as a naturalist, outdoor education coordinator, ranger, and assistant preserve manager for several years at Wind Wolves Preserve and as an interim preserve manager at Jenner Headlands Preserve in Sonoma County before settling into her current role.

“We’re very unique in what we offer. We’re one of the very few green spaces in the area so a lot of the kids that visit the preserve grew up in the way that I did, having limited exposure to wild natural spaces. Their closest connection to nature is likely their local park, so it feels really special to be able to offer a space for people to come out and camp for free, to enjoy a program for free, to enjoy time with their family for free,” says Daisy.

Daisy is passionate about the conservation work her and her team provides not only for families and the greater community, but also for wildlife. Kern County is known for agricultural production and oil and gas, and as a result there are many endangered species in the area. 

“It is very rewarding work. We’re able to protect and conserve different habitats for multiple endangered and endemic species in the area including California condors, tule elk, blunt-nosed leopard lizards, San Joaquin kit foxes, and tricolored blackbirds. Wind Wolves Preserve is a place where these species are thriving, and that’s the way it should be!” Daisy says.

In her free time, Daisy enjoys hiking and camping, and exploring the diverse natural regions that her home state has to offer. She loves spending quality time with family and friends, her dog Po, and cat Morty. Daisy’s favorite hiking spots are San Emigdio Canyon in the spring at Wind Wolves Preserve and the Coastal Prairie Loop in the fall at Jenner Headlands Preserve.

Daisy and her dog Po on the Preserve