Meet Jenifer Lopez-Valdez, Education Manager for the Desert Preserves

“The reason why programs such as Nature’s Ninos and the school field trips that we host are so important to me is because that’s how I got here. Without this type of free programming made available to my community, I would have missed out on these outdoor experiences as a kid.”

Jenifer Lopez-Valdez joined The Wildlands Conservancy team in 2020 and works as our education manager for the California Desert Preserves. Jenifer grew up in the Coachella Valley and attributes free outdoor education programs to steering her towards a fulfilling career in conservation. She says she always had a strong interest and desire to experience the natural world as a kid, but didn’t have a lot of opportunities to do so.

“What I love most about my job is being able to connect youth to the outdoors in a way that they haven't had the opportunity to experience before. Taking a concept such as pollination that kids learn in school and demonstrating that to them in real life— It’s in those aha moments that kids really learn the intrinsic value of nature,” Jenifer says.

After completing a bachelor’s degree in marine biology from University of California, San Diego Jenifer moved to the Bay Area to work as an interpretive educator at a local aquarium in San Francisco. She says working as a naturalist and educator was a natural fit from the start and she quickly identified a passion for conservation education.

“Science can be complicated. A lot of issues that I hear from folks come from a place of not fully understanding how things work in the natural world. I am passionate about bridging those gaps for people and reconnecting people with essential truths through the lens of science,” Jenifer says.

After spending some years away, Jenifer was grateful for an opportunity to move back to the desert just before joining Wildlands. “When I drive back to the desert after being away, it’s the way the mountains feel like a warm hug as they open up to you. It’s a welcome home,” she says.

Jenifer returned to the valley with a fresh set of eyes for desert ecosystems and a new found commitment to desert conservation. In talking to Jenifer about her connection to the desert she shares, “I love the wide open space and the views. I admire the plants and animals that live here that have to be so resilient and face so much hardship in a place that is so unforgiving. It is a mirror of life.”

We are fortunate to have Jenifer managing our outdoor education programs in the desert, ensuring they run smoothly and furthering our mission to provide free programs so that children may enjoy the wonder and joy of nature. In her freetime, Jenifer has many creative outlets including photography, nature journaling, flower pressing and candle-making. Her favorite plant species is creosote, an iconic desert plant that is known for giving the desert its familiar smell when it rains. 

Check out some of Jenifer’s nature photography below.