STAFF

​Nancy H. DeStefanis

Founder and Executive Director

​Nancy is an environmental educator, field ornithologist and lecturer. She discovered the first documented nesting of great blue herons in the city of San Francisco in 1993 and monitored the colony for the San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory.

She is a firm believer in the philosophy of Mrs. Elizabeth Terwilliger, renowned founder of Marin County environmental education programs for youth: "Teach a child to love nature because adults take care of the things they love." With these words in mind, Nancy created environmental education programs for kindergarten through 5th grades in San Francisco schools, starting in year 2000.

Nancy has lectured on natural history and wildlife throughout the Bay Area, including the San Francisco Botanical Garden (Strybing Arboretum), Randall Science Museum (San Francisco) California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco Public Library and Oakland Museum.
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​She has taught Adult and Junior Academy classes at the California Academy of Sciences and Audubon Canyon Ranch.

She is the narrator of the DVD "Heron Island" (1998-IDG films) directed by Emmy award winner Judy Irving. She also narrarates and co-stars in the new short film "Great Blue Herons of Golden Gate Park, directed by Rick Bacigalupi for Bay Nature Magazine on the Air. She is the director and producer of the short film "Above the Nests," the story of a Marin Audubon Society volunteer, Helen Pratt's 30 year study of the egrets and herons at Audubon Canyon Ranch. Nancy is the co-author of the song (with Sharon Walters) "My Blue Herons."

Nancy was named outstanding volunteer by San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory and in 2005, received the Jefferson Award for Public Service.

Nancy was admitted to the State Bar of California in 1980. Her experience also includes serving as a community organizer for the United Farm Workers Union and as Executive Director of California Women's Lawyers.

Alan Hopkins

Adult Birding Programs

Alan has taught our Adult Birding Programs and Intern training programs since 2009. A renowned birder, he is committed to getting more adults and families out into nature.

Peter Shen

Volunteer, Data Management/Web Consultant

Peter has volunteered as San Francisco Nature Education's webmaster since 2009. He has recently taken on the new role of managing the membership database.

​Peter has a background in engineering and safety and has lived in the Bay Area for over 25 years.

Ariel Heinicke

Newsletter Editor

Ariel Heinicke is a Bay Area native who graduated from UC Berkeley with a bachelor's degree in linguistics. She loves spending time in nature and hiking, and she is currently taking courses in graphic design. She is passionate about animal advocacy and runs a social media campaign to raise awareness about fish welfare.

Joy Chang

Social Media Consultant

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Jennie Yoon

President

Jennie is President of the Board of SF Nature Education. When she is not birding, Jennie leads an Enterprise Account Management team within Amazon Publisher Services, an organization that delivers digital advertising technology for global web and mobile app publishers. She has a deep love and appreciation for nature (especially birds) and spends much of her time talking about birds with friends, family, and anyone who will listen.
 
Having volunteered with SFNE since 2018, Jennie is passionate about the youth-oriented educational programs which she has participated in firsthand- Youth Internships every Spring, Heron Watch every Spring and Summer Birding for Families- and inspiring young people to tune into nature more in this digital age, even within the bustling urban metropolis of San Francisco.

Steve Wolsford

Secretary

Steve Worsfold joined the San Francisco Nature Education (SFNE) Board of Directors in 2023. He has been a member of SFNE and a volunteer for five years, strongly supporting the organization's mission and practice. Steve first met Nancy DeStefanis, Executive Director of SFNE, while watching the Great Blue Herons at Stow Lake in San Francisco. Nancy quickly recruited Steve as a volunteer, and he is now excited to serve on the Board of Directors for SFNE. Steve has volunteered for Heron Watch, Summer Birding for Families, and the SFNE internships program, where he hopes to contribute towards an inclusive, welcoming space for people to come together in their appreciation of nature.
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In addition to volunteering for SFNE, Steve is a Bay Area volunteer lead for the voter registration and information organization Headcount. Headcount targets voter registration and education for young people and other underserved demographics. Headcount volunteers attend concerts and events, register voters, and give them up-to-date information about upcoming elections. Steve works for the Retirement System at the City and County of San Francisco, managing external communications and public records relations for the $33 billion pension fund.

Steve strongly supports San Francisco Nature Education's mission of providing interactive environmental education programs that develop leadership and stewardship in youth and adults.

Janel Schulenberg

Treasurer

Janel has over 30 years of working in finance which is beneficial to her new role as Treasurer of San Francisco Nature Education.
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Janel has volunteered for the SFNE Heron Watch since 2014, introducing children and adults to our programs.  She loves working with the interns, learning from them, and then watching them graduate at the end of each Heron Watch.  Her favorite time during Heron Watch is seeing the faces of people while she shows them the nest with chicks close up via our scopes. Their eyes light up with excitement as they view the chicks in the nest.  Most people don't know about the wonders of Stow Lake at Golden Gate Park.  Janel also leads groups for Birding for Families and trains new volunteers.
With Nancy's help, we can show the public nature at its finest, and it's in their own backyard!    

Nancy H. DeStefanis

Executive Director

Nancy first discovered the Great Blue Herons in 1993 and it became her mission to share her passion for the birds with school children as well as the broader community.

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Advisory Board

Mary Rose Cassa - Board Member Emeritus
Kit Durgin - Board Member Emeritus, former Executive Director The Women's Foundation
John P. Kelly, Ph.D. - Director of Research, Audubon Canyon Ranch
Joseph Kinyon - Board Member Emeritus
Kathleen Purcell - Board Member Emeritus, partner Remcho, Johanson, and Purcell