Volunteers and Interns at Rainforest Partnership
Miguel Cobos
Miguel is originally from Edinburg, Texas. He is a Management Information Systems student at the University of Texas Austin and is also part of UT Global Business Brigades, a student organization that works on providing micro-financing and consulting resources to rural communities in Panama, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Ghana. He is an avid traveler/hitch-hiker with a big heart. He enjoys learning languages and strives to become a better person by learning from others and teaching what he can.
Jesyca Barde
Jesyca absolutely loves being out in nature and she wants to do everything she can to ensure the continuation of our planet's resources. Two of her favorite activities are back country hiking and acroyoga. She is very excited to be a part of the proactive drive for sustainability and community support here at Rainforest Partnership.
Caroline Taylor
After studying Psychology and Biology for four years, Caroline is very excited to contribute to an organization focused on bottom-up rainforest conservation. She fell in love with rainforests and their delicate ecosystems while studying abroad in Costa Rica, and hopes to be a positive force in the push to keep these lands and their communities protected and healthy.
Luke Wright
Luke is a student at Austin High School. He loves web development, photography, music, and design. He has been living in Austin for less than a year. He's very excited to join the team and help with web and technology needs.
Julie McEntire
With a background in aquatic ecology, and an M.S. in Ecology (specialization in Freshwater Ecology) from the University of Georgia, Julie is currently a Project Manager for Texas Clean Rivers Program. Julie is a native Texan and has been living in Austin off and on for about 10 years. She loves being outside either swimming, hiking or kayaking, and is excited to be volunteering with Rainforest Partnership in her spare time.
Priyakshi Sarma
Priyakshi has a M.S. in Environmental Science from Central University, Tezpur, Assam, India. Priyakshi has worked for the sustainability of tea garden environments in Assam, India (Assam is the world's largest tea growing region). At Rainforest Partnership Priyaski is currently conducting research on coffee and other tropical commodities.
Bobbie Edwards
Bobbie has been working with special needs children and their families for the last 13 years in
home, educational, and community settings, as a BCBA Senior Behavior Analyst, consultant, researcher, teacher, and adjunct university professor in New York and Texas. Her passion for environmental concerns and desire to 'do more' has inspired her to join the Rainforest Partnership team. Currently Bobbie is conducting research and writing articles on the global value of rainforests and the link between consumption patterns and rainforest deforestation.
Sarah Jeeping Gho
Sarah has over 10 years of accounting experience for manufacturing, trading, construction, engineering and public accounting firms in Singapore and Austin, and 7 years of experience conducting audits of several non-profit organizations. Sarah is volunteering her accounting expertise at Rainforest Partnership.
Nate Stanley
Nate is originally from Cedar Falls, Iowa. He is currently a graduate student earning his Master of Arts in Biological Anthropology at Texas State University. In 2012, he earned a Bachelor of Science and certificate in Geographic Information Systems, also from Texas State University. Nate has traveled to many countries including China, Mongolia, Azerbaijan, and Thailand and loves to experience new cultures. He worked as an archaeologist and curator for the Center for Archaeological Studies for two years, and conducted his own research on the healing practices of the Blue Mountain Metis Native Americans. His current interests with the Rainforest Partnership are to help enhance the effectiveness of rainforest conservation efforts, as well as open doors for future Texas State researchers to work with the RP.
Larry Romberg
Larry, Rainforest Partnership's creative leader, is a freelance art director and illustrator who enjoys helping people, businesses, and non-profits communicate effectively with their audiences. He is a sixth-generation Texan, likes piña coladas, getting caught in the rain — and playing whatever small part he can in saving our rainforests. “I am very glad to have found RP — a terrific group of thoughtful and enthusiastic people who are implementing practical solutions to help protect and sustain the lungs of our planet.” – Larry R.
Chuck Boecking
Chuck Boecking is an enterprise systems integrator and coach. He helps international wholesale distributors and manufacturers implement ERP (accounting and inventory) systems. Chuck comes to Rainforest Partnership as an advisor to create sustainable systems that transform a global organization into a tightly organized team. Chuck’s experience as both Director of IT and Director of HR of a multinational company offers a unique perspective on the social and technical challenges of creating a highly connected and functional group. Please learn more about Chuck by visiting ChuckBoecking.com
Jeff Brown
Originally from Pennsylvania originally, Jeff moved to Austin 7 years ago. He has a degree from Penn State in American Studies and is currently working on a second degree in Environmental Policy and Science at St. Edward's University. While Jeff is not busy with school and saving the rainforests, he's a musician in several bands (including Shinyribs and No Show Ponies).
Karen Hood
Karen Hood is a freelance writer interested in sustainability and green living. Her current interest with the Rainforest Partnership is to help spread the word about rainforest conservation and the communities that share the land. Karen loves to travel and learn about other cultures and enjoys the great outdoors. She has visited several countries including Ireland, Argentina, the Czech Republic, Germany, France, Canada, and Mexico. While in Argentina, she had the chance to hike through the rainforest in Iguazu. Before becoming a freelance writer, she worked as a curator, librarian, outreach professional, and film reviewer. Learn more about Karen at www.freelanceword.com.
Alicia Santana
Alicia is a third-year Latin American Studies major at UT Austin. She will also be receiving a Bridging Disciplines certificate in Social Entrepreneurship and Nonprofits. She loves volunteering, traveling, and photography. She is excited about joining the Rainforest Partnership team and learning more about protecting the Amazon and preserving the culture of indigenous people. Alicia hopes to someday join the Peace Corps.
Liz Gurney
Liz Gurney, a native Texan and International Studies major at Texas State University, has interned for Invisible Children in Rwanda, Zambia, and Namibia. She’s getting married in June and loves Kombucha tea, barre workout classes, and making succulent terrariums for her friends. With experience in development work, Liz is helping Rainforest Partnership with South American project development and management, event planning, and fundraising.
Laura Lee Harris
Laura Lee is a public relations major at the University of Texas @ Austin and is excited for the opportunity to be an intern at the Rainforest Partnership. In her free time she loves to go hiking, kayaking and exploring the great city of Austin. She is a member of the Texas Belles event planning organization and in the future either sees herself working in either the public relations or event planning fields.
Angela Saenz
Born and raised in the beautiful capital city, Angela is a graphic design volunteer who holds a Bachelors degree in Fashion Design from the University of Texas at Austin. While working retail and in transition in her fashion career, Angela discovered Rainforest Partnership and decided to volunteer her creative eye during her last months in Austin. When not working or volunteering, she's either jogging along town lake, sketching, or playing with Photoshop to create a new textile design.
