JEFF KUYPER, J.D.
Executive Director
As one of the original founders of ForestWatch, Jeff brings more than 25 years of experience in legal and policy advocacy on behalf of wildlife, public lands, and the local communities that depend on them. Jeff holds a Juris Doctorate degree from the University of Oregon School of Law, with a certificate in Environmental and Natural Resource Law, and a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies from UC Santa Barbara. He has worked with several of the West’s leading public interest environmental law firms, including the Western Environmental Law Center in Eugene, Oregon; Advocates for the West in Boise, Idaho; and the Environmental Defense Center in Santa Barbara, California. A third-generation Californian, Jeff first set foot in the Los Padres National Forest in 1995 and was immediately struck by its untouched landscapes, free-flowing rivers, and diverse wildlife. He lives in Santa Barbara and enjoys spending time with his family, cooking a delicious meal, listening to his favorite music, and hiking cross-country in the High Sierra.
BRYANT BAKER, M.S.
Director of Conservation and Research
Bryant has over a decade of experience in land and water conservation, community outreach, and ecology research. He holds a Master’s and Bachelor’s in Environmental, Soil, and Water Science from the University of Arkansas. Bryant worked for several years in an aquatic ecology laboratory conducting ecological experiments and publishing scientific papers about aquatic food webs and nutrient cycling. He later went on to work as a program manager for a watershed conservation organization in the Ozark Mountains. As the Director of Conservation and Research at ForestWatch, Bryant writes comments on projects undergoing environmental review, collects and analyzes data, publishes scientific papers about forest and chaparral ecology, manages the organization’s GIS and cartographic work, leads guided nature hikes, and gives community presentations on topics such as fire ecology. He has published multiple peer-reviewed scientific papers and is also a GIS analyst, cartographer, award-winning photographer, and videographer, whose work has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, San Diego Tribune, Oregon Public Broadcasting, Montana Free Press, Mother Jones, several books, and the feature-length documentary about wildfire in the western United States, Elemental: Reimagine Wildfire. Additionally, he is a founding Board member of the Ventura-based nonprofit, Runners for Public Lands. Bryant is also a naturalist who spends most of his free time being a plant nerd and hiking with his dog, Leela.
GRACIELA CABELLO
Director of Youth and Community Engagement
Graciela has a diverse background that includes over twelve years of combined experience in conservation, movement building, community engagement, and communications in the corporate and nonprofit sectors. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from California State University, East Bay. Prior to joining ForestWatch, she was the founding National Director of Latino Outdoors, a national organization committed to supporting Latino engagement, leadership, and advocacy in the areas of outdoor recreation and conservation. Her background also includes an eight-year stint in digital media, where she was part of a team at Comcast optimizing the needs of television and film advertisers. After spending many years in the San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles, Graciela returns to her hometown of Santa Barbara. She’s happy to be back home equipped with a greater appreciation for the region. Her passion lies in protecting our public lands and building a diverse conservation movement with greater access to wild places for all. Graciela enjoys spending time with friends and family, building community, staying active outdoors, learning about other cultures, and searching for the best tacos.
JESSICA DIAS
Director of Development
Jessica has a diverse background in fundraising, grant writing, trust administration, and food and beverage service. She holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Anthropology with concentrations in Archaeology and Geology from the College of Charleston. Originally studying to be an
Archaeologist, her passion shifted to environmental protection after taking courses on climate science and the interaction of humans with their environments. Jessica fell in love with the nonprofit sector after working at a land trust in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina and moved to Santa Barbara in 2012 to pursue a career in environmental conservation and protection. Her passion lies in protecting our public lands and wild places both for people and the wildlife that calls these areas home. In her free time Jessica enjoys going on road trips with her husband and cat, Bebe; spending time in the forest hiking, camping, and exploring with friends and family; cooking and baking; and working in her garden.
CARLA MENA, M.P.P.
Director of Policy and Legislative Affairs
Carla is a fierce environmental justice advocate who shares a passion for politics and the environment. She earned her Master’s in Public Policy at Pepperdine with specializations in American Policy and Politics and State and Local Policy. Carla has over a decade of experience establishing strong environmental connections at the local, state, and federal levels. Prior to Pepperdine, Carla earned her BA in Political Science with a minor in Communication at CSU Channel Islands. During her time at CSUCI, she served as the Director of External Affairs and founded the first Lobby Corp. Carla has had the amazing opportunity to work for public and private higher education institutions. Most recently she had the privilege of working as a District Representative for Congresswoman Julia Brownley where she continued to fuel her passion for environmental projects at the federal level. Aside from her passion for environmental policy, she enjoys the outdoors, cooking pasta, and attending horror conventions.
BENJAMIN PITTERLE, M.E.S.M.
Director of Advocacy and Field Operations
Benjamin is a seasoned environmental advocate and watchdog with nearly 20 years of experience managing projects and campaigns to protect natural places and wildlife. He holds a Master of Environmental Science and Management degree from UC Santa Barbara and Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science from UC Riverside. Prior to joining the ForestWatch team, Benjamin served for 17 years as Science and Policy Director (and Interim-Executive Director) for Santa Barbara Channelkeeper, where he developed and managed water quality monitoring programs, directed advocacy campaigns, and managed litigation initiatives to eliminate pollution sources and restore in-stream flows to rivers and streams. He additionally has several years of experience outside of the non-profit sector as a field technician working in the areas of hazardous waste management and soil and groundwater remediation. Benjamin is an accomplished videographer, documentary film maker, and musician. He enjoys spending his free time with his family, surfing, rock climbing, and wading in backcountry swimming holes
Melissa Wilson Wilder, M.A.
Wildlife Program Coordinator
Melissa works on further developing our Room to Roam program, which advocates for wildlife corridors and educates the public on the benefits of wild landscapes for animal habitats and migrations. Wilder holds a master of art in sustainability with a certificate in natural resource management from Harvard University’s Extension School and a master of science in environmental education from Montreat College. In 2019, she was honored with the Harvard Dean’s Prize for her thesis on expanding national parks onto currently existing public lands with the help of the Wilderness Society. She later starred in a documentary, “Stay Wild,” which follows her work mapping and advocating for saving landscapes for other species. Stay Wild toured internationally and won three environmental awards, including “Best Documentary Short” at both the Rocky Mountain Film Festival and the Colorado Environmental Film Festival. In 2023, she was awarded Environmental Teacher of the Year at the Santa Barbara Earth Day Festival. We are excited to watch the Room to Roam program grow under her leadership.
IRIS YUH
Conservation GIS Intern
Iris is a fourth year Environmental Studies and Economics double major with a minor in music at UCSB. She is passionate about the sustainable management of the environment and its natural resources, especially public lands and wildlife, to ensure that they can support the community and the economy in the future. As the Environmental Justice Co-Chair for the Associated Students Environmental Affairs Board at UCSB, Iris hosts collaborative events to bring together students to elevate underrepresented voices and learn about their role in the environmental movement. She has previously served as the Environmental Awareness Chair for San Rafael Hall Council, and was on the officer team for campus organizations such as the Taiwanese American Student Association and Crescendo for a Cause. Last year, Iris was awarded the Duval Scholarship and Jeffrey Robert Frum Scholarship. Recently, she completed her semester study abroad program at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. In the future, Iris hopes to pursue studying environmental economic policy to promote sustainable and equitable legislation. In her free time, she enjoys playing piano, reading, cooking, playing board games, and biking. Iris is joining Forestwatch from the Sara Miller McCune Endowed Internship and Public Service Program at UCSB’s Walter H. Capps Center.
LEELA
Morale Monitor and Field Dog
Leela joined ForestWatch when Bryant (her human) came aboard in 2016. Initially serving as Staff Pupper, she was eventually given a title promotion to Morale Monitor and Field Dog due to her excellent work at cleanup hikes, site surveys, and staff meetings. Her responsibilities include keeping staff happy with her infectious smile and ensuring that all of the treats are eaten. You may have met Leela on a hike or at a ForestWatch event. In 2018 she received the prestigious Best Dog Award at the organization’s Member and Volunteer Appreciation Party for her work in the field. When she’s not working, Leela spends most of her time hiking (running) in the Los Padres National Forest and lounging on the beach.
