Green Foothills is delighted to welcome a new Environmental Associate, Jessica Wohlander, who will spearhead our work in San Benito County and southern Santa Clara County. Jessica will work on land use issues and development projects to protect the natural resources, rich farmland, and beautiful open spaces of the Upper Pajaro Watershed.

Jessica Brings San Benito County Expertise, Experience to Green Foothills

Jessica resides in San Benito County, a relatively new area of focus for Green Foothills that is a natural outgrowth of our work to protect wildlife corridors and stop sprawl in southern Santa Clara County. Many ecologically sensitive areas cross county borders, and the Upper Pajaro Watershed area is an example of this.

Prior to joining Green Foothills, Jessica co-founded and was Co-Executive Director of Terra Cultura, an educational eco-arts farm based in Aromas. She oversaw programming that strengthened community resilience through education and collaborative projects around the intersection of sustainable agriculture, ecology, and the arts.

Jessica first fell in love with San Benito County while working for Food & Water Watch on the Measure J campaign to ban fracking in the county. She continued to collaborate with the community in her role as Director of Operations for Rootskeeper, an organization she co-founded to build capacity among grassroots leaders to support the Californians Against Fracking Coalition’s efforts to end extreme fossil fuel extraction in the state.

Jessica holds an M.A. in International Development with a concentration on international food systems from The New School and a B.A. in Legal Studies from UC Santa Cruz. She serves as Secretary for the San Benito County Community Action Board, and is a founder of the Central Coast Mutual Aid Network. In her free time she enjoys painting, photography, and going on adventures in beautiful places.

Farewell and Thank You to Juan Estrada

Earlier this month we said farewell to Juan Estrada, Advocacy Associate Manager. Juan joined Green Foothills in July 2021, and helped lead our San Jose urban greening campaign, East Palo Alto/Ravenswood advocacy, and Leadership Program recruiting efforts, among other projects. He brought tremendous team spirit and a passion for environmental justice to his work. In addition to his environmental advocacy, he is also the founder of District 5 United, which seeks to improve quality of life in East San Jose and address citywide issues. He has volunteered on multiple City of San Jose committees and commissions.

Juan, you will be missed! We hope to continue to partner with you in your future endeavors.