Brenna Bell Policy Coordinator/Staff Attorney brenna@bark-out.org
Brenna brings to her work a lifetime of passion for the Pacific Northwest, twenty years of organizing experience, and an extensive background in environmental law and education. Her involvement with Cascadia Forest Alliance and the campaign to save Eagle Creek led her to Lewis & Clark Law School, where she graduated cum laude. Brenna has worked with numerous non-profits and is a co-founder of Tryon Life Community Farm - a community sustainability education center. She also lives, and is raising her two children and many goats, in Cedar Moon - the intentional community at TLC Farm. Preferred pronouns: she|her |
Courtney Rae Associate Director courtney@bark-out.org
Originally from east of the Mississippi, Courtney joined Bark in 2015 after five years of environmental advocacy and public education work with Environment Oregon and Columbia Riverkeeper. Courtney focuses her efforts at Bark on the big picture transformation of traditional environmentalism, conservation, and forest defense tactics, culture, and goals toward environmental justice that respects, centers, and serves IBPOC (Indigenous, Black, and People of Color) cultures, needs, and wisdom over the white supremacist status quo that traditional environmental work is built upon. She organizes Bark’s programmatic work, volunteer opportunities, and communications. she | her |
Daniela del Mar Communications Coordinator daniela@bark-out.org
Daniela del Mar is a transdisciplinary artist, and educator whose work revolves around fronteras culturales, translation + meaningfulness, y práctica social. Bringing a background based in traditional letterpress printing and its power to activate the individual, Daniela joins Bark as the Communications Coordinator creating strong web + print materials to support its mission. When not at Bark, you can find Daniela trying to see the ocean at every opportunity or working with edible + native plants in their garden. they | them |
Justice Hager Outreach Director justice@bark-out.org
Justice has spent the last twelve years canvassing, organizing, and fundraising for a plethora of environmental and social justice organizations, including five years at Bark. They have also been active in a number of different arts projects and organizations as both an artist and a curator for the last five years both in Portland and internationally through on-line exhibitions. Preferred pronouns: they | them |
Michael Krochta Forest Watch Coordinator michael@bark-out.org
Michael was magnetically attracted to Bark’s work shortly after moving to Oregon and seeing for himself the splendor of its intact forests. As a student at PSU Michael was a dedicated volunteer with Bark and helped kick-off Bark’s fledgling post-logging monitoring program, BMP2. His committment to protecting healthy ecosystems in perpetuity has played itself out in a number of ways, from field checking timber sales for the Blue Mountains Biodiversity Project to working each spring to document the Portland area’s native turtle populations. Michael firmly believes that meaningful participation in public land management starts with getting out to the woods and enjoying oneself. Preferred pronouns: he|him |
Misha VanEaton Forest Watch Assistant misha@bark-out.org
Misha joins Bark after working as a wilderness guide and administrator on Bark’s neighborhood volcanoes. Misha studied sociology at Portland State where they researched ways that commodification propels traditional conservation movements. These studies led to Misha’s investment in environmental advocacy that is rooted in racial and economic justice which they bring to their work at Bark. In their free time, you can find Misha searching for the smelliest plants, the friendliest birds, and the coldest swimming holes. they | them |
Nakisha Nathan Executive Director nakisha@bark-out.org
A leader in Portland’s Environmental Justice movement, Nakisha is a well-traveled, creative, leadership cultivator and activist. Her background in environmental science, environmental law, and community organizing inform her practice of transformational movement building. She joins Bark after working at the Coalition of Communities of Color, Sierra Club, Neighbors for Clean Air and OPAL Environmental Justice Oregon. Nakisha is dedicated to building power for a Just Transition and racial justice and serves on the boards of OPAL and the Portland African American Leadership Forum. When not at work, Nakisha can be found gaming with friends and family; hiking with her partner and two dogs; photographing Oregon’s natural landscapes, or gleefully pursuing her quest to find every member of the Araucaria araucana species in Portland. Pronouns: She | They |