In 2020, Portland voters approved an operations levy that has given PP&R additional funds to grow our teams and capacity. With this funding, the Natural Areas Stewardship team is added a 5th Stewardship Coordinator, Ahmed Yusuf. Ahmed will focus on trails-based stewardship and volunteer opportunities to improve and maintain 120 miles of soft-surface trails throughout the City of Portland. Thank you Portlanders for supporting additional funding for Portland Parks!
Meng Vue - Johnson Creek Watershed
Parks and natural areas in inner SE and outer SE Portland
meng.vue@portlandoregon.gov
503-823-5937
Meng engages partner organizations and volunteers in the Johnson Creek Watershed. After working a few years at a local nonprofit, he joined Portland Parks and Recreation in 2024. In his previous role, he led volunteer stewardship events in natural areas across the Portland metro region. He’s lived in the Pacific Northwest for most of his life, however, his early childhood was spent in Northern California amongst giant redwood trees. Here he explored tidepools, swam in the Smith River, and collected sea glass by the handful. This greatly influenced his decision to work in the outdoors and share these amazing places with others. He has over a decade of experience educating youth and has worked as an environmental educator, wilderness ranger, and outreach educator. When he’s not stewarding events, you can find him tooling around in his garden, birding, or on the couch watching a new horror movie (it’s spooky season all year round in his household). He is an outdoor enthusiast and enjoys hiking, camping, and backpacking. He has a degree in Zoology from Oregon State University, and absolutely adores sandhill cranes, and minks, and otters, the list goes on.
Monica Hescheles - Westside Watersheds
Parks and natural areas in SW and NW Portland
monica.hescheles@portlandoregon…
503-823-8367
Monica leads stewardship events in parks and natural areas in Westside Watersheds. She joined Portland Parks and Recreation in 2024, coming from a partner organization, Johnson Creek Watershed Council where she managed the community engagement and outreach team. She has over 10 years of experience teaching outdoor and environmental education, leading volunteers and connecting with community in nature. She is originally from Boulder, Colorado and moved to Portland in 2018 after graduating from Western Washington University with a degree in Environmental Education. When she is not connecting with the Portland community in one of the many vibrant natural areas, you can find Monica exploring hiking trails, casually bird watching, trying out a new craft, gardening, and spending time with her two cats and partner.
Anne Marie Santos – Willamette River Watershed
Parks and natural areas in the East Willamette River Watershed and along the Willamette River
annemarie.santos@portlandoregon.gov
503-729-0318
Anne Marie leads stewardship events in parks and natural areas in the East Willamette River watershed and along the river. She joined Portland Parks & Recreation in 2021, after spending the prior 6 years working for local environmental non-profits planting native trees with community members and taking youth on nature hikes. She has eleven years of experience teaching nature and farm-based education and playing with preschoolers in the woods. She grew up in Chicago and owes her connection to nature to her Mom, who taught her how to grow food and tend to the plants and trees around her. She is passionate about co-creating spaces with communities that have been historically marginalized to enjoy and connect with nature in whatever way makes sense for them. She is most alive when snuggling her two pups, romping in the woods birding and talking with plants, climbing, dancing, and creating art. Anne Marie has a bachelor’s degree in Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences from the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign.
Yoko Silk - Columbia Slough Watershed
Parks and natural areas in North and Northeast Portland
yoko.silk@portlandoregon.gov
503-278-1341
Yoko leads stewardship events in parks and natural areas in the Columbia Slough watershed in North and Northeast Portland. She joined the Parks family as the lead instructor for the Jr Greenspaces Restoration and Urban Naturalist Team (now known as the Teen Naturalist Team) in 2010, and has been in her role as Stewardship Coordinator since 2015. Yoko is passionate about connecting people to nature. Recognizing the intersections of environmental, social, and racial justice, Yoko is deeply committed to serving historically marginalized communities and is dedicated to creating opportunities for people of all ages and backgrounds to have access to and engage in nature in meaningful ways. She has been in the field of youth work and outdoor education since 1999 and has experience as an environmental educator, a backpacking instructor and raft guide, a caseworker at a crisis shelter for homeless and runaway teens, a facilitator at high ropes challenge courses, and a lead instructor for a youth empowerment arts camp. Yoko has a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies from the University of Oregon. In her free time, Yoko enjoys going on outdoor adventures like rafting and backpacking, playing cello, juggling, listening to podcasts, and rock-climbing.
Ahmed Yusuf - Soft Surface Trails
Soft surface trails (non paved) in parks and natural areas citywide.
ahmed.yusuf@portlandoregon.gov
503-260-2329
Ahmed has been working on and off with Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) since 2011, first as a teen crew member, and then as an adult crew leader with the PP&R Youth Conservation Crew. After several seasonal positions with PP&R, Ahmed served as the Trails Program Manager with the Forest Park Conservancy where he got to combine his love of Forest Park with volunteer management and trail maintenance. Most recently, Ahmed was a trails technician for PP&R, helping to maintain and improve soft surface trails throughout the city. Ahmed has grown up in Portland and wants to continue building a healthy and welcoming community. When Ahmed is not out building and maintaining trails, he’s looking for new trails to hike with his dog (Misty). He also enjoys going to the mountain for snowboarding and taking photos.