Bridgett McGrath

She/Her/Hers

Executive Director

Bridgett has served as Director of Sienna Ranch since 2020. With a rich background in sustainability planning/ecology, regenerative land management, and strategic brand development, she brings a diverse skill set and deep passion for fostering the next generation of environmental stewards. Her commitment to hands-on, nature-based education ensures that every child at Sienna Ranch develops a profound connection to the natural world. When she isn’t busy planning the future of Sienna Ranch, Bridgett is often found walking the ranch with her beloved ranch dog, Rocky. Her favorite activities include harvesting plums and figs in the food forest, telling fantastical stories and ranch lore during lunchtime in the garden, and spending as much time as she can with the ranch horses.

Emily Fuentes

She/Her/Hers

Education Manager & Woodshop Coordinator

Emily has been exploring, building, planting, and evolving at Sienna Ranch since 2018. With a robust background in gardening, woodworking, and early childhood education, she brings a diverse set of skills and passions to her role. Her journey in environmental education began at UC Santa Cruz, where she discovered her love for teaching outside the traditional classroom setting. As a certified California Naturalist, Emily is dedicated to weaving play, ecology, and art into everyday learning, creating enriching experiences for students. Her enthusiasm extends to the teen apprenticeship program, where she is excited to mentor and support young learners in their growth and creativity. Additionally, Emily serves as a mentor for the Environmental Educator Certification Program (EECP) through AEOE. She is thrilled to continue contributing to the Sienna Ranch community and looks forward to the opportunities to learn and grow alongside her colleagues and students.

Sarah David

She/Her/Hers

Business Operations Manager

Sarah David’s journey to Sienna Ranch began when her family moved from England to the Bay Area in 2007. Growing up in Kent, Sarah cherished a “free-range” childhood that fostered her love for nature, a passion she shared with her children by attending Sienna Ranch classes in their elementary school years. A nature enthusiast, Sarah’s home has always been a haven for pets, reflecting her family’s love for animals. Sarah transitioned from being a stay-at-home mom to supporting young learners as a classroom aide at Springhill Elementary. She then moved into operations management, overseeing food services at Mills College and LinkedIn. She holds a degree in Business & Marketing from Oxford Brookes University and studied Fashion & Illustration at Croydon College of Art & Design. Sarah is excited to combine her professional expertise with her passion for outdoor education at Sienna Ranch, creating meaningful experiences for young learners. Outside of work, Sarah enjoys spending time with her young adult children, road trips, hiking, the ocean, beaches, sunsets, and skiing in Tahoe during the winter. She loves live music, fiction, and food, and has recently taken up playing the guitar and golfing.

Noelle Pipa

She/Her/Hers

Education Coordinator

Noelle grew up in Santa Cruz, California from the age of 4 and has been in love with nature and animals (domestic and wild) ever since she can remember. Her mother taught her gardening and influenced her appreciation for trees and the environment at a very young age. Her father taught her the importance of playing and spending time outdoors. And her older sister played with her! Having grown up in a place with so much biodiversity and wildlife, Noelle has always known the importance of protecting nature and conserving the beauty in the world. She has always loved hiking, especially in the redwood forests, and swimming, especially in the ocean! (Some of Noelle’s other hobbies include: volleyball, soccer, running, yoga, surfing, tennis, puzzles, playing cards, birdwatching, staying close with family and friends, watching Disney movies, growing food, eating all the food, singing, dancing, being weird and goofy).

Because of the inspiration her family and hometown had on her as a youngin’, Noelle attended the University of California, Davis to earn her Bachelor of Science in Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology. During her summers in college, she worked as a camp counselor for Camp Gateway and a program specialist for Camp Campbell. It was then that her passion for working with and education children grew! After college, Noelle got a job at The Gardens at Heather Farm as a Natural Science Teacher, and moved to the East Bay. She has loved working in such a beautiful setting and owes so much of her teaching experience to The Gardens. Now, Noelle enjoys creating nature lessons and curriculum that teaches nature science and exploration in fun, safe and hands-on ways! She is very excited to be a part of Sienna Ranch and work and play with such an awesome team!

Lindsay Shannon

She/Her/Hers

Nature Program Instructor

Lindsay grew up in Medfield, Massachusetts. What was supposed to be a temporary move to the Bay Area turned into a 25 plus year love of California. She graduated from Hayward State University with a degree in Social Services and Psychology. She enjoys hiking, reading, sewing, riding horses, walking her dogs and hanging out with her two daughters. Lindsay worked as a ABA Behavioral therapist and behavioral consultant for over 15 years and her love of working with children with autism, as well as other special needs, has been a long lasting passion that continues to grow. Lindsay started working at Sienna Ranch in the summer of 2016 as part of the Special Events staff and now has a group during the week. Her love of nature, animals, children and Art has given her the opportunity to continue to nurture these skills with the wonderful staff and amazing kids at Sienna Ranch.

Annette Dale

She/Her/Hers

Nature Program Instructor

Annette strives to be the best version of herself every day, inspiring others to do the same. She grew up in a close-knit family where she was taught to look for the beauty in every moment and in everyone. Her childhood was spent immersed in arts and crafts, including building radio-controlled airplanes, weaving, painting, ceramics and sewing. She relishes the outdoors, growing up riding bikes, backpacking, camping, sailing, hiking, stargazing, and watching clouds. She received a degree in psychology and earned her Multiple Subject Teaching Credential at UC Davis. She taught grades K-3 for 11 years. She has worked in all areas of education, including as a home and hospital teacher, reading specialist, tutor, and special education substitute. Since 2008, she has focused her energy on being a mom. She is proud to be a Lifetime Girl Scout and has been a Girl Scout leader since 2015. She enjoys helping children to create a solid foundation of academic and social/emotional life skills. She is grateful about working with people of all ages, seeing the joy in their faces when they learn something new.

Rachel Houser

She/Her/They

Nature Program Instructor

Rachel Houser is an artist and educator. She was born in Los Angeles and grew up in the foothills of the San Gabriel mountains where she spent much of her time hiking, exploring, and learning about the wildlife around her. She moved to the Bay Area in 2015 to earn her bachelor’s in sociology. She has worked as an educator for many years and is passionate about working with and supporting young people through their educational journeys. Rachel is also deeply passionate about environmental justice and would like to ensure that every child has an opportunity to develop a passion for and a connection to the natural world. In her free time, she enjoys reading, writing, drawing, and, of course, hiking.

Katie Doarn

She/Her/Hers

Nature Program Instructor

Katie is an Ohio / Virginia native, but always knew she wanted to live out west. She, her partner, and two cats made the move in the summer of 2020 so she could attend grad school at St. Mary’s College of California. With MFA in hand, Katie is a full-time nature instructor and writes on the side. She has a background in music education, jazz trumpet, and rock climbing. In her spare time, she loves to read oodles of books and bake delicious cakes.

Shanti Ahmad

Nature Program Instructor

Born in Chicago, Shanti’s most vivid childhood memories are of the lakes and rivers of Upstate New York where she spent her summers catching tree frogs and hunting wild blueberries. Camping and canoeing became her passion and she made sure she signed up for any ecology trips offered during her high school and college years, including a semester spent camping and canoeing along the Rio Grande River on both sides of the border. Majoring in Education, Shanti has taught in schools in Marin County and Berkeley California. She has also offered homeschooling classes and tutoring. Her own passion for the natural world translates into a belief that nature is the best environment for our children, and the more we as parents and educators can foster and guide that connection, the healthier, more resilient and understanding human being we can raise.

Courtney Zimmerman

She/Her/Hers

Animal Care Manager

Courtney has loved animals her entire life, and has a special passion for horses. A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, she was surrounded by pets, farms, and wildlife and took many trips to the zoo with her family. She grew up mucking stalls to pay for her riding lessons and went to horse summer camp where it became clear that horses were not “just a phase.” She attended the University of Kentucky, earning her B.S. in Equine Science & Management and riding for the UK Equestrian Team. Upon graduation, she interned and then worked at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden with the Wild Encounters animal team and then as a Children’s Zoo Keeper. While working at the zoo, she simultaneously completed her M.A. in Communication from Northern Kentucky University and her M.A. in Zoology from Miami University. Although she loved working with exotic animals–including Asian elephants, giraffes, flamingos, owls, hawks, snakes, alligators, and many others–her heart was in San Francisco with her long-time boyfriend (now husband). She continued her work with animals by briefly working at the San Francisco Zoo and at Wag Hotels, before landing at UC Elkus Ranch Environmental Education Center in Half Moon Bay. After 4 years of learning all about lambing and kidding, goat training, youth environmental engagement, and social media marketing, she took the job as Animal Care Manager at Sienna Ranch to further develop her animal husbandry and equine handling skills.

In her free time, Courtney enjoys playing soccer and tennis, traveling, urban hiking, back woods camping, cross stitching, and lounging around with her husband and cat. She is excited to get to know a new group of animals and people and to further develop her animal care and management skills!

Jessica Tugwell

She/Her/Hers

Equine Coordinator and Riding Instructor

Jessica moved to the US in Jan 2005 from London UK. She has lived in the East Bay since then. Her love for horses started at the age of 7, she started riding English, participating in 3 day eventing then switched over to dressage and then found her passion for Western after a chance encounter with a local trainers . Jessica has learned everything she knows from being at the barn watching and participating whenever she can.

She has worked with horses for over 15 years. She volunteered at a local miniature horse rescue , was a side walker at a local therapeutic riding facility and a stable hand for a local trainer and now at Sienna Ranch as the Equine coordinator and riding instructor. She is a certified Equine Sports Massage and Bodyworker as well as a licensed cosmetologist.

She enjoys spending time outdoors and has a special interest in working with children that have spirited natures.

When she’s not working or riding , she spends time with her best friend, her 2 year old Catahoula; Goose.

Gordon Gross

He/Him/Hims

Facilities Technician

Gordie is from OAKLAND and loves coming out to the Ranch. He enjoys helping with the cleaning and maintenance. He also likes talking to the animals when he thinks no one is looking.

Mike Jennings

He/Him/Hims

Orchard Technician

Born and raised in the east Bay Area, Michael enjoyed hiking, camping and gardening throughout his childhood. He studied horticulture in Santa Cruz and the Sierra Foothills before attending Prescott College in Arizona, where he received a degree in agroecology and permaculture design. He has 14 years of experience in horticulture and has also worked as a botanist for the National Forest Service–in Sonora and the Lake Tahoe Basin.

A member of the Sienna Ranch family since May 2012, he is thrilled to put to use his expertise in sustainable land stewardship. He enjoys using his plumbing and carpentry skills to maintain and improve amenities at the ranch. He is also excited for his daughters, Lillian and Alice, to attend Sienna Ranch once they are old enough.

In his spare time, he enjoys plant propagation, especially edibles, succulents, and native plants. His garden in Lafayette is a yearly stop on the East Bay “Bringing Back the Natives” garden tour, where his passion for drought-tolerant, sustainable gardening is on display. A self-taught musician, he loves to sing and play the guitar, mandolin, banjo, and piano.

Rachel Murray

She/Her/Hers

Animal Care Assistant

Rachel is a Bay Area native and lover of all animals. She is living out her childhood dream as an Animal Care Assistant at Sienna Ranch. She believes in the healing power of animals, nature, and laughter. When she’s not working at the ranch, she is a psychotherapist in private practice.

Cameron Powell

She/Her/Hers

Animal Care Assistant

Cameron lives in Lafayette and attends Acalanes High School. As a kid, she got to know Sienna Ranch through their summer camps and came back later as an animal apprentice. For Cameron, the ranch feels like its own hidden world tucked within the streets she drives through every day. She loves caring for and connecting with her family’s pets (dogs, cats, and chickens) and these furry and feathery animals make her smile every day. She has also learned about incredible wildlife through travelling to places like Costa Rica, the Galapagos Islands, and Tanzania, sparking her love for being outdoors. She is passionate about the environment and believes that interacting with the land in a sustainable way and spreading environmental awareness to others are extremely important for the future. She loves living in a place where nature is constantly surrounding her and takes every opportunity to explore local trails and nature spots. She spends ample time running, bike riding, and hiking especially in Briones. She also enjoys reading, painting, and playing guitar when she has free time. Cameron is so excited to be a part of Sienna Ranch and looks forward to spending lots of time with the animals!

Sabrina Agazzi

She/Her/Hers

Animal Care Assistant

Sabrina grew up in the East Bay and attended Sienna Ranch summer camps as a child. She loves any opportunity to work hands-on helping animals. Growing up, she had numerous different pets and enjoyed riding horses. In high school, she began the Protect Animals Worldwide (PAW) Club to advocate for wildlife. Currently, she is a student at Diablo Valley College working to transfer to a four-year university where she plans to study communications and animal science. Her ultimate goal is to pursue a profession working with and for animals. When she is not at Sienna Ranch or in class, Sabrina enjoys doing ballet, taking photos of backyard birds, researching vintage fashion, camping, and spending time with her rescue mutt, Hailey. She is very excited to be a part of the Sienna Ranch team!