Sierra Thrives

Rene Melara, LCSW is a clinical social worker with 10 years of experience working alongside the Santa Monica community in various capacities, such as supporting families living in affordable housing developments, case management of under-resourced youth and families, and providing mental health services. Rene is a volunteer with Latino Outdoors as an Outings Leader, where he has organized various outings to help connect families to the outdoors. In this role, he has collaborated with various organizations in the LA region, including Sierra Club, the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, and Community Nature Connection. He is also a volunteer for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Los Angeles County and has been matched with his Little Brother for almost 7 years.

Growing up, Rene did not feel a strong connection to nature due to the various barriers that low-income communities of color face in urban settings. When he moved to Los Angeles in 2013, he began to experience the awe and wonder of taking in the sights, sounds, smells, textures, and tastes of our beautiful natural world. These experiences changed him in profound ways by helping him heal from the stress of daily life while also helping him find meaning, purpose, and community. Because of these gifts that nature provided him, he feels a strong responsibility to help protect it and help others experience the life-changing benefits that he did almost a decade ago.

Sunny Cho (she, her, 그녀) is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and also a CA-endorsed Early Childhood Mental Health Specialist. Since emigrating from South Korea during her early teen years, Sunny has always had a heart and passion to serve the community. After serving in different non-profit organizations, she began her career to focus on the social and emotional health of children and families. For the past decade, she served in different community mental health settings, providing assessments and clinical services to diverse community members. Sunny recently has founded Wonder Well Therapy, providing holistic mental health services to support families on their journey towards wellness and wonder.

It’s truly ironic how the pandemic unexpectedly acted as a catalyst for Sunny and her family to develop a deeper relationship with nature. Growing up as a latchkey child of an immigrant family, Sunny had limited opportunities to explore the natural world. Through this newfound relationship, Sunny, her veteran husband, and 3 children experienced profound layers of healing, joy, and valuable life lessons. Becoming a student and a steward of nature has sparked a desire to bridge the gap between people’s urban upbringing and the wonders of the natural world, and to protect it for our future generation.

Jenny López (she, her, ella). Of Ñuu Savi - Mixteco, Indigenous cultural roots, I attribute the guidance of my Elders as foundational to my connection with Nature - within myself and the world around me. For more than a decade, I have supported young children and families throughout L.A. as a bilingual licensed clinical social worker and a California - endorsed Early Childhood Mental Health Specialist. I am passionate about encouraging healthier child, family and community relationships that embody care, compassion and joy. I am the Founder of Rooted in Nature Therapy, an ecotherapy mental health practice committed to the healing of adults impacted by adverse childhood experiences and trauma, with Mother Nature as our collective guide and teacher. Milestones in my journey as a nature steward and advocate include my participation in the Rising Leaders Fellowship (2023) and the Nature for All Leadership Program (2017). In 2021, I became a Certified Interpretive Guide through the National Association for Interpretation - focused on curating inclusive, emotionally safe, and supportive Public Land community outings that inspire deeper connections to ourselves, each other, and our broader community. Most recently, I connected with nature stewards from diverse walks of life, while completing an Ecotherapy Certificate Program through the Earthbody Institute.

Graciela Rougier, LCSW, PPSC, (she, her, ella) Graciela is an experienced bilingual therapist with a strong dedication to promoting diversity and inclusion through education. Her passion for equity and inclusion led her to serve with Americorps City Year, where she provided support to help students thrive in both their academic and personal lives. Over the years, Graciela has taken on various impactful roles, including children's social worker, college counselor, licensed therapist, supervisor, and program developer. Currently, she operates a private practice, offering vital mental health services to transitional-aged youth in LA County.

Graciela's deep connection with the land stems from witnessing nature's inequities in low-income neighborhoods. Having grown up in Echo Park, CA, she discovered nature in her own backyard, shaping her strong belief in providing access and inclusivity for everyone.