We are thrilled to introduce you to our three interns, Nasir, Melissa, and Matt. If you see any of them in Forest Park this year, please make sure to stop and say hello!
Nasir Osman
Nasir grew up playing in these forests. As an adult, he comes back eager to help save the world and the planet and help people get closer to nature. “In nature, nothing is perfect and everything is perfect. Trees can be contorted, bent in weird ways, and they’re still beautiful.” –Alice Walker
Get in touch with Nasir: nasir@forestparkconservancy.org
Melissa Juans-Muñoz
Hii 🙂 Tzet yaq’on a c’ul (How R U Feeling In This Moment) I am, is, identified as non-binary, indigenous, Mayan, brown! Gwhirl 🙂
I am a part of this year’s 2021 Green Jobs internship team! And in this moment I feel excited 2 b a part of this team & Forest Park Conservancy as a whole. I feel excited & inspired in this moment 2 grow with Forest Park Conservancy & 2 delve in the work that I am is b ing presented with in this moment.
I want 2 meet & work with other people who are not identified as Forest Park Conservancy staff, but who’s labor & presence is just as important. Community members, partner organizations, etc. R also the backbone of FPC. What FPC has been able 2 accomplish 2 this day, is also b cause of U. So, Yuj Wal Dios (Thank U).
Forest Park Conservancy is here b cause of the people/community. And something that I want 2 see is a larger presence of different community members at FPC. I want 2 see Brown, Black Indigenous Trans people, femmes, LGBTQIA2S+, differently-abled, undocumented, migrant, 1st Nation people, youth & elders+ <3! I want 2 thank those that I mentioned above and those that I did not & my ancestors/collective ancestors 4 the work that they did so I and other Black Indigenous People are able 2 b in places like this.
May I b divinely guided in continuing their/our legacy, together, with U 2.
Much much camc’ulal (LUV) 2 U, LUV <3 Chelab’a (Take Care)
Get in touch with Melissa: melissa@forestparkconservancy.org
Matt McLean– Mattew@forestparkconservancy.org
My name is Matt McLean and I have been doing conservation and restoration work for nearly 4 years. I got started with the internship(s) at Wisdom of the Elders, eventually moving on to crew leading and working full time for years with their LLC.
I took the Green Workforce Academy program to further my skills, which eventually led to me doing the Adult Urban Forestry Program with Friends of Trees and Vancouver Urban Forestry. I worked as a seasonal hire working for Portland Parks and Rec: Urban Forestry with their science and outreach division doing tree monitoring with ARCGIS as well as coordinating and assisting with the Yard tree giveaway program. I am a mushroom enthusiast, forager, writer, and tribal member of the Metepenagiag Mi’kmaq Nation, with familial ties to the slavic and scandinavian diaspora. My goal to further traditional ecological knowledge within the green workforce has led me to continue learning and honing my skills with Elders, and Indigenous & non-indigenous organizations, and I’m happy to be learning with FPC to further these goals.
To learn more about the Green Jobs Training and Internship Program, click here.