The Team

Project Lead

Maru García is a Mexican artist and researcher working across art + science + environment. Her use of media includes research, installations, performance, sculpture, and video. She is interested in creating spaces of healing, resilience and regeneration. Maru loves gardening and talking with her plants.

Maru holds an MFA in Design & Media Arts from UCLA as well as an M.S. in Biotechnology and a B.S. in Chemistry from Tecnológico de Monterrey, México. Currently, she is based in LA.

Community Outreach

Marvella Muro is the Director of Artistic Programs and Education at Self Help Graphics and Art. Born and raised in East Los Angeles, her work in the arts is community-driven, seeking to create connections between the arts and audiences, using the arts to highlight shared cross-cultural experiences. The artists, social justice, and the plural communities that encompass her environment guide her art administration, curatorial, and community engagement practice and work at Self Help Graphics. She was formerly the Community Engagement Manager at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), and Curatorial Assistant and Administrator before this role and Executive Assistant to the Director at USC Pacific Asia Museum. She has a B.A. in Art History from Cal State University, Fullerton, and an M.A. in Arts Management from Goucher College in Maryland.

Lead Scientist

Dr. Celestian’s currently researches how minerals interact with their environments and with living things, and how those minerals can be used to solve problems like climate change, pollution, and disease. His on-going research in experimental design, real-time material characterization, mineral discovery & application, and the functionalization of minerals is developing novel nano-crystalline Earth materials into functional materials for a wide variety of demanding applications. Dr. Celestian holds adjunct teaching and research faculty positions at the University of Southern California and is an Affiliate Research Scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. In addition to research, Dr. Celestian oversees the Gem & Mineral Hall at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles and regularly develops mineral science exhibits.

Research Partner, Community Science NHMLA

Lila is a museum educator with 13 years of experience in museum education and community science programming. Her fascination with nature started early; she grew up on a farm in the U.K. where she spent her time chasing butterflies, playing in hollow trees, and pretending to be a badger. Lila, at NHM since 2008, was a lead educator on the Museum’s newest nature-themed exhibits—the Nature Lab and Nature Gardens.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in entomology from UC Riverside and a master’s degree in environmental education from California State University, San Bernardino.

Research Partner, Community Science NHMLA

Miguel Ordeñana is an environmental educator and wildlife biologist. He works at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County as a Manager in the Community Science office. As a community science manager, Miguel promotes and creates community science projects, and recruits and trains participants. Miguel utilizes his mammal research background by conducting urban mammal research in L.A. and leads NHMLAC’s Southern California Squirrel Survey and Backyard Bat Survey. Miguel serves as an advisor on a jaguar project in southwestern Nicaragua that he initiated in 2012 as well as a Board Member for the Friends of Griffith Park and National Wildlife Federation. Miguel is dedicated towards making science and access to nature more equitable with a goal of increasing the representation and retention of underrepresented communities within the environmental field. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies from the University of Southern California, and an M.S. in Ecology from the UC Davis.

Research Partner, Community Science NHMLA

Sam is an Indigeous parent, community science coordinator, environmental justice advocate, CA naturalist, artist, nurse, and likes to be with the under-appreciated parts of the land. Wildfire burn scars, urban wildlife, coyotes, rattlesnakes and poison oak have become good company over the years. Their connection to nature and community science was cemented doing field work with their Grandma as a child in the lahar fields of the Mt. Pinatubo volcanic eruption. There they saw the power of community knowledge and mutual aid between folks and the land and work to bring that energy to community science in Los Angeles.

Communications and Community building

Jordan Salcido (she / her) is a multidisciplinary community organizer based in the Los Angeles area. Through a number of projects, she supports efforts to advance environmental justice and amplify community needs and priorities. She greatly believes in the power of storytelling and seeks to shine a light on community stories of strength and resilience. As a California naturalist, Jordan enjoys learning about the land and its plants, animals and people.

Data manager and Sampling coordinator

Graham Coates Smith is an interdisciplinary artist and environmental scientist. Graham uses his resources and technical skills to support movements for environmental justice, wealth redistribution, and racial equity. He has contributed to projects including public art installations, gallery exhibitions, and mutual aid funds, in addition to technical scientific research for tort litigation against major defense contractors and railroads. Graham currently works part-time as a Natural Color Scientist in the fashion industry. He also participates in community art workshops that increase access to culturally-relevant natural colorants and discourage the cultural appropriation of such materials. In his free time, Graham conducts experiments at the intersection of science and art, tries to befriend local cats, and compulsively watches old episodes of Star Trek.

Communications

Ana Guajardo brings her experience as an arts researcher, independent curator, creative entrepreneur, and social media manager to her role as a culture worker. She has led and supported projects for organizations such as LA Commons, UCLA Chicano/a Studies Research Center, the Vincent Price Art Museum, 18th Street Art Center, the El Sereno Community Garden, and others.Ana is interested in uplifting artists, community stories, and cultural and social justice movements through storytelling, socially engaged practice, and art. She is currently the Curatorial Assistant of Sinks: Places We Call Home, an exhibition organized by Self Help Graphics and Art that is part of the Getty's 2024 Pacific Standard Time initiative exploring the intersection of art and science.

Community Scientist

Jennifer Payan is a recent graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles, and majored in Art History. She is an Art Associate: Exhibitions at the Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery, a Library Page at the Autry Museum of the American West, and a teaching artist assistant with Barrio Mobile Art Studio at Self Help Graphics & Art. Prior to her employment at The Autry, she interned at the Vincent Price Art Museum, Self Help Graphics & Art, UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center, Artbook at Hauser & Wirth, Distributed Art Publishers Showroom, Elliott Hundley Art Studio, and Visual Communications. Her experiences in the arts and organic waste management have taught her the value of advocating for sustainable practices and fostering education by creating access to green spaces and the visual arts.

Community Scientist

Dr. Elena Esparza is the founder of Just Breathe Healing Center located in her home town of East Los Angeles. Dr. Esparza has studied herbal medicine, manual medicine and energy medicine throughout the United States, Mexico and Central America. She received her Doctorate of Chiropractic Medicine in 1999 from Southern California University of Health Sciences, Los Angeles.; and also holds a masters degree in Counseling Psychology with a Spiritual Emphasis. Besides maintaining a local family practice, Dr. Elena has also founded the very popular donation based community offering, Karma Clinic. This once a month, community offering, features various health practitioners and traditional healers. Karma Clinic provides Chiropractic, Acupuncture and Emotional Freedom Technique as well as other traditional healings, like limpias, trauma release, and Reiki, depending on the special guests invited each month. As a a life enhancement coach and a licensed spiritual guide, Doctora Elena also conducts a number of beginning and advanced workshops, and retreats to promote herbal medicine, health and wellness cultivation, personal transformation and spiritual empowerment.

Soil Biodiversity Researcher, Research Partner

Maura is an Assistant Professor of Biology at Mount San Antonio College where she incorporates culturally relevant, active learning, and student centered pedagogy. Her research focuses on applying environmental DNA (eDNA; DNA found in the environment) to address issues in conservation, restoration, and urban planning. She enjoys working with communities to improve the environment and quality of life. As a past graduate of the Leadership Academy with Nature For All, she held joint workshops with Pacoima Beautiful to empower community members to advocate and beautify Jardin Pacoima. She enjoys gardening, scuba diving, hiking, and traveling.

Maura has a Ph.D. in Wildlife & Fisheries Sciences from Texas A&M University, a Masters in Science in Biology from Cal State, Los Angeles, and a Bachelors in Marine Biology & Zoology from Cal State, Long Beach.

Research Parner, Soil healer

Rashonda is a transdisciplinary artist, mental health advocate, published poet (under the nome de plume of Zoe Blaq), and urban gardener from Los Angeles. She uses mixed media, installations, eco-art, storytelling, performance, video, photography, and zines as a form of healing arts activism. Her areas of interests are desert restoration and empowering marginalized communities through art and wellness. As a master gardener, she develops programs for ex-offenders, disabled adults, and LA county schools. Currently, she is nurturing the soil, connecting with locals, and creating an edible landscape design for Mercado la Paloma- a thriving cultural hub in South Los Angeles. In addition, she is experimenting with microclimates and a seed ball project in the majestic Mojave desert.

She holds an M.A. in Clinical Psychology from Antioch University Los Angeles and a B.A. in Cinema, Television Arts from Cal. State University Northridge.

Research Partner

Paola was born and raised in Zapopan, México, and for the past seven years has been involved in community engagement projects in different areas of LA County. She believes in the power of culture and the arts to strengthen meaningful community connections. In her free time, she enjoys spending time listening to music, gardening, and learning about botany, soil, and urban wildlife. She strongly believes that healing our soils is healing ourselves.

Data analysis, Research Partner

Levi is an ecology postdoc at the University of California at Santa Cruz, his work focuses on tying together both community science and professional research to better understand how humans shape, and are shaped by, ecosystems. For over a decade he's also been involved in the LA hackerspace CRASH Space where his work often takes place at the intersection of research, design, and education; oh, and found footage. When not sitting with his laptop at home Levi also enjoys running long distances for no particular reason.

Levi has a PhD in marine and environmental biology from the University of Southern California, a masters in science education from the University of California - Irvine, and a bachelors in physics from the Illinois Institute of Technology.

Soil Biodiversity Researcher, Research Partner

Jeff Cole is an educator and entomologist. Jeff is captivated by singing insects, namely katydids, crickets, and cicadas, research that resulted when he combined his passions for bugs and music. Many insects choose mates through songs; many humans do the same! By analyzing insect songs and genetics, Jeff studies how song diversity evolves and along the way, discovers and describes species that are new to science, including many that have gone unnoticed in California. Jeff's Biology students are spared insect favoritism but may be required to fly cockroaches.

Jeff earned a Ph.D. in Entomology from the University of Kansas and a B.S. in General Biology from UCLA. He is an Assistant Professor of Biology at Pasadena City College and a Research Associate in Entomology at NHMLA.

Designer + Illustrator

Rachel has an extensive background in the entertainment industry as a senior creative art director navigating experiences across studio giants and exclusive boutique agencies. Creating visual key art for tv series and film, album covers, brand identity, and interactive marketing campaigns has honed her skills telling an entire story narrative through singular imagery. Since 2020, she has been a Chapter Leader for Climate Designers Los Angeles, where they host local meetups and curate climate resources, volunteer opportunities, and events. Rachel volunteers her time restoring native plant habitats from Malibu to Monrovia, and is passionate about wild spaces, urban foraging, environmental and social justice, all forms of artistic expression, creativity, imagination, and continual learning.

Graduate Student in Residence NHM Minerals Lab

Alexia Rojas is an Earth sciences PhD student at Brown University and a Graduate Student in Residence at the Gem and Mineral Hall in the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles. Her current research works to understand the long-term history of the San Andreas Fault. Alexia also specializes in 3D imaging of geologic materials. She is using laboratory techniques at her university and the museum to understand how lead is stored in zeolite crystals. In addition to her research, Alexia is passionate about outreach and regularly leads activities centered around Earth science knowledge with local schools and the LA community.

Assistant Collections Manager at NHM

Charlie Nichols is the Assistant Collections Manager at the Los Angeles Natural History Museum and works on the preparation and data collection of soil samples for Prospering backyards. He majors in Geology and minors in Chemistry at Santa Monica Community College with plans to transfer to a 4-Year UC school after meeting his requirements. In his free time, he enjoys driving along the coast, hiking, and visiting OceanView Mine to help dig for minerals such as Tourmaline, Quartz, and Aquamarine.