Our Stories
Trees, Water & People was cofounded in 1998 by two foresters who saw the urgency to address widespread deforestation in Latin America.
They realized that without supporting local communities in addressing the underlying causes of deforestation, they would never be able to stop it.
At Trees, Water & People, our work is guided by two core beliefs:
Natural resources are best protected when local people play an active role in their care and management.
Preserving local ecosystems is essential for the ongoing social, economic, and environmental health of communities everywhere.
For three decades, TWP has been a leader in the design and implementation of programs that produce tangible benefits for people and the planet.
Today, our work is more urgent than ever, as climate change threatens the livelihoods of millions of people in our region.
Become a Part of TWP’s Story
TWP’s work has been made possible by a group of supporters who are writing a story of their own.
Their stories are built on belief in a sustainable future, investment in the work needed to get there, and responsibility towards communities bearing consequences they didn’t create.
By making a donation today, you can help move this vision forward for the decades to come.
SUPPORT TWP TODAY
Our Team
We are staffed by a group of dedicated and culturally grounded professionals working for people and the planet.
Our team of 17 represents 7 countries and 5 Tribal nations.
Local people are at the center of all our work, and building authentic relationships is the foundation of everything we do.
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Executive Director
Sebastian Africano is proud to lead Trees, Water & People into its next 25 years of impact. He has worked first-hand in almost every aspect of TWP's programs, and brings deep perspective and dedication to advancing the aspirations of the communities TWP serves. While Sebastian travels less these days than he did during his first 15 years with the organization, he is excited to raise his two kids among the extended TWP family, and to continue building bridges that connect our global community. Sebastian holds an MBA from Colorado State University and a BS in Marketing from Penn State University.
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Indigenous Lands Program Director
Born and raised in New Mexico, James comes with direct experience working with Tribes and understanding the traditional knowledge as it pertains to their unique values. After working with the government sector, James realized his heart belongs to the nonprofit world.
As TWP’s Indigenous Lands Program Director, James provides much needed insight and experience on working with Tribal governments that uphold traditional ethics of governance and leadership. His deep rooted experiences and cultural values strengthens our program by building trust with Tribes, promoting traditional landscape conservation values and over-seeing the development of community-based projects.
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Indigenous Lands Program Outreach Coordinator
Philip was born and raised in Fort Collins CO, with family here since the early 1900’s and holds Indigenous family ties from Montana, New Mexico and northern Mexico. In addition to serving for the United States Marines, he worked as an ECO week instructor at the Colorado State University mountain campus and participated in Indigenous cultural ways such as singing and Native American flute. He graduated from Colorado State University with a Bachelor of Sciences degree in Human Dimensions of Natural Resources. With over 22 years of experience working with Native Nations and Indigenous communities both on and off reservations, from youth programs to community projects he dedicates his work to helping educate communities and supporting Buffalo programs. Phillip is a father of three and an active member of the local VFW his work with youth and Indigenous communities will continue with Trees, Water and People.
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Indigenous Lands Project Manager
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Indigenous Lands Program Content Creator
Based in the Santa Fe, New Mexico, Treston Chee (He/Him) can be found taking photos, conducting interviews with partners and collaborating expressing a variety of story-telling projects in the southwest. He is Diné from the Navajo Nation, which has influenced his practices in photography, film-making and design. While creating and collaborating he embodies guidance, resiliency and collaboration to share stories that speak of connections, empathy, inspiration, hardship, and generosity on Indigenous lands. Chee has received a Bachelor of Fine Arts emphasizing in Photography and Media from the Institute of American Indian Arts.
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Mesoamerica Program Director
Born in Colombia, Daniela is a bilingual social scientist with 10 years of experience working in sustainable development across the Americas, specializing in community-based conservation. She began her career with a B.S. degree in Environmental Studies from Florida International University, where she developed her interest in community conservation. After graduating she served as a Conservation Specialist with the Peace Corps in Paraguay. This led her to graduate school where she received an M.S. in Conservation Leadership from Colorado State University, where she did field research with marine conservation non-profit in Belize. Currently Director of TWP's Central American Program, previous coordinator of the Central America Program, and Manager of TWP Tours - the ecotourism arm of the TWP.
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Mesoamerica Program Co-Manager
Based in Guatemala City, Marlen is a passionate Ecotouristologist, committed with sustainability. Almost all of her professional career has been dedicated to promoting the understanding and application of sustainable practices and resource management. She has worked for public institutions and with the private sector, but found her true love working with grassroots organizations. She is enthusiastic and highly committed to the work that TWP does in Central America, a region that is very close to her heart. Marlen is a mother of two beautiful girls, a nature and beach lover, who really enjoys good music, healthy food, traveling with her family and meaningful conversations.
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Mesoamerica Program Co-Manager
Born in Honduras, Marvin has an academic background in Biology and Project Management. His experience reflects collaboration and passion for the implementation of initiatives driven through local and international cooperation to promote a better quality of life for families in rural and peri-urban communities in the Central American region. His areas of interest are conservation and preservation of natural resources, renewable energy, community leadership and inclusive and sustainable human development.
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Finance Director
Director of Finance and Administration since 2007, Diane brings her years of accounting experience to maintain TWP's financial health, as well as managing our human resources. When she isn't crunching numbers, you can find her working with local animal welfare organizations, playing the piano, or cruising around town on her bike.
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Annual Giving Manager
Mandalee joined the TWP team in 2022. Throughout her career, she has supported various organizations with missions based in improving the health and well-being of under-resourced populations. She has a B.A. in U.S. History with a minor in Sociology from Fort Lewis College.
Mandalee had an adventurous childhood growing up on a farm near the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park in western Colorado. She has spent the past (almost) three decades raising two very artistic children to be hard working and hard playing. She enjoys collecting rocks and minerals.
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Grants Manager
Helen joined TWP in 2022 as Grants Manager. She has a M.A. in English from CSU and has served in the nonprofit sector for 15+ years. She is honored to work on funding solutions for some of the world’s most vibrant and vulnerable Indigenous communities and their natural resources. Helen lives in Loveland, Colorado, with her husband, son, mother, and Charlie (the Wonder Dog).
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Indigenous Lands Program Resource Coordinator
Zoe joined the TWP team in 2023. She received her B.A. from Colorado State University in Political Science and Environmental Policy. Zoe currently works to support the Indigenous Land Program’s development and administrative capacity. She is committed to building sustainable funding and programmatic resources that champion Tribal sovereignty and Tribal-led stewardship initiatives across the U.S. West and Southwest. In her free time, she is learning the banjo. Please contact her if you play the banjo and can help.
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Program Communications Coordinator
Having worked over the past decade with rural and Indigenous communities throughout Latin America and Asia, Hope is committed to centering community voices, leadership, and values. She holds an MA in Anthropology/International Development from Colorado State University and a BA in Natural Resource Conservation from the University of Montana. As a qualitative researcher with a background in community development, Hope, at the root, is a storyteller – she is honored to help share the stories of the incredible communities TWP serves.
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Development and Outreach Manager
Born and raised in Costa Rica, TWP’s resident “tica” is passionate about contributing to the Central American region through the advancement of environmental and economic development programs that benefit vulnerable communities. She has collaborated with an amazing Marketing and Comms team at TWP for over 3 years, helping bring inspiring stories of resilience to the forefront. Hellen holds an MBA from Colorado State University and a B.S in Communications from the University of Costa Rica.
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Video and Content Producer
José (he/they) is originally from Mexico City but was raised in Denver, and he is closely connected to local and international stories of climate resilience, migration, and social justice. José holds a B.A. in Film Studies from Seattle University, and has worn many hats at TWP including photography, marketing, fundraising, IT, and journalism – all of which contribute to his fun and dynamic role at the organization.
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Marketing Director
At this point Ray is as close to a Fort Collins native as you can be without actually being a Fort Collins native. For the past 25 years he has lived here with his favorite person Sarah and together raised three other great humans. Between lots of outdoor activities over the last 25 years he has managed to work for some great organizations, met some incredible people and had the honor of telling their stories to the world through design and photography.
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Canine Pawject Director
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Barketing Manager
Our Board
Jake Tornatzky, President
Company Owner, DriEV
Tim Kasten, Vice President
Director, Policy and Programme Division (retired)
United Nations Environment Programme
Raul Tuazon, Treasurer
Founder and Principal at Sustain Harmonics
Paul Zilis, Secretary
Board Member and Indigenous Lands Program Committee Chair
Jenny Bramhall
Cofounder of Trees, Water & People and Owner of Clothes Pony
Cynthia Brown
Colorado State University (CSU) Professor of Agricultural Biology
Tony Cheng
Professor, Forest & Rangeland Stewardship, CSU
Mary Merritt
Owner/CEO NerdyMind
Leslie Taylor
President, Emerita CSU
Marilyn Thayer
Director (retired) TRIO Academic Advancement Center, CSU
Paul Thayer
Special Advisor to the Provost/Emeritus VP for Student Success, CSU
Financials
We strive to high standards of responsibility with every gift we receive, putting your dollars to work conserving critical natural resources.
We value our donors who trust us and the communities we serve. Explore our profiles on these independent, third-party review sites.
Contact us
Many of the community leaders and our partners we work with in El Salvador, Honduras, or Guatemala have had to deal with a civil war in their country. Often forced to migrate to another country, abandoning their homes, families, and livelihoods. But regardless of the odds and incredible bravery, people come back to their communities and decide to make a positive change.