Meet the Maricopa County Master Naturalist Chapter Members

Jess White is a wildlife biologist working with the military  to protect the endangered Sonoran Pronghorn. She has a passion for the  natural world and enjoys using her enthusiasm to bring ecological  understanding and appreciation to others. As a transplant from Delaware  in 2017, she is constantly learning more about the Arizona landscape and  especially enjoys learning about native plants and pollinators. (Jess serves on the MCPMN Communications Committee) 

Jodie Snyder is a native Arizonan, Jodie Snyder has spent most of her life writing about the state’s triumphs and challenges. A former reporter with The Arizona  Republic, she now works for Banner Health. She has two energetic  beagles and has written “Happy Dog Phoenix,’’ which benefited Phoenix  area animal rescues. She enjoys hiking and hopes to finish the Maricopa Trail one of these days. As a master naturalist, she helped create the county’s natural resource plan, harvested and grew native seeds and kept  track of the beetle population in Phoenix. 

Emily Williams moved to Arizona in 2017 from  Indiana.  She lives in Tempe with her husband, three sons, and her very  loud dog.  Emily loves spring ephemeral wildflowers. aquatic ecology,  and geology.  She has an MS in Environmental Science and works at ASU as  a Laboratory Coordinator.Emily currently volunteers with the Beetle  Brigade and No More Deaths Phoenix. (Emily serves on the MCPMN Communications Committee and Curriculum Committee) 

Rachel Hewitt is an Army Logistics Officer, Biologist, and Biomimicry Professional Rachel is a certified Master Naturalist who obtained her certification in 2020. She graduated from Arizona State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Conservation Biology and Ecological Sustainability and a Master of Science degree in Biomimicry. She serves in the military as a logistics officer with the Arizona Army National Guard with a current total of twenty-three years of service. Rachel brings her passion for natural sciences and community stewardship to both professional and volunteer career paths with an emphasis on exploring and researching biomimetic approaches to solving everyday challenges. Her science interests include entomology, biochemistry, astrobiology, and biophysics. Rachel aspires to

be a thought-leader and change-agent through the lens of biomimicry. In her free time, Rachel loves to research and learn more about nature, hike, and especially enjoys exploring the gifts of nature with her family.

Kevin was transplanted to the Sonoran desert at age 11 from the suburbs of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Forty-some years of living here has taught him a profound appreciation and respect for the toughnessand resilience of desert life. His passion is connecting people and nature, protecting all things wild, and being a curious human. When he’s not working as an Educator at the Phoenix Zoo, you might find him volunteering with Liberty Wildlife, Friends of the Tonto National Forest, or the Maricopa County Parks and Rec Department. He received a B.A. in English from ASU, a M.Ed. in Secondary Education from

Grand Canyon University, and is certified as an Interpretive Guide through NAI. His home is in Peoria, where he lives with his wife, two daughters, two dogs (both female), and a guinea pig (you guessed it – female!) named Chocolate. He encourages everyone to become a curious human, and to get started today wherever you are, even if it’s just your own backyard. In fact, if you’re curious to see an assortment of plants and critters he has found in his own backyard, check out iNaturalist. Look for the house in Peoria covered in green, red and a few blue dots.

 John Jung retired in June 2018 from teaching Environmental Science at Mesa High School. His 36 years as a successful Arizona secondary school science and math teacher were recognized numerous times with the 2017 North American Association of Environmental Education K-12 Educator of the Year Award, 2014 Scadden Teacher of the Year, 2011 NAAEE Columbia Scholarship, 2004 AAEE Educator Award, and others. He's been highlighted in the Arizona Republic, the East Valley Tribune, and ABC15 News. John initiated and led the development of a 1-acre Sonoran desert garden on Mesa High's campus. Established in 2015, the Garden of the B's has been awarded $33,000 in grants and donations, and received multiple recognitions including the Phoenix Sun's "Green Team Award" and Arizona Diamondbacks' School Challenge.     John joined Maricopa Master Naturalists Cohort 4 in January 2022 in order to connect with volunteering and educational opportunities in natural history. His retirement years have already been filled by volunteering (at the Garden, Tempe Community Action Agency, and his son's fix-er-upper duplex), traveling with his wife (Wendy) of 38 years, birding during their travels (see photo of least tern in Pensacola FL dropping a bio-bomb), golfing, cooking for friends and family, and yoga. 

Leah Fietsam is an elementary school teacher and lifelong learner. She has been traveling to Arizona since 2000 and became an Arizona Master Naturalist after moving to Scottsdale permanently in 2021. Her interests are environmental education, interpretive trail guiding, and place-based education. She is also interested in the social emotional benefits of time spent outdoors for both children and adults. Becoming an AZMN has been a great way to meet new people, learn about her new home, and become an active steward of the Sonoran Desert. Two of the most surprising aspects of becoming an AZMN have been learning the great variety of ways to volunteer, and learning from the other cohort members’ varied interests. Leah’s other interests include yoga (she is a 200 hour RYT), trail running, and nature journaling.

As a recent transplant from the Pacific Northwest, I’ve always been awed by the wonders of the natural world and I have learned over time, that if I just slow down and take a closer look, those wonders reveal secrets that have helped me grow and prosper in ways I never could have imagined!So when approached about the Master Naturalist program, I became excited to learn more about the wonders of this “new” Sonoran Desert that I now live in along with the ancient inhabitants who lived here before me.After going through the training, the richness of the science-based information and the quality of instructors blew me away! I mean, I never would have known that we live in a “horse latitude desert” (which exists on the western edge of every large continent near the 30° latitude), that our desert gets it’s summer moisture from the Sea of Cortez, and that we are home to over 500 bird species or 75% of the entire U.S. bird fauna! But besides the education, what has impressed me most is the multitude of volunteer opportunities available to help make a difference in the local area and the incredible like-minded people you meet along the way.

Hello! I am a native of Seattle WA and have lived most of my years in the Pacific Northwest.  I was relocated by my employer to sunny Arizona in 2019 and am fully embracing this colorful desert life. I became interested in the Master Naturalist Program while my husband, Larry, was exploring the possibilities and I decided to apply along with him since we thought it would be an opportunity to learn and grow as individuals and as a couple since we both love the great outdoors. Being in the Cohort 4 group together has turned out to be exactly that!  Our conversations during dinner, or in the car, or on a walk or hike have often centered around all we are learning and discovering about our “new” home state.  It has been super fun to have field labs in places we have never yet been to, and also to learn about the many organizations that are doing amazing work in support of all things nature in this beautiful land.  I look forward to serving our Master Naturalist chapter as a member of the Outreach Committee, and I look forward to future volunteer activities likely related to my love of the Tonto National Forest.  

  My undergraduate degree is in the life sciences and I became an active volunteer for the city parks department in another state. When moving to Arizona, I desired to continue to give back and learn more about Arizona. Becoming a Master Naturalist helped me achieve both of these goals.  I am enjoying discovering the many opportunities with organizations I wasn’t aware of, continuous educational opportunities and meeting new people through both.