Angie Fernandez-Board Member
Angie Fernandez is an environmental awareness educator and consultant working with youth, individuals, nonprofits and businesses to create awarenesses and systems to help reduce time, money, human energy and planetary impact for a sustainable future. She offers workshops, consults one on one and is available for summer camps and school programs. Angie resides seasonally in Taos New Mexico and Costa Rica where she continues to educate herself in permaculture, community building, natural building and food sovereignty.
Sarah Bird-Board Member
Nausicaa Bird has a BA in Liberal Arts and five years of experience working with nonprofit organizations that promote wellness and consciousness in the Taos, New Mexico community.
They are passionate about social issues involving race, class and gender, as well as environmental sustainability, the two of which they feel are deeply entwined.
They hold support groups for women/femme identified people and they are the creator of the Femme Dome, a retreat space for women/femme folks. They produce a yearly DIY film festival that donates its profits to local organizations doing good work in the community. They live in Taos, NM with their goats, chickens, dog, cat and husband.
Alice Zorthian-Board Member
Alice Zorthian has a B.A. in Theatre and an M.S. in Elementary Education. She is a teacher of children with learning disabilities at Anansi Charter School. She is a yoga instructor as well. She enjoys gardening, hiking, and experimental sculpture. She lived off grid for many years in Tres Orejas, NM and is a strong proponent of sustainable living. A lover of all natural resources, she continues to fight for the balance between humans and their natural resource needs. She is a mother to a daughter, dog, and cat.
Chaitanya Massera-Board Member
Chaitanya Massera was born in Taos N.M. and raised by his mother, herbalist Lucy McCall, who taught him the craft. He now practices wild harvesting, knows the medicinal properties of plants and grows herbs and food on his mother’s orchard and farm utilizing techniques such as soil remediation and microbiology.
He Is the producer and founder of the Tribal Vision Festival, (2006-current) which seeks to unite the local spiritual and First Nation communities in New Mexico.
Chaitanya, (aka CheChe the Clown) has been doing circus/theater for over 20 years, performing in groups such as Lunar Fire, Electric Blue Monkey Theater, Jedi Journies, Taos Children's Theater as well as personal performances as DJ CheChe.
He currently runs Out of the Blue clown school out of Taos, NM and is building a cob house on the Taos Mesa with his love so he can be closer to his elderly father.
Niels de Jong-Program Director
Niels de Jong was born and raised in southern California to a family of Dutch immigrants with the dichotomy of artists and entrepreneurs. Having to work many different jobs from a young age, Niels learned many different skills before he ventured off on his own around the Americas, spending most of his time in Brazil where he learned Portuguese and on natural building construction sites where he became familiar with many different techniques and community living situations before finally landing in New Mexico where he became a part of E.A.R.T.H.