NPCA believes that engaging the next generation is critical to ensuring the protection of our national parks, which is why we launched the Next Generation Advisory Council.
The Council brings together a group of individuals to explore effective methods of engaging younger generations in national park advocacy and protection. As a diverse group of leaders and advocates, members of the Next Generation Advisory Council work closely with NPCA to ensure the protection, enhancement, and enjoyment of our natural and historic resources for the benefit of present and future generations.
Alina Bourke
Alina Bourke is a marketing professional and climate legislation advocate dedicated to advancing equity, sustainability, and access to nature. Raised off the grid in upstate New York, she developed a deep-rooted connection to the natural world from an early age.
Barbara Camacho Garcia
Barbara is an ecologist, environmental educator, and Project Lead at the environmental nonprofit, Grassroots Ecology. She is really passionate about bridging plant and people communities alike through habitat restoration and cultivating authentic relationships.
Blake Borwig
Blake Borwig is an Environmental Scientist based in central Kentucky working to improve air quality within the Bluegrass state.
Connor Tupponce
Connor Tupponce serves as an advisor for the Upper Mattaponi Tribe on cultural and natural resources and tribal policy issues at the federal, state, and local levels. He works to protect sacred spaces, defend tribal sovereignty, and build strong coalitions among Tribal Nations in Virginia.
Elyssa Goswick
Elyssa Goswick is a community engagement specialist and climate justice advocate based in Tucson, Arizona.
Jenna Fischer
Jenna Fischer is a nonprofit content strategist based in Salt Lake City, Utah. She is passionate about harnessing the power of storytelling as a tool for social and environmental justice.
Jhulian Gutierrez
Jhulian Gutierrez (he/him) is a Colombian-American community builder, youth advocate, and conservation storyteller from Miami, Florida. As a first-generation professional and lifelong nature lover, Jhulian’s passion for public lands has always been personal, rooted in early memories of exploring South Florida ecosystems and shaped by a deep belief that everyone deserves to feel a sense of belonging in the outdoors.
Kai Tran
Kai Tran (he/him) is an environmental advocate with a focus on the intersection of environmental justice and conservation.
Katie Hobbs
Katie Hobbs is a Director of Federal Affairs at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). She works to defend environmental safeguards for wildlife, water, and public health, and develops proactive federal strategies to advance conservation, climate adaptation, and sustainability.
Kayuri Bhimani
Kayuri Bhimani is a Senior Investment Associate with Blue Haven Initiative, an organization operating at the intersection of climate action, emerging markets, and impact.
Lisette Perez
Lisette is from Chicago’s South Side with a passion for environmental justice and education. She discovered this passion at the University of Missouri-Columbia, where she studied Natural Resources Science & Management.
Monique Byro
Monique Byro (she/her) is a proud Panamanian-Jamaican naturalist from Miami, Florida, dedicated to making the outdoors more inclusive and accessible. A first-generation advocate and graduate of the University of Florida, she blends her love for nature with a deep commitment to community engagement, volunteerism, and equity in public lands.
Sharon Musa
Sharon Musa is a self-described social ecologist, deeply interested in the complex relationships between people, communities and their environments. Originally from Los Angeles County, Sharon grew up in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains but never knew their importance or how one could engage with this iconic mountain range.
Valentina London
Valentina is a science communicator, proud Latina in STEM, and an Assistant Habitat Biologist at the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife. She is passionate about protecting wildlife, their habitats, and has always been drawn to their world.
Victoria Villaseñor
Victoria Villaseñor is a public historian dedicated to storytelling, social justice, historic preservation, and sustainability.
Windy Daniels
Windy Daniels is an Indigenous education advocate, environmental communicator, and mother of two. She currently serves as the Education and Marketing Coordinator for the Hooheh Cultural Burn & Reforestation Program and is pursuing a degree in Wildlife Conservation at Oregon State University.
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Blog Post
Postcards from Roadless Areas
What do designated roadless areas look like and what do they mean to national parks? NPCA colleagues share their experiences from walks through three roadless woods.
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Blog Post
8 Park Sites That Tell the Gullah Geechee Story
Among the Sea Islands of the Southeast, aspects of African culture live on through food, spiritual traditions, the arts, community — and even a language spoken nowhere else in the…
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Blog Post
Fat Bears at a Crossroads
As Fat Bear Week 2026 begins, a proposed mining project in Alaska threatens the future of brown bears.
