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.
Her previous work with the National Park Service has taken her to places she never imagined—living on a glacier-covered volcano at Mount Rainier National Park for a couple of seasons, supporting volunteer coordination on an archaeological excavation in the Virgin Islands, and coordinating life-changing trips for interns that she supported at Mammoth Cave National Park that pushed comfort zones and built lasting connections. Most recently, she organized the Napa County Watershed Symposium and led a city-wide week of bilingual sustainability workshops, expanding community access to climate action and environmental education.
Monique’s passion is deeply rooted in intersectional environmentalism, climate justice, and equity-centered advocacy. Whether restoring alpine meadows or marching in the Seattle Pride Parade in her Ranger uniform, she believes representation is key to creating belonging in outdoor spaces.
In her off time, she enjoys birding, herbalism, playing instruments, and soaking up all kinds of experiences outside.