Belinda Paterno joined the Pierce
Conservation District in late May
of 2016. As our new Water Quality
Technician, she manages the volunteer
water quality monitoring program and
coordinates streamside restoration
projects. Her favorite part of the job
is working with volunteers to connect
them with their local watershed.
Belinda grew up in Western Washington
and spent weeks during the
summer months traveling to different
national parks with her parents.
Experiencing firsthand the beauty
of nature and wanting to learn more
about the environment led Belinda to
earn a B.A. in Environmental Studies
from the University of Montana
and a M.S. in Environmental Science
from Washington State University.
Belinda is pictured here surveying for amphibian egg
masses at Snake Lake for the Tacoma Nature Center.
During breaks from college Belinda
honed her field skills at the Washington
State University Extension Center in
Puyallup working in farm maintenance,
sustainable agriculture, plant pathology,
and biocontrol for noxious weeds.
Belinda also has a background in
environmental education with experience at the Mercer Slough Environmental
Education Center in Bellevue and at
the Tacoma Nature Center. She worked
with preschoolers through adults
teaching and sharing about the wonders
of nature. In her spare time, she
enjoys hiking, camping, and running
in the beautiful Pacific Northwest.
Get to know Belinda in person at our upcoming
Stewardship Planting event at Murray Creek!