Alpine Watershed Group
Working to protect, conserve, and restore the watersheds of Alpine County by promoting sustainable community and science-based collaborative solutions
Our Staff
Kimra McAfee, Executive Director
Prior to joining AWG in June 2018, Kimra served as the Executive Director for Oakland's Friends of Sausal Creek since 2009, providing oversight for the organization's restoration, education, and monitoring programs. She managed field staff, oversaw finances, wrote and administered grants, led other fundraising efforts, and provided leadership in community outreach. She holds a B.A. in English from University of California, Berkeley, and a M.A. in Geography and Human Environmental Studies from San Francisco State University, where her thesis was a post-audit of New Melones Dam on the Stanislaus River. Kimra treasures every moment she has with her two daughters and husband, and she enjoys hiking, birding, baking bread, tap dancing, and playing mandolin and banjo.
For general inquiries about Alpine Watershed Group, please contact Kimra here.
Rachel Kieffer, Headwaters Coordinator
Rachel joined Alpine Watershed Group in November 2021 after working a seasonal position on the Land Management crew with Tahoe Resource Conservation District and after having completed four AmeriCorps terms spanning the western United States. Originally from the San Fernando Valley in Southern California, Rachel attended Goucher College in Maryland, earning a B.A. in Environmental Studies with an emphasis in Environmental Science and a minor in Biology. For her AmeriCorps service, she did trail work with the Nevada Conservation Corps, Recreational Outreach with the Bureau of Land Management in Arizona, salmonid habitat protection in the Santa Monica Mountains, and helped lead a restoration crew in Reno at the Rosewood Nature Study Area. Rachel’s experience with promoting watershed health includes using GIS to aid in restoration and outreach efforts. When not working, Rachel can be found on the trails, visiting another National Park, reading, or picking up a new hobby.
For more information about our restoration and monitoring programs, please contact Rachel here.
Neil Mortimer
Forest Health Coordinator
Neil is a lifelong resident of Alpine County and is an enrolled member of the Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California. Neil is a graduate of Lake Tahoe Community College (A.A. in Fire Science) and Western Nevada College (B.A.S. in Organization and Project Management). Presently, Neil is pursuing a Masters of Tribal Resource and Environmental Stewardship degree and post-baccalaureate certificate in Tribal Natural Resource Stewardship, Economics, and Law at the University of Minnesota, Duluth. Dedicated to public service, Neil is a long-time member of the Eastern Alpine Fire Department, serving as a volunteer fire captain on Engine 95 located at Station 95 on the Hung-A-Lel-Ti Reservation. Neil has also served as Vice Chairman of the Woodfords Community Council, and as a Hunting and Fishing Commissioner of the Washoe Tribe, and he currently serves as a Water Commissioner of the Washoe Tribe. Neil previously worked for the Washoe Tribe for 18 years, holding various positions: as an environmental specialist, then as an equipment mechanic, and lastly serving as Washoe Tribal Chairman. He enjoys spending time with his wife and family, as well as enjoying the outdoors, especially in and around Alpine County.
For more information about forest health and resilience, please contact Neil here .
Kaitlyn Garber
Climate Resiliency Fellow
Kaitlyn is serving our watershed community as a Wildfire Restoration and Forest Resiliency Fellow through the California Climate Action Corps program from September 2023 to August 2024. She recently relocated from San Diego where she was the copywriter intern for the San Diego River Park Foundation. Her background is in watershed habitat restoration, volunteer and community engagement, and digital communications. She recently graduated from San Diego State with a B.A. in English and hopes to form a career sharing stories of successful environmental protection. In her free time, Kaitlyn likes kayaking, backpacking, and doing agility with her dog Denna.
Contact Kaitlyn here.
Isabella Kurtz
Climate Resiliency Fellow
Bella is serving our watershed community as a Wildfire Restoration and Forest Resiliency Fellow through the California Climate Action Corps AmeriCorps program from September 2023 to August 2024. After graduating from University of California, Irvine with a B.S. in Pharmaceutical Sciences, she has decided to embark on a new journey. She has experience with agriculture and aquatic science as she grew up on her family's fish hatchery in Pennsylvania, and was a board member for her school's Future Farmers of America (FFA) chapter. During her free time, Bella enjoys hiking, finding and identifying wildflowers, reading, and crafting.
Contact Bella here.
Stacey Huber, Bookkeeper
Stacey moved to the Lake Tahoe area with her husband and daughter in 2011 and has enjoyed all the Sierras have to offer ever since. Stacey completed her Certified Bookkeeper certification through Lake Tahoe Community College and has been helping small businesses and nonprofits all over Lake Tahoe and Nevada with their bookkeeping needs since 2018. Stacey and her family are avid campers, and almost every summer weekend is usually spent exploring new little towns in the Sierras.
For more information, please contact Stacey here.
