SYRCL Welcomes Emily Wilson, our new Community Engagement Manager

Meet Emily Wilson, SYRCL’s new Community Engagement Manager. In this role, Emily is responsible for SYRCL’s community engagement, volunteerism, outreach, and information exchange. She is the primary point-person for volunteer recruitment, retention, recognition, and management for SYRCL programs and events that rely on volunteer participation. 

Emily grew up wandering the trails and stairways of Mt. Tamalpais and has since practiced her particular brand of slow, aimless hiking throughout the U.S. and beyond.  She’s currently working on growing a lush English garden using only mean, scrappy plants. When she’s not at work you can find her chatting with her hilarious sisters, swimming in the river, or embarrassing her dog with made up songs. 

Since 2010, after years of directing dance and theater productions, Emily has applied the same advanced cat-herding skills to volunteer coordination and program management for non-profits.

We thought we would ask her a few questions to help you get to know her better: 

What’s the best part about working with volunteers?   

When people volunteer, they’re working for something they really care about.  Many of them have waited years for the freedom to start volunteering regularly and they’re thrilled to have finally arrived. Some volunteers have been doing it for decades and their sense of purpose inspires everyone. I love being in that energy because it’s humanity at its happiest and most hopeful.  We could all use a shot of that these days. 

What do you look forward to the most as SYRCL’s new Community Engagement Manager? 

I’ve been in love with the Yuba for about thirty years now. I swim in it daily, photograph it until my phone can hardly function, and I describe it in detail to anyone who’ll listen. Now that I work at SYRCL, I’m surrounded by this brilliant crew of people who know it far better than I do. Both the employees and the volunteers have a deep understanding of the history and ecology here and, every time I talk with one of them, I get to see my favorite place even more clearly. 

How can individuals interested in volunteering for SYRCL get involved? 

We have opportunities for every interest and ability almost year-round. Volunteers can do habitat restoration, help out with our Wild & Scenic Film Festival in February, decorate for our gala fundraiser, Wild for the Yuba, in June, or work on admin projects in our office.

Right now, our big project is the Yuba River Cleanup. On September 28^th, hundreds of volunteers are gathering to get a summer’s worth of trash picked up from all over the watershed, ensuring that our creeks and rivers stay safe for wildlife and humans. It’s only a three- hour commitment and it makes an enormous difference to the health of the river.

Anyone who wants to know more about the Cleanup or other volunteer opportunities at SYRCL can email me at emily@yubariver.org or call me at 265-5961 extension 201 and we’ll chat.

I look forward to hearing everyone’s river stories.