Our
Founding
It All Started in 2017...
The year 2025 marks eight years since our founding. Back then, we only had the crazy idea that people were craving a place that connected them to nature and focused on positive environmental changes happening today. How were we going to foster hope in a society that is constantly being inundated with negative news surrounding the damage humans do to the planet every day? We had no idea other than wanting to attempt to provide opportunities and space to gather, celebrating our place in our native ecosystems and empowering each other to make positive local sustainable change. So we started offering online activities and learning that could be done from anywhere, hoping to one day create a physical place where eco-knowledge could spread and reside.
Our Board of Directors
Brittany Newton
President
Executive Director
Before attending Moorpark College’s Exotic Animal Training and Management Program, she was active in the Santa Cruz Junior Fair Board and California 4-H Program as a state ambassador and then adult leader. After graduation, she has worked at America’s Teaching Zoo at Moorpark College promoting wildlife education and environmental conservation. After studying Animal Behavior and Welfare at the University of Chester in England, she discovered a disconnect between people and the natural world around them. Creating an educational facility that integrates conservation
into everyday human culture is now her mission. She is currently a Professional Expert at America’s Teaching Zoo at Moorpark College.
Kris Romero
Secretary
Director
Starting her career in animal care in 1988, Kris graduated with a degree in Exotic Animal Training and Management from Moorpark College in Southern California. After serving as the educational animal show supervisor at Six Flags Magic Mountain she moved onto the Santa Barbara Zoo as the Education Curator. While serving as the curator she took on a teaching position at Moorpark College Exotic Animal Program. She has been teaching at the animal program since 1995. She is thrilled to become part of the Nature Lodge and help to create another generation of wildlife conservation enthusiasts.
Madison Oliphant
Treasurer
Director
After achieving her BS in Environmental Studies from UCSB she dedicated 8 years of experience to bookkeeping, with an emphasis for organizing. After becoming the Director of Operations for Hanuman Gardens, a personal estate with a mission to feed people, in Ojai, California. She helped run a small permaculture farm where produce was distributed to local food banks to use in our community events that are donation based. In addition she manages an Airbnb onsite and coordinate events we hold including, volunteer farming parties, weddings, kirtan/concerts, & yoga retreats.
Sagar Desai
Director
Prior to founding a social media and e-commerce company, Sagar worked in the tech industry in project management and product management roles. Before jumping to the tech industry, Sagar served as a Parks & Rec Commissioner in the City of Duarte where he led efforts to establish the city's Youth and Family Master Plan. During this time, Sagar managed local campaigns for city council and local school board, and established a program to help high school students in underserved communities pursue a college education. He has experience in establishing and working with non-profits, working with local governments, and driving the use of technology to better serve communities. Sagar studied Aerospace Engineering at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
Dr. Steven Worker
Director
Works for the UC Division of Agriculture and National Resources as a 4-H Youth Development Advisor serving Marin, Sonoma, and Napa. Worker provides leadership, support, and oversight to 4-H Youth Development clubs, camps, and programs in Marin, Sonoma, and Napa counties. Worker's academic responsibilities include developing, implementing, and evaluating educational programs and conducting applied research around i) engaging youth in reaching their fullest potential through positive youth development approaches; ii) improving youth scientific and environmental literacy.
Carla Bohnett
Director
Carla Bohnett, a fifth-generation California native, has deep roots in the history and parks in Northern California. As a child, she spent most summers camping in the local redwoods with her Great Grandmother learning about the plants and animals of the Santa Cruz mountains. Carla has taken the love of nature from her Grandmother and shared it with her two children. As the Women's Networking Alliance co-owner, she has served on many boards and been active in local organizations supporting public education and the art community. Carla is excited about her role with The Nature Lodge and bringing the love of nature to many more in the community.
Humble Beginnings.. One Step at a Time
Baby Steps...
In 2023, The Nature Lodge took over the management of Camp Loma in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Here, we hope to expand opportunities for people of all ages to be part of nature and learn about the small ways they can make a difference every day. This 100-year-old camp facility's history lends to its magistry and offers campers a scenic place to reset and restore.
Our Vision of the Future
A picture is worth a thousand words, and we have four! Giving life to our vision is so important to convey our goals to our community members. Take a look at our imagined immersive ecological campus, dedicated to the environment and to enriching our community's well-being. The Nature Lodge has partnered with Alex Collins, lead architect and founder of Blue Forty LLC, Multidisiplinary Architecture Studio, in Bend, Oregon, to bring you the gorgeous renderings you see before you. We have just started to scratch the surface and look forward to creating a more detailed and expansive version of what you see today at a future permanent site.
If the location these renderings were applied to looks familiar, that's because it's the old Cemex Plant In Davenport, CA.
We aim to offer easy-to-use camping and 'glamping' experiences to visitors so they can stay as immersed as possible in our eco-campus environment.
These renderings were generated with the concept of reuse and repurposeing at the forefront of our vision. The old Cemex plants' existing structures are integrated into the campus' esthetic.
Axting as a gathering place in nature, we want to encourage the arts and creativity. By building a sustainable music and learning center, we hope to add another connection opportunity for our visits to enjoy.
