Raising Awareness About Local Waters Through Learning and Hands-on Activities
Year-round activities are free and open to the public, led by passionate staff and volunteers.
Who We Are
Stream Team is cooperatively sponsored and funded by the storm and surface water utilities of the cities of Lacey, Olympia and Tumwater and Thurston County. Stream Team fills a niche in the South Sound for providing free quality environmental education programs and activities and hands-on action projects.
History
In 1990, the City of Olympia introduced an exciting new way to involve the public in how to take action to protect our local watersheds. The first action project was a stream cleanup on Indian Creek. From this initial effort, Stream Team has grown, evolving into a multi-jurisdictional adventure, involving thousands of volunteers, and evolving and creating itself to meet the needs of the community and the need for new watershed education opportunities.
Stream Team is so much more than an “inter-jurisdictional program”; it is a cadre of amazing volunteers who care passionately about the Earth and its waters, and go out of their way (rain or shine) to make a difference…a really big difference!
Meet the Stream Team Staff
Miriam Villacian
Miriam is an Education and Outreach Specialist with Thurston County. She oversees the Thurston County Pet Waste Program, assists with the Stream Team Newsletter and social media and helps with various administrative tasks. Miriam has her Masters in Sustainable Systems from Presidio Graduate School and has worked for 13 years in urban sustainability and environmental outreach with various audiences.
Cynthia Taylor
Cynthia is an Education and Outreach Specialist for Thurston County’s Community Planning Department. After a circuitous career path, Cynthia earned a master’s in environmental education from WWU, deciding that the best gift she could give the planet was to help people understand and protect the places they reside. She enjoys traveling to sunny destinations, listening, dancing, and singing along to a wide variety of music, exercising her mind and body, and immersing herself in nature, particularly in solitude and in the water. She and her husband are the proud parents of one daughter.
Ali Brown
Ali serves as the Water Resources Specialist for the City of Lacey. Her role focuses on stormwater pollution prevention, water resource management, habitat restoration, and community engagement. Her expertise in stormwater facilities management, riparian restoration, and Pacific salmonid research support her in delivering science-backed messaging to protect salmon and Puget Sound. In her free time, Ali enjoys surfing, fishing, backpacking and hiking with her pup Elijah.
Lara Tukarski
Cameron Coronado
Cameron is the Senior Outreach & Engagement Specialist with City of Olympia. He was born and raised in a town so nice they named it twice, Walla Walla, WA. Cameron has a Bachelor of Science from Western Washington University in Bellingham, WA, and most recently obtained dual master’s degrees in Landscape Architecture and Community and Regional Planning from the University of Oregon. He brings over seven years of professional experience working on salmon recovery efforts, low-impact development, green stormwater infrastructure, environmental education, and racial equity practice in local and regional government. Cameron is committed to serving his community and working with community members to create a healthier and sustainable future. Outside of work, he enjoys being outdoors camping, swimming, kayaking, riding bikes, gardening, and spending time with his growing family, including his wife, seven-month-old son, and two dogs.
&
Susan McCleary
Growing up, Susan spent her summers playing on the beaches at Colvos Passage. She began working at the City of Olympia in 2014. Susan specializes in helping residents and businesses keep pollution out of local waterways and Puget Sound by promoting natural lawn and yard care, pet waste prevention, responsible car care, and business pollution prevention.
Kelsey Crane
Kelsey is a resiliency planner focused on cutting-edge solutions, experienced with applying interdisciplinary perspective and strategic action to address local “wicked problems.” Her education focused on communications, sociology, anthropology, governance, sustainability, and culminated in a Master’s in Urban and Regional Planning and certification in permaculture design. A lifelong learner and adventure seeker, she is always looking for the best food and the highest viewpoint. She is most at peace when hanging with her Labrador pup “Griffey” or wandering in wonder through faraway places.
Grant Gilmore
Grant serves as the Water Resources Specialist for the City of Tumwater. His role focuses on water quality, water resources, stormwater, long-term sustainability and restoring habitat within and around the Deschutes Watershed. Grant is a certified commercial diver, marine scientist, wetland biologist, ecologist and has a passion for all things nature. Grant will be working with Stream Team to bring educational opportunities to the City of Tumwater’s community members, and to further coordinate and enhance programing within Stream Team in partnership with regional coordinators and volunteers from all over the region. Grant has a keen passion for bringing hands-on science opportunities and behavior change campaigns to community members within our region in hopes we all work towards protecting our valuable natural resources.
Genevieve Becker
Genevieve is an Outreach and Engagement Specialist for City of Olympia and joined Stream Team in April 2024. She studied Ecology and Education at The Evergreen State College. Her work includes leading groups of all ages in habitat restoration, stream bug monitoring, amphibian surveys, salmon stewarding, nature sleuthing, and stormwater education. She is originally from Miami, Florida and moved to Olympia the summer of 2001. Genevieve enjoys plant identification, birding, climbing, surfing, hiking with her dog, Jetty and partner Ben, and finding the beauty in the natural world.