The magic of Coastal Camp begins with our staff. Coastal Camp staff consists of six administrative members and 33 environmental science educators and counselors. We maintain a 1:10 camper to adult ratio at all times.
Our educators are highly qualified and passionate about connecting young people to the natural world. During the school year, they are outdoor educators, classroom teachers, research scientists, docents and much more. Our educators are expert teachers and ground their teaching in the three interweaving strands of our programs: Science; Social and Emotional Learning; and Equity, Inclusion and Diversity. Every educator is also trained in Wilderness First Aid and CPR.
Our seasonal counselors bring vibrant energy and previous experience working at camps or other informal education programs. Each counselor works toward their goals to strengthen their teaching or outdoor skills so that as the summer progresses they are empowered to take the lead! Every counselor is trained in basic first aid and holds CPR and AED certifications.
Meet Our 2025 Admin Team:
Darcy Johnson, Coastal Camp Director, grew up in southern California and spent her childhood camping and hiking all around the west coast with her family. After working at a residential summer camp in New York during college, she decided to turn camp into a career by earning her B.S. in Recreation, Parks, and Tourism Administration from San Francisco State University. After completing her degree, she travelled around the US working for different camps and environmental science programs as an educator. Most recently, Darcy worked at a small nonprofit in the Atlanta area where she managed all things programming including Summer Camp, children and adult programs, and festivals, as well as marketing and communications. She is excited to be back in the Bay Area to direct Coastal Camp at NatureBridge! In her free time, she enjoys long scenic walks, playing games, and reading near bodies of water.
Jennifer Baca, Education Manager, grew up on the coastside here in the Bay Area, exploring the beaches and nearby redwood forests. For graduate school, she majored in Curriculum and Instruction and for her undergraduate studies she majored in Geography with emphasis in Environmental Studies at San Francisco State University. She has been working in the field of environmental education for nearly a decade, while also teaching in the classroom for a couple years during the pandemic. In her free time, she enjoys traveling overseas, gardening, going for hikes, spending time in nature exploring and learning, drinking iced coffee, and cuddling with her cat.
Tanya Vincent, Operations Manager, was raised in Sacramento, California and grew up in a big family with an even bigger love for enjoying the outdoors. She is dedicated to nurturing her connection to nature, and for the past six years, helping others find their own connection to the outdoors has been her passion! She received her Bachelor's of Arts degree in Environmental Studies from the University of California in Santa Barbara and has enjoyed various ecological and environmental education jobs since, especially her years spent educating at NatureBridge in Yosemite! For the past three years, she has been living and working in Valencia, Spain as a teacher of English as a foreign language. Now, she is thrilled to return to NatureBridge as the Operations Manager at the Golden Gate Campus. Outside of work, you will find Tanya drinking coffee, writing, doing yoga, teaching herself guitar, and chasing sunsets!
2025 Staff Coming Soon!
Interested in joining our 2025 Coastal Camp team? Learn more about open positions!