Ellen Gartside is the Volunteer Program Lead (VLP) for the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, which has protected over 62,000 acres of land in the San Francisco Bay area. As VPL she coordinates and facilitates group projects primarily to remove invasive plants and restore native habitat. When not out in the field, Ellen likes to garden and try new recipes for the produce that arrives in her Community Supported Agriculture box. Passionate about environmental stewardship, Ellen has been a Beachwatch volunteer with the Greater Farallones Marine Sanctuary since 1993. Ellen is very excited to now be focusing some of her volunteer energy toward leading and cooking on Sierra Club Service Trips.