A Chico State University graduate, Berta is a passionate advocate for wildlife conservation and education, with over 10 years of experience in wildlife rehabilitation, working in natural reserves, and teaching.

With a knack for teaching, she enjoys inspiring young minds through creative and interactive methods, believing that college-level science concepts can be grasped at a young age. Her ultimate goal is to instill a sense of wonder and appreciation for the world's diverse wildlife in future generations, fostering exploration, learning, and conservation efforts.

As many of you already know, Berta welcomed the arrival of her own young scientist in Fall ‘23 and is excited to teach her all about the Biology with Berta goal: Explore, Learn, Conserve.

Meet Angelo, your go-to math tutor who’s as good with numbers as he is with a BBQ grill! He’s a proud veteran, former high school math teacher, and avid dachshund lover. Angelo now serves on the Monterey County school board, keeping education as sharp as his grilling skills—and yes, this wise guy was also Time Magazine’s Person of the Year in 2006. When he's not helping students ace their math exams, he's busy being a super dad to his three kids or serving up some mean BBQ. So, when election time rolls around, remember: vote for Angelo—you know he’s got the numbers to back it up!

Zach began with Biology with Berta as a student and continues to take classes today. Now, he’s bringing his enthusiasm for learning to our elementary STEAM lessons, supporting students as they explore science, technology, engineering, art, and math.

Ronja Steinbach is a graduate student at Moss Landing Marine Labs, where she studies microbes in Elkhorn Slough and their potential role in removing excess heavy metals following the Vistra fire. She is passionate about helping students explore the natural world through hands-on, practical learning. Ronja has experience in education and outreach with organizations such as the National Park Service in Guam and the Kachemak Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve in Alaska. She especially enjoys sharing her love for marine science—one of her favorite topics is photosynthesis and plankton. Fun fact: In her free time, Ronja enjoys scuba diving and running!