Alena joined CMSF in 2023 and serves as a Water Quality Program Associate. She helps conduct trials of soil-biodegradable mulch in place of traditional plastic mulch in strawberry fields,  explores end-of-life solutions for plasticulture, and seeks to reduce land-to-sea marine debris. 

 

Prior to joining CMSF, Alena was a Life Lab Farm Manager and worked as an organic agriculture research assistant at the University of California Santa Cruz. Alena holds a Bachelor of Art degree in Environmental Studies and Agroecology from UCSC, where she focused on sustainable organic agriculture/food systems and soil-borne diseases in strawberry production.