Shasta Land Trust Staff
Paul Vienneau, Executive Director
Paul Vienneau joined Shasta Land Trust in December 2015. A Shasta County native, Paul returned home with his wife after spending nearly 14 years away. He earned his degree in Politics from the University of California, Santa Cruz in 2005, where he developed a deep appreciation for California’s landscapes. He later pursued his law degree at the University of La Verne, College of Law, graduating with a Juris Doctor in 2013, and went on to complete a Master’s in Public Administration.
Rather than practicing law, Paul focused his graduate work on water conservation, technology, and water rights. During this time, he served as a Water Conservation Intern for the City of Upland and conducted extensive research on water regulation and ownership as a graduate assistant at the University of La Verne.
Outside of work, Paul enjoys exploring Northern California’s landscapes, hiking local trails, and discovering hidden gems throughout the region. He also values spending time with his wife and family, appreciating the opportunity to reconnect with the place he calls home.
Tessa Blevins, Director of Conservation
Tessa Blevins serves as the Shasta Land Trust Director of Conservation and is responsible for overseeing all land protection projects as well as monitoring protected properties, grant writing, and coordinating activities that educate community members about important local conservation work. Prior to joining the Shasta Land Trust in September 2018, Tessa was a Project Manager for the Western Shasta Resource Conservation District, where she implemented grant funded projects such as off-highway recreation area restoration and management, as well as managed aspects of the District’s conservation easement program.
She is a Northern California local who has lived in Shasta County, the central valley, and on the beautiful redwood coast. She holds a B.S. in Ecology with an emphasis in Biodiversity from Humboldt State University and has obtained Geographic Information System (GIS) and botanical knowledge of California’s native flora over the years. She enjoys spending her free time going on outdoor adventures with her husband and children.
Christina Sousa, Conservation Projects Manager
Christina joined Shasta Land Trust in March of 2023 with a strong background in wildlife conservation. Born and raised in Siskiyou County, she then went on to Humboldt State University and obtained her B.S. Degrees in Zoology and in General Biology. Christina has worked among a variety of habitats within California, including wetlands, central valley sites, foothills, mountains, grazed lands, and freshwater and coastal fisheries. She has experience with a vast number of taxa (including threatened and endangered species), along with grant and program management and administration. In 2019, Christina returned to Shasta County because of her passion for this area and to be closer to family.
Outside of work, Christina enjoys camping, fishing, swimming, and gardening/landscaping. At home she is surrounded by loads of reptiles, orchids, her two cats, and she is well-known by many for her homemade baked goods.
Gabriella Boyer, Conservation Projects Manager
Gabriella Boyer serves as Shasta Land Trust's Conservation Projects Manager. After graduating with her bachelor’s in Fish and Wildlife Science from Oregon State University, she spent the first part of her career working in agricultural pest management developing cultural methods to reduce insect infestation in orchards. She then moved to Seattle, WA and entered the public education and lab science fields working for two different non-profits, and also volunteered at the Audobon Society and a wildlife rehabilitation center. She most recently worked locally conducting wildlife monitoring in Shasta County.
Gabriella moved to Shasta County in hopes of more sunshine and new landscapes to enjoy. When not working she now spends her time in the outdoors, cooking, and planning her next adventures.
Natalya Tharaldsen, Operations & Events Manager
Natalya joins the Land Trust with over three years of experience as an administrative assistant. She loves helping people accomplish their goals and desires to make their life much simpler and less stressful. She loves problem-solving and working with challenging projects as a way to motivate her to expand her job skills. She adores animals; especially spending time with her cat Nalah. Natalya loves hiking, snowboarding, swimming and adventuring all over the state with her husband! Her new hobby is horticulture and growing her knowledge in healing the body with natural foods and herbs.
Piper, Ambassador of Happiness
Piper is now on her 9th year at the Shasta Land Trust as our Ambassador of Happiness. As a Goldendoodle, she welcomes lots of love, belly rubs, and the chance to chase her frisbee whenever she finds a willing partner.
She welcomes new visitors and will quickly become your best friend if you let her. During fun times and stressful ones, Piper is here to bring a little joy into your life. In her free time you will find her looking for squirrels, taking naps under the desks, and viewing the property from her favorite chair.