Clair Byrd

Managing Director & Founder

Clair is Forest Farm's founder and Managing Director. Clair's driving vision for her life is to "do good with food" and believes food equity and free, open access to fresh foods is a basic human right. Clair seeks to transform people's relationship with fresh foods and tackle the widespread issue of food insecurity through direct aid and Forest Farm's bounty—plants are powerful—as well as community empowerment, education, and outreach. Clair believes deeply in the power of community to implement local solutions that actually work to solve local problems, for example, Forest Farm's focus on responsible land use and learning from the land management teachings of our indigineous neighbors. Clair comes to Forest Farm after a 15+ year career raising money for and working with high-growth startups and nonprofits, before which she was a chef and restaurant general manager.

Olivia Cruz Mayeda

Head of Staff

Olivia grew up on Ohlone land in the Oakland hills. For Olivia, home is deeply tied to the mossy redwoods and urchin-clustered tide pools of Northern California, as well as the aroma of Bay leaves and adobo stewing in her Lola's kitchen in Pinole. Olivia leans on her background in journalism, activism, and study of comparative colonial history to work towards meaningful change that benefits people of color. In her work for Forest Farm, this means redefining hers and others' relationships to the natural world and our food systems. Outside of work, Olivia can be found making her favorite Filipino dessert, suman, playing soccer, hiking, and silkscreen printing.

Millie Calzada

Ecologist

As a Bay Area Ecologist living on Occupied Huichin Ohlone Land, Millie is dedicated to deepening their understanding and engagement with the natural world through a multifaceted lens that balances the many stories of the plants, animals and people of the Bay Area. Their passion for connecting people to place through engagement with the outdoors drew them to the Forest Farm where they bring a wealth of experience in everything from native habitat restoration to urban organic farming. When not at work, you can find Millie spending time with family and friends, on a backpacking adventure or enjoying a book under a shady tree on a perfect California day.

Tara Parker-Essig

Ecologist

Tara (aka Tea) was born and raised in the East Bay and has a passion for teaching, sustainability, and integrating habitat and regenerative agriculture back into urban and urban/wildlands-interface environments. Their favorite local plant is Cynoglossum grande (also known as Western Hound's Tongue, but more recognizable as a type of forget-me-not) and favorite edible plant is Chlorogalum pomeridianum (the Wavy-leafed Soap Root), but they can't tell you what Soap Root tastes like though, as they've yet to dare roast one.