Kira Jewett
Executive Director
kira@eagleeyei.org
KIRA JEWETT’S commitment to healing humans' relationship with the natural world began when she discovered Deep Ecology at a retreat. She spent the next several years studying environmental science, first at Yale and then the University of Montana. She also taught middle school and led teen backpacking expeditions during this time.
Kira met Eagle Eye in 1997, as part of a Social Justice internship program. Originally asked to help lead Learn About Forests programs, she was eventually hired full-time for a year to create the Learn About Forests training manuals. Kira has spent over 20 years as a science teacher and public school administrator, helping to open young people's hearts and eyes to the beauty and power of nature as part of their education.
Sydney Strauss
Program Coordinator
Sydney joined the Eagle Eye team as an intern in the summer of 2024. Now as Program Coordinator, she runs all of the after-school EAGLE Clubs and organizes the full day programs. Sydney is passionate about helping young people feel comfortable and connected to themselves, others, and their environment.
When not on program Syd can be found creating art, working out, playing music, and of course exploring the world with friends and family by her side.
Jamal R. Cumberbatch
Development & Engagement Associate
Jamal R. Cumberbatch is a Western Mass local who’s happiest in the woods, basking in the sun on a hot, humid day. An ovo-vegetarian for four years with a love for all things leafy and luminous, Jamal brings a mix of nature-nerd joy, plant-based passion, and a surprising enthusiasm for spreadsheet logistics to the Eagle Eye community.
When not geeking out over sustainable nutrition or meditating in the sun, you’ll probably find Jamal chatting about shamanism or how to turn mindfulness into a daily practice integrated into working communities. He loves recording bright happy moments with candid group selfies! He’s here to help create harmony between people, planet, and the occasional well-organized Google Doc.
Sara Skolnick
Communications & Media Manager
sara@eagleeyei.org
SARA SKOLNICK is first-generation, Ecuadorian-Jewish communications strategist and cultural producer originally from western Massachusetts. Her practice roots into the value that community-led storytelling has the revolutionary power to nurture connection, and to inspire social change.
Sara holds a BA in Political Science from Boston University, a MA in Arts Politics from New York University, and she’s a current student at the University of Texas at Austin earning a PhD in Performance Studies. She’s passionate about researching the intersections of land defense movements, sound studies, and ancestral veneration in honor of the dignity of life.
Jada Andino
Summer Program Intern
Jada is a Latina Western Massachusetts local and English major at Mount Holyoke College, whose love for nature deepened during a Natural History of New England course, when she became fascinated by the story of the American Chestnut and the dramas of the local ecosystems. She brings a strong background in mentorship from her work as a SAMP Ambassador and writing tutor at Holyoke Community College, where she supported students from many identities and helped them build confidence and community.
Jada is passionate about reading, writing, nature trails, researching ancient cultures, and housing and environmental justice. She's also known for her joyful debates about character dynamics and fan theories on Reddit. She's excited to support Eagle Eye's mission and help create meaningful first experiences in nature for youth this summer.
Eleanor McAden,
Summer Program Intern
As a child who grew up internationally, Eleanor chose western Massachusetts for her higher education and hopes to learn more about the region and its communities this summer with Eagle Eye Institute. She is most passionate about the intersection between people and nature, whether that entails looking into history, or into the future to see how that relationship can be mended through community-driven initiatives like EEI.
As a student of forest ecology and history, she loves spending time in the woods, learning as much as she can. When she is not reading about history or plants, she enjoys science fiction.