Chapter bids farewell to staffer Jennifer Robinson

Jennifer Hodgen Robinson has left the Angeles Chapter after eight years as a conservation staff member.

Robinson, who most recently was co-acting director of the Chapter with George Watland, left June 11 to relocate to the East Coast.

When she served as conservation programs coordinator, she led grassroots campaigns, developed strategic plans and trained volunteers. One success led to the preservation of 240,000 acres at Tejon Ranch in California.Robinson and activists successfully negotiated the preservation of 95% of the property in perpetuity and succeeded in persuading the ranch to establish a conservancy to further the conservation goals. She also spearheaded the Chapter’s effort to recruit volunteers, provide public outreach, and build coalitions with local stakeholders and renowned organizations including Audubon California and NRDC.

Prior to joining the Sierra Club, Robinson was the first wildlife management specialist at Pasadena Humane Society, She earned wildlife rehabilitation permits for the facility and forged relationships with federal, state, and local agencies. She also developed educational programs and represented the agency in the media.

Her experience with environmental issues began at Middlebury College in Vermont, where she worked as the environmental coordinator and with the Department of Music to implement Recycled Earth Tunes, a college course designed to teach sustainability and music appreciation. Students constructed instruments from recyclable materials and perform concerts at Vermont elementary schools to teach about conservation.

At SPCA-Los Angeles, she developed and implemented innovative classroom presentations for the Los Angeles Unified School District and the Teaching Love and Compassion program, which paired shelter dogs with at-risk students to teach anger management and conflict resolution skills. She also developed Animal Safety Net, the first of its kind urban domestic-violence program aimed at protecting pets so victims of domestic violence could seek safety.