"National Forests are important to me because I grew up with the Deschutes National Forest right in my backyard. I want to make sure others can access the wonders of our public lands too!"
BIO
Emily Woodworth joined the NFF as Pacific Northwest & Alaska Development Coordinator in July of 2023. Prior to joining the NFF, Emily worked in fundraising for an Oregon nonprofit that places advocates in schools to connect families in need with resources and coordinates cross-sector partnerships. She looks forward to using her relationship-building and fundraising skills to benefit key projects in her region.
Emily grew up in Sisters, Oregon, where the Deschutes National Forest was literally in her backyard. After stints near Portland, Oregon and in Los Angeles for school, she is delighted to be back in Sisters. Emily holds a Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing from Pacific University and a Master of Fine Arts in Writing from California Institute of the Arts. In addition to her time in fundraising, she has worked professionally as a writer and filmmaker.
As a proud descendant of the Karuk Tribe, whose ancestral lands are in what is now Northern California, Emily is deeply committed to tribal sovereignty and Indigenous rights. In 2021, Emily received an Oregon Literary Fellowship, which she used to travel in her ancestral lands, writing both fiction and nonfiction pieces about her family and the natural environment where they lived (now the Klamath National Forest), as well as researching Chemawa Indian School near Salem, Oregon, where her great-grandfather was a student.
Bringing a diverse skillset, commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging, and passion for nature, Emily is excited to work on behalf of the NFF in the Pacific Northwest & Alaska.