FOUNDER/PRESIDENT

Jenna Duarte is the Founder and President of Intertwined Conservation as well as an Animal Care professional. Born and raised in Ventura County, Jenna began her career volunteering at the local Zoo while earning her BA in Sociology and minor in Education and Applied Psychology at the University of California Santa Barbara. She quickly climbed the ranks but felt a longing itch to do more for wildlife preservation. Jenna made a vow to become a trailblazer in the world of conservation, traveling the globe to ensure the safety and survival of many of earth’s endangered species. From the California condor and channel island fox to the Humboldt penguin and great green and scarlet macaw of Central America, Jenna has made it her passion to help give a voice to the voiceless. As the administrator of the successful Intertwined non-profit organization, Jenna assists in educating the public about the dangers of species loss in order to create a greater awareness of the pitfalls that currently face our world’s wildlife. An avid animal lover, Jenna is the proud companion of a Siberian husky, an African Grey parrot, and many other rescued winged friends.

EDUCATION CHAIR

Mary Zanotelli, ICC’s Education Chair, has been an environmental educator for over 25 years. She has written curricula and presented programs for the San Diego Natural History Museum, the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, Groundwork San Diego, Earth Discovery Institute, Tecolote Canyon, and Friends of Rose Canyon. At present, she works full-time teaching Nature Studies to students in grades K-6 at Innovations Academy and is Education Chair on the board of San Diego Children and Nature. Mary is also an award-winning writer and photographer and is currently working on a series of children’s books.

TREASURER

If you are interested in joining a group of passionate individuals dedicated to saving wildlife, please click here:

If you are interested in joining a group of passionate individuals dedicated to saving wildlife, please click here:

If you are interested in joining a group of passionate individuals dedicated to saving wildlife, please click here:

EDUCATION DIRECTOR

A lifelong educator and Founder and President of the Association for Human-Animal Bond Studies Award, Dr. Petersen is the Director and Host of the award-winning series, Animal Bond Academy, and author of the book, Curriculum in Action: Multiculturalism and the Human-Animal Connection, published by Cognella Academic Publishing.

Dr. Petersen has presented research on the human-animal bond to people of many nationalities including the University of Vienna, Austria, and the University of California, Davis.

Holder of an earned Doctorate of Educational Leadership and Management degree, as well as Master in Arts degrees in Education and Educational Counseling Psychology. Also, Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts as well as an Associate in Science in Early Childhood Education and a Graduate Certificate in Mental Health Recovery and Trauma-informed Care.

If you are interested in joining a group of passionate individuals dedicated to saving wildlife, please click here:

Koby Wendt started his Zoo career when he was 19 years old as an Apprentice Elephant Trainer at Six Flags Marine World in Vallejo, California. He worked with the elephants there while helping raise some tiger cubs for the facility as well. After two short years, Koby moved down to San Diego to further his career in the animal care field. Koby has grown within the organization over the last thirteen years and now holds an Animal Trainer Lead position. After the working hours, Koby works with his husband Marco taking care of their menagerie of rescue animals. One of those rescues being a Scarlet Macaw. Having her reminds him daily of how Scarlet Macaws and many other animals in the world need our help so that we may see them for generations to come. This is why Koby says he’s a proud part of Intertwined!

This local San Diegan has been part of the zoological industry for over twenty years. Began under the guidance of Berwick Productions, working at Lorikeet Landing Exhibit and Bird Show at the local zoo. After a rewarding twelve years, he moved on to join the Behavior Team, participating in the brand new Frequent Flyers Bird Show. He was then fortunate enough to shift focus into breeding and conservation efforts as a Bird Keeper. Beak Geek, Bird Nerd, Avian Avenger, and ready to be part of the Intertwined Team!

Rachel grew up in the Reno/Tahoe area where she discovered her passion for wildlife through hiking, camping, and outdoor sports. After graduating with a Marketing degree, she moved to San Diego where her love of nature drew her to work for two wildlife conservation organizations. Rachel was the Marketing and Communications Manager at Living Coast Discovery Center for 2 years before moving on to her current position as Social Media Specialist at San Diego Zoo Global. She believes the key to conservation success is education and raising awareness of the plight many plants and animals face. In her free time, Rachel loves to travel and has a special place in her heart for Costa Rica's rich biodiversity and "Pura Vida" lifestyle. "If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito." - His Holiness the Dalai Lama