Natasha Kerr
Director of Americas
Working in nations with gun-toting bandits, kidnappers, cartels, dangerous wildlife, uncontrolled areas of COVID, and major storms, Natasha has taken her share of bumpy rides on the way to planting trees. Whether she is hiking up the side of a steep, stormy mountain or driving through miles of thick mud, Natasha does not give up.
Inspired by our mantra of "people first," Natasha sees her main role as being a servant to others who are experiencing extreme poverty and living in a world in danger of environmental self-destruction. Her sense of urgency for families caught in this situation is amplified by the consequences of the COVID pandemic that is poorly addressed in some of the areas where she is bringing our work to life. Fortunately, Natasha knows just how to solve every problem — break it up, little by little. In critical parts of the Americas, her planning and implementation are accomplishing large, complex goals by focusing on one job, one tree, one community at a time.
"This is how many trees I want to plant," someone will say, and Natasha helps the locals turn their visions into reality.
"Never, ever, ever, ever give up. Failure isn't really an option," she says. "There are a lot of dangers out in the field. Cars break down. People are stranded. There are wild animals. No one's going to come from above and always solve the problem. So our teams do it."
Natasha Kerr