Kathleen Jacecko, Camp Founder & Director
How Did I Get Here?
Growing up in Sacramento, I was lucky to have nature all around me. When my family wasn’t camping in the summer or skiing in the winter, I would spend countless hours playing in the creek across the street from my childhood home.
Never mind the playground half a block away; it wasn’t half as interesting as the crawdads and tadpoles in the creek, the birds and squirrels in the trees, and the trees themselves, which provided endless amusement as climbing structures.
Back at home, when we weren’t outside enjoying nature, we were taught that the many resources that the Earth provides – energy, water, food, paper, etc. – are precious and not to be wasted. It was these childhood experiences that instilled in me a deep appreciation for nature and an understanding that we humans have a responsibility to protect it.
Fast forward a few decades and I found myself raising a daughter in an urban environment with tiny yards and driveways and sidewalks instead of woods with creeks. At the same time, I started learning more and more about scientific studies that were finding a very direct link between access to nature and mental and physical health. As someone who has benefited from nature for as long as I can remember, this news didn’t surprise me at all.
Through TeachingGreen, I had been visiting classrooms to teach kids about reducing, reusing and recycling for several years, but when my daughter reached the age of the summer camp set, it struck me that a better way to teach kids to be “green” is to get them out into nature where they can learn to love it. I realized that not only do urban kids need to spend more time in nature, but that the best way to teach them to protect the environment is to allow them to experience it firsthand. Through guided play, hands-on activities and teachable moments, I can do far more for kids (and nature) at camp than I could ever do in a classroom.
A Little More About Me
Along the road from college to South Bay Eco Kids, it’s been science, the environment and education every step of the way.
I hold a B.S. and M.S. in Chemistry and a teaching credential from UC Irvine, and while an undergrad there, I worked in the research lab of atmospheric chemist F. Sherwood Rowland, recipient of the 1995 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his discovery that chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) were depleting Earth’s protective ozone layer. What an honor to have met this man who helped save life on Earth from one of the greatest environmental threats of all time! After working three years as an associate producer at a large educational software company, I decided to pursue my passion for education and became a teacher at Redondo Union High School, where I taught physics and physical science, and incorporated environmental topics into my lessons whenever possible. Wanting to focus more on environmental issues, I then went on to work for the Ballona Wetlands Land Trust, where I helped protect part of the wetlands that were threatened with development. When the Land Trust ran out of money, I became the Public Outreach Director at Santa Monica Baykeeper, where I educated the public about water quality issues in our Santa Monica Bay. Then in 2007, wanting to bring more environmental education to the South Bay area of Los Angeles, I founded TeachingGreen. Through it, I have worked to educate both adults and children to help them live a greener, more sustainable lifestyle. With that mission in mind, I created South Bay Eco Kids in 2017. It’s been a windy road, but this is where it was always leading. Nature is calling. Let’s go!
Jessie Kano, Assistant Camp Director
I am excited to be returning for my second year with South Bay Eco Kids as it combines my two favorite things: the outdoors and kids. I have a BFA in dance from Florida State University and a MA in arts management from Carnegie Mellon. Prior to becoming a parent, I worked for various nonprofits including a theater company and an independent school. 
Since having my first child in 2009, I have volunteered extensively in the South Bay doing such things as serving on the board of my kids’ preschool, teaching gardening to elementary students, chairing a literacy program and leading a co-ed Camp Fire group. I am extremely committed to preserving our natural resources so that future generations can have the same opportunities I’ve had to snorkel on coral reefs, hike in mountain meadows, swim in crystal clear rivers and breathe fresh air. I enjoy helping kids move past their comfort zone. They may squirm at the idea of holding an earthworm and it’s gratifying to see the pride in their eyes when I am able to get them past that. If I’m doing my job correctly, your kids will have so much fun they won’t realize how much they’re learning about the environment and what they can do to protect the earth and it’s human, animal and plant inhabitants.
Ashlee Priestley, Camp Counselor
Hi! My name is Ashlee and I joined South Bay Eco Kids in 2019. I’m so glad to be coming back for my fourth year as a camp
counselor. I graduated from UC Santa Barbara with a degree in Zoology and an emphasis in K-8 math and science education, mostly informal (outside of the classroom) learning. I currently work at UCSB as an academic counselor for students majoring in STEM fields. In my free time I enjoy bird watching, playing with my cat Luna, and just enjoying all that nature shares with us. Looking forward to another fun summer!