Building Trusted Relationships and Strategies for Water Infrastructure and Habitat Health
Elise A Weiland
Watershed Resilience | Coalition Building | Community Trust
Complex regional challenges, such as water, climate, disaster, or community, don't fail for lack of good intentions. They fail for lack of someone who can align the people, build the communications, and hold the coalition together long enough to get something done.
That's Elise's work.
She builds the trust infrastructure that makes regional solutions possible — convening diverse coalitions, creating communications that reach everyone, and leaving frameworks, communications systems, and community capacity that outlast any single role.
The Future → Untamed extends that work through storytelling — demystifying climate choices, uncovering surprising solutions, and creating hopeful ways for people to engage with change.
Case Studies
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![Russian River Confluence logo]()
Russian River Confluence
Governance & Campaign | Sonoma County, CA
Two counties, Tribal partners, 12+ agencies, one authored MOU, and a stewardship campaign that gave an entire watershed a shared identity.
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![Four fire trucks parked outside Fire Station No. 1 at night, with lights on illuminating the scene.]()
Disaster Response & Community Resilience
Crisis Communications & Systems | Sonoma County, CA
Twice-daily emergency briefings trusted by the CHP, solar-powered rural WiFi infrastructure, and a fire district convening that reformed regional response capacity.
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![Group of diverse adults participating in a workshop , sitting around tables with papers, notebooks, and coffee mugs.]()
The Charla Initiative
Inclusive Outreach | Sonoma County, CA
When Spanish-language newsletters produced no measurable engagement, Elise didn't push harder — she rebuilt the entire approach from the community up.
THE FUTURE → UNTAMED
Wonder. Discovery. Innovation. Community action.
What if environmental stories started with what’s working?
Explore surprising stories about people, nature and technology changing what’s possible: from parachuting beavers and neighborhood foxes to the innovations remaking our energy future.
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In 1948, a beaver named Geronimo became the most experienced parachuting rodent in history — on purpose, for science. What happened to him and 75 companions in the Idaho wilderness still shapes how scientists think about water, wildfire, and drought today.
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One year my yard was overrun with baby bunnies. The next, it was baby foxes. Watching nature quietly rebalance itself in my own backyard led me to ask what should I be cultivating? Here's what happened when I started asking what my yard could give back: to the rabbits, the foxes, and me.
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We cultivate expertise through structured training and mentorship that empower teams to drive sustained progress.
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Recommendation from LinkedIn: Alex Delhagen
2026 EDF Climate Corps Fellow
Conservation Finance & Water Policy | February 13, 2026
Simply put, Elise is one of the best supervisors I've ever had. She puts people first, leading with warmth, passion, and vision. She is someone who thinks big, and backs up the ambition goals she sets with diligence, adaptability, and a steady hand. I have benefited immensely from her mentorship and guidance during our time working together, gaining new skills and experiences while working on the diverse projects she assigned to me. She sets a high bar and expects excellence, but provides all of the tools and support necessary to meet (and surpass) those lofty expectations.
