Grant Writers in the Wild
Our team provides expertise in areas such as environmental and nature-based education, land conservation, eco-humanitarian interventions, green energy, climate reslience, grassroots environmental activism, and large-scale initiatives at the intersection of social and climate justice
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![Clara, founder]()
Clara Shearer
Founder & Lead Strategist
she/herClara founded Juniper to bring expert grant strategy to changemakers committed to ecological reciprocity. She leads client relationships, manages project direction, and ensures each funding strategy is both strategically sound and realistic to implement. With over a decade of experience in grant strategy, data quality, and strategic writing across nature-based education, international humanitarian aid, and advocacy organizations, she specializes in helping organizations build sustainable funding approaches…
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![Maria, grant writer]()
Maria Beotegui
Strategy Research & Lead Grant Writer
she/herMaria found her calling early, working in aquariums, nature centers, and local parks before joining the National Park Service through the Student Career Experience Program while earning her degree in Environmental Studies. For over 19 years at Biscayne National Park, she served as Park Guide, Interpretive Ranger, and, finally, as Education Program Coordinator, a position through which she secured over $1 million in grant funding to expand the park's youth programs—from 600 to 10,000 students per year…
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Lilly Worthley
Strategy Research & Lead Grant Writer
she/herLilly brings a unique blend of technical expertise and grassroots wisdom to Juniper's grant development work. With a BS in Environmental Sciences from the University of Vermont and experience spanning utility-scale solar operations, policy advocacy, and community organizing, she understands the vital connection between healthy ecosystems and resilient communities. As former Clean Energy Director at Massachusetts Climate Action Network, Lilly led coalition-building efforts and developed educational materials that…
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Eliza Davis
Special Projects: Strategy Research & Lead Grant Writer
she/her
Eliza supports our work with clients focused on domestic and international humanitarian initiatives, particularly those centered on climate resilience. Eliza has worked in the humanitarian and development sectors at the local and international levels across West Asia and the United States. She brings strong skills in program management, organizational leadership, and proposal development. Originally from California, Eliza received her BA in International Relations and Middle Eastern Studies. After graduation… -
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Julie Calcote
Operations Strategist
she/her
Julie leads our support team, helping Juniper maintain strict security protocols and facilitating client collaboration through our platforms. She brings structure, clarity, and momentum to complex projects. With a background in systems, workflows, and implementation, she helps translate big ideas into actionable plans that teams can realistically execute. From internal processes and project management to marketing strategy alignment, Julie specializes in building operational foundations that support sustainable growth… -
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H. Leopold
Editor & Creative Strategist
they/them
H provides editorial refinement, content writing, design expertise, and overarching project support to both the Juniper team and the changemakers with which they partner. With 10 years of experience in nature- and place-based education and the nonprofit sector, H intimately understands what it takes to both hold an important vision and carry out an impactful mission—strategically, programmatically, and financially. For over a decade, they've applied their skill sets to projects with collective impact and collaborators with liberatory visions… -
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Robbyn Drake
Strategic Advisor
she/her
Robbyn brings over 25 years of experience in environmental project management, grant writing, and organizational capacity-building expertise to Juniper's strategic planning work. As president and general manager at Ecos Cooperative, she has helped organizations of all sizes secure and administer millions of dollars in federal, state, and private funds—from US Forest Service and US Fish & Wildlife Service grants to foundation funding and state programs. Her personal mission is to build environmental sustainability…
Clara Shearer
Founder & Lead Strategist
she/her
Juniper acknowledges that Clara is based on the traditional and unceded lands of the Seneca Nation, part of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy (Buffalo, New York, USA). We invite you to learn more about the history of this land at native-land.ca.
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Clara founded Juniper to bring expert grant strategy to changemakers committed to ecological reciprocity. She leads client relationships, manages project direction, and ensures each funding strategy is both strategically sound and realistic to implement.
With over a decade of experience in grant strategy, data quality, and strategic writing across nature-based education, international humanitarian aid, and advocacy organizations, she specializes in helping organizations build sustainable funding approaches. Clara loves supporting organizations in navigating complex positioning challenges and articulating their unique value in the funding landscape.
As a child, yearly trips to Allegany State Park with her dad solidified her commitment to ecological reciprocity. Those contemplative days in the woods—usually in the fall or winter when the park would quiet down and the changing seasons made space for reflection—instilled a deep understanding of what it means to be in relationship with the natural world. That foundation continues to inform her approach to supporting environmental organizations today.
When she's not working with clients, Clara enjoys reading fiction, playing guitar, and enjoying time outside with family and friends around a bonfire.
Maria Beotegui
Strategy Research & Lead Grant Writer
she/her
Juniper acknowledges that Maria is based on the ancestral lands of the Paleo-Indians and Tequesta peoples, and the traditional territory of the Seminole and Miccosukee Nations, whose presence on this land continues today (Cutler Bay, Florida, USA). We invite you to learn more about the history of this land at native-land.ca.
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Maria found her calling early, working in aquariums, nature centers, and local parks before joining the National Park Service through the Student Career Experience Program while earning her degree in Environmental Studies. For over 19 years at Biscayne National Park, she served as Park Guide, Interpretive Ranger, and, finally, as Education Program Coordinator, a position through which she secured over $1 million in grant funding to expand the park's youth programs—from 600 to 10,000 students per year.
Her connection to the outdoors began as a child, camping with her single mother in the Florida Keys. Those simple trips—filled with fishing, firelight, crickets, and starry skies—instilled a love of nature that later grew through Girl Scouts, paddling, and backpacking adventures. As an educator, Maria delighted in leading overnight expeditions for hundreds of students in Biscayne's remote islands. Today, she carries forward that same spirit by supporting organizations nationwide, excelling at distilling authentic stories and aligning organizational strengths with funder priorities.
When she's not crafting compelling narratives, Maria can be found adventuring with her family through Florida in their campervan or playing in the surf in Miami Beach.
Lilly Worthley
Strategy Research & Lead Grant Writer
she/her
Juniper acknowledges that Lilly is based on the traditional and unceded lands of the Aucocisco Band of the Wabanaki (Dawnland) Confederacy (Portland, Maine, USA). We invite you to learn more about the history of this land at native-land.ca.
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Lilly brings a unique blend of technical expertise and grassroots wisdom to Juniper's grant development work. With a BS in Environmental Sciences from the University of Vermont and experience spanning utility-scale solar operations, policy advocacy, and community organizing, she understands the vital connection between healthy ecosystems and resilient communities.
As former Clean Energy Director at Massachusetts Climate Action Network, Lilly led coalition-building efforts and developed educational materials that made complex energy policy accessible to advocates. Her hands-on experience managing solar installations and her organizing work with the climate justice movement taught her how to translate technical knowledge into compelling narratives for change.
Drawing inspiration from the rapidly changing coastal waters that shaped her environmental passion, Lilly is also a professional facilitator, specializing in organizational resilience and breakthrough facilitation. She guides climate champions and social justice organizations through strategic stuck points, processing overwhelm, and building the emotional capacity needed for sustained impact.
When Lilly’s not working with changemakers, you can find her Nordic skiing or taking a slow hike in New England.
Eliza Davis
Special Projects: Strategy Research & Lead Grant Writer
she/her
Juniper acknowledges that Eliza is based on traditionally Bedouin lands in the South Sinai Peninsula (Dahab, Egypt). We invite you to learn more about the history of this land at native-land.ca.
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Eliza supports our work with clients focused on domestic and international humanitarian initiatives, particularly those centered on climate resilience.
Eliza has worked in the humanitarian and development sectors at the local and international levels across West Asia and the United States. She brings strong skills in program management, organizational leadership, and proposal development.
Originally from California, Eliza received her BA in International Relations and Middle Eastern Studies. After graduation, she moved abroad and worked with grassroots refugee education initiatives in Greece and Lebanon before traveling to Jordan to manage a women's craft collective. She later served as Deputy Country Representative for Vision Hope International. While overseeing the organization's programmatic and administrative operations in Jordan, she secured over $1M in institutional funding.
Eliza returned to the US to earn her Master of Social Work degree from the University of Washington, focusing on community-centered practice and sustainable organizational development. She helps organizations articulate their unique value, translating programs into authentic narratives that resonate with funders.
When she isn't working at a beachside café, Eliza can be found snorkeling in the Red Sea, bargaining in Arabic, or exploring the desert with her dog.
Julie Calcote
Operations Strategist
she/her
Juniper acknowledges that Julie lives, works, and learns on Dena’ina land (Anchorage, Alaska, USA). We invite you to learn more about the history of this land at native-land.ca.
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Julie leads our support team, helping Juniper maintain strict security protocols and facilitating client collaboration through our platforms. She brings structure, clarity, and momentum to complex projects. With a background in systems, workflows, and implementation, she helps translate big ideas into actionable plans that teams can realistically execute.
From internal processes and project management to marketing strategy alignment, Julie specializes in building operational foundations that support sustainable growth. She is known for her ability to see both the big picture and the details that keep work moving forward, helping organizations stay focused, organized, and effective.
Outside of her work with Juniper, Julie enjoys creative projects, walking, and supporting community- and school-based initiatives with her family.
H. Leopold
Editor & Creative Strategist
they/them
Juniper acknowledges that H is based on the traditional unceded homelands of over one hundred different tribal nations, including the Council of the Three Fires: the Ojibwe, Odawa, and Potawatomi Nations (Chicago, Illinois, USA). We invite you to learn more about the history of this land at native-land.ca.
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H provides editorial refinement, content writing, design expertise, and overarching project support to both the Juniper team and the changemakers with which they partner.
With 10 years of experience in nature- and place-based education and the nonprofit sector, H intimately understands what it takes to both hold an important vision and carry out an impactful mission—strategically, programmatically, and financially. For over a decade, they've applied their skill sets to projects with collective impact and collaborators with liberatory visions, including international teams, publishers, nonprofits, multidisciplinary creatives, and grassroots initiatives.
Throughout the many years that they lived deep in the forests of Appalachia, H led groups of teenagers on backpacking trips; created and implemented school-wide, K-12 nature-based and environmental education curricula; worked on organic and regenerative farms; and developed relationships with professionals in the regenerative movement—locally and around the world.
During moments of leisure, H enjoys walking along Lake Michigan with their partner and pup, exploring hole-in-the-wall restaurants across the city, and tending to their dozens of houseplants.
Robbyn Drake
Strategic Advisor
she/her
Juniper acknowledges that Robbyn is based on the traditional and unceded lands of the Seneca Nation, part of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy (Buffalo, New York, USA). We invite you to learn more about the history of this land at native-land.ca.
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Robbyn brings over 25 years of experience in environmental project management, grant writing, and organizational capacity-building expertise to Juniper's strategic planning work. As president and general manager at Ecos Cooperative, she has helped organizations of all sizes secure and administer millions of dollars in federal, state, and private funds—from US Forest Service and US Fish & Wildlife Service grants to foundation funding and state programs.
Her personal mission is to build environmental sustainability into the physical, social, and educational structure of our society by providing diverse opportunities for people to connect with nature. Robbyn's expertise spans grant strategy, program management, community engagement, and educational program development across land conservation, habitat restoration, green infrastructure, and watershed protection. Robbyn is also passionate about green infrastructure as a water quality and workforce development movement, and she is certified to instruct the 35-hour National Green Infrastructure Certification Program.
Robbyn leads strategic planning sessions for Juniper clients to ensure organizational capacity, outcomes tracking, and program structure set clients up for long-term funding success. When she's not securing million-dollar grants and building organizational capacity, you'll find Robbyn canoeing the Niagara River or camping with her family.