2025 Watershed Stewards
Emma Henderson
I'm Emma Henderson, Blue Elements' AmeriCorps Water Quality and Education Intern. I grew up on the East Coast, living in Pittsburgh and the Maryland DC Metro area until graduating high school. I started working as a raft guide and in different field tech positions during summers while in college and I have carried on pursuing different community focused outdoor positions since then. My deep affection for rivers and community service drew me to Blue Elements and the Arkansas River Valley. Colorado, as a headwaters state, is vital to supplying so much of the American West with water, and becoming a contributor to the vast community of watershed stewards in the state fills me with appreciation and purpose.
Monica Nigon
My name is Monica and I'm so excited to be part of the Blue Elements Watershed Stewards Cohort this year! I have been passionate about nature and rivers for as long as I can remember. After moving to Colorado from Minnesota in 2015, I've pursued more time on rivers, raft guiding on the Arkansas, San Juan, and Colorado Rivers for the past eight years. I hung up my guide stick this year to pursue a Master of Environmental Management degree from Western Colorado University with a graduate certificate in Ecosystem Restoration. I will be conducting watershed restoration projects in Pagosa Springs, CO in an effort to increase community outreach and education about water conservation in the Upper San Juan River Basin, which is where I now call home. I'm so grateful to be part of the mission of giving back to our incredible headwaters region. In my spare time, I enjoy rafting, skiing, mountain biking, trail running, and playing fiddle in my Irish band.
Emma Wilkins
My name is Emma Wilkins. I am a fourth generation Salida local. I graduated in May from Western Colorado University with my BS in Biology with an emphasis on Fisheries and Aquatic Ecology, and Chemistry. I have spent the last two summers working with Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area as a Ranger and am now working with the Mt. Shavano Fish Hatchery as an Operations Intern. I enjoy hunting, fishing, and just basking in the outdoors. My whole life has been dedicated to protecting and supporting the outdoors, and I am incredibly grateful to have the opportunity to experience it within the many opportunities I have been provided.
Sandi Heiner
Sandi started her career with a season as a river guide based in Nathrop, CO before spending most of her adult life in Wyoming, where she met her husband. Although she has also lived in New Hampshire, Maine, Idaho, Arizona, North Dakota, and New Mexico, she's delighted to have come full circle to put down roots in southern Colorado.
Sandi has an education in Zoology and Restoration Ecology, and she spent 14 years working in natural resources before taking a second career in the IT sector. Now that her family is settled, she's excited to be able to return to conservation work, especially supporting agriculture in the SLV. Her passions are agroforestry and regenerative agriculture.
When not at work, she enjoys spending time with family, tending their small farm and orchard, and training their two dogs.
John Wagner
My name is John Wagner, and I’m a student at Western Colorado University majoring in Environment and Sustainability with an emphasis in Public Land Management. I currently assist the Developed Recreation and Wilderness Program at the Bureau of Land Management’s Gunnison Field Office. As an avid backpacker, I have a deep appreciation for exploring and protecting our nation’s public lands.