Ava Sayaka Rosen

A mixed-race queer artist, naturalist, educator, musician and surfer, Ava comes to Salted Roots with ten years of experience in nonprofit youth and family arts education, as well as eight years managing an art collective in San Francisco. Ava is passionate about fostering reciprocal relationships with the natural world. Her work is grounded in the belief that embodied self-expression can inspire personal healing, collective healing, and care for our more-than-human community. Ava holds an M.F.A. in Book Art and Creative Writing from Mills College, a B.A. in Literature and Creative Writing from U.C. Santa Cruz, and a California Naturalist certification from U.C. Davis.

Ava grew up playing on the unceded Ohlone land and waters known as San Francisco, and now lives in Huchiun (Oakland). When not in the ocean, they can be found hiking with their dog Iggy, nerding out about plants, or playing in the indie bands Galore and Healing Potpourri.