BARBARA CASTRO

Barbara Castro passed away peacefully on December 4, 2022, with close friends and family at her side, following a several-year struggle with cancer. She was born September 15, 1950, to Howard and Audrey Jump in Newton, New Jersey, but Barb’s formative years were spent in Ganado, Arizona where her father taught science at a Presbyterian Mission compound within the Navajo Nation. It was here that Barb developed her lifelong love of the land and people of the Four Corners region of the Colorado Plateau.

Barb earned a B.A. in Biology from Harvard University in 1973, followed by a M.S. in Environmental Planning from Stanford University in 1975, and finally a M.S. in Botany from Chico State in 1989. She began her career in environmental analysis in Palo Alto in 1975, where she lived for 4 years and where her daughter, Ana, was born. After moving to Chico in 1977, she continued her work as an environmental analyst before following her passion for botany as a seasonal botanist for the Plumas National Forest where she worked for 10 years. In that position, Barb deepened her love and personal connection to the plants and the lands she worked with. She later worked as a botanist for the California Department of Water Resources where she retired after 19 years of service.

Barb was active in the local Mount Lassen Chapter of the California Native Plant Society, was a founding board member of Northern California Botanists, and a regular volunteer at the Chico State Herbarium. She also sang in the University Chorus for 20+ years and was a stalwart member of the Chico Peace Endeavor for many years at their Saturday peace vigil in downtown Chico, for which the Chico Peace and Justice Center presented her with their Chico Peace Endeavor Award in 1996.

Barb made close lifelong friends in every chapter of her life. She is survived by her partner and husband, Lawrence Janeway, with whom she shared 33 years exploring the plants and natural environments along the back roads of northern California. She is also survived by her daughter Ana Castro, brother Lew Jump, two nieces, and one nephew, all of whom were near and dear to her heart. The list of organizations that could be donated to in her memory is long, but most important to her were American Friends Service Committee, Habitat for Humanity, Planned Parenthood, and California Native Plant Society. A celebration of Barb’s life will take place at a later date.