About Catch the Rain

I'm Jake, the founder of Catch the Rain.

For 15 years, I worked as a wildland firefighter with the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service, serving on Hotshot crews throughout the western United States. That career gave me a deep respect for the land, water, and ecosystems of the West, and ultimately led me to a new way of working with the landscape.

After the 2025 fire season, I stepped away from fire and transitioned into arboriculture, working as an arborist at the University of Arizona. Not long after, I decided to build something of my own—combining my field experience, passion for desert ecology, and commitment to sustainable land use. That’s how Catch the Rain began.

I’ve called Tucson home since 2019, and I’ve been continually inspired by the beauty and resilience of the Sonoran Desert. As a lifelong plant enthusiast, I’m especially drawn to the diversity of desert-adapted species and the way they thrive in harsh conditions when given the right support.