Get to know the Coastal Leadership Program’s Inaugural Cohort!

Meet our inaugural cohort of the Coastal Management Program, and study why they’re excited to start out constructing a neighborhood of Salton Sea leaders!

The mission of the Costal Management Program is to foster a protected, inclusive setting the place individuals can discover their passions, be a part of a supportive neighborhood devoted to creating a distinction, and purchase the abilities wanted to deal with the impacts of local weather change on coastal habitats.

Flip Sarta is a queer artist and storyteller from upstate NY who has been in LA for two.5 years now. He presently works within the animation business and organizes charity comics readings along with his artwork neighborhood. He is simply began his very first isopod terrarium—with powder orange isopods—and could be very enthusiastic about it. Flip loves audiobooks and podcasts and has most just lately been listening to Psalm for the Wild-Constructed by Becky Chambers, Northwoods by Daniel Mason, and Drifting Off with Joe Pera. He’s excited to hitch this program for thus many causes, and he is keen to achieve first-hand data from consultants within the subject and mix it along with his artwork and storytelling background for the sake of environmental activism.

Valeree is a visible artist, sustainability strategist, and new birder! She typically spends her time fascinated by ecological relationships and sustainable options with an environmental justice and fairness lens. Her first formative expertise with birds was collaborating in a subject analysis journey on the endangered Whooping Crane in Texas when she was 16. Enjoyable reality: Valeree loves punk rock music. She is happy to hitch this program to study coastal chook conservation and be locally.

Alexander has been birding most of his life. He leads chook walks for San Fernando Valley Audubon, teaches courses for the Useful resource Conservation District of the Santa Monica Mountains, and bands birds at Bear Divide. He’s all the time comfortable to speak about birds and share his data—this ties into his autism, as he’s extraordinarily awkward except he is speaking about birds. Alexander is happy to hitch this program as a result of he’ll have the ability to study quite a bit in regards to the coastal ecosystems of Southern California and get to know the opposite spectacular birders within the space.

Bii Gallardo (they/them) is an Apache/Yaqui queer scholar, born and raised in Tongva Territory (North East Los Angeles). They presently main in Biology at East Los Angeles School and aspire to attain a Bachelor’s Diploma in Marine Science. Bii is enthusiastic about constructing neighborhood, of each human and non-human family, and advocates for centering Indigenous Land Stewardship and Conventional Ecological Information in environmental conservation practices. They’re excited to take part within the Audubon Coastal Management Program to discover the conservation subject, acquire hands-on expertise in restoration initiatives, and construct neighborhood with people who’re additionally passionate in regards to the setting and coastal ecosystems.

Jasmine developed an early affinity with ecology by spending a number of time exploring the outside of her native Georgia. Studying in regards to the threats of anthropogenic local weather change to Georgia wildlife ignited a resolute ardour for environmental safety in her. In 2017, Jasmine moved to Los Angeles to review environmental research on the College of Southern California. She has since centered on companies’ accountability to mitigate local weather change—with a specific curiosity in alternatives throughout the world textile sector. Jasmine could be very excited to study extra about coastal ecology, get her fingers soiled with fieldwork, and meet like-minded folks by this program!

Stella Oganesyan is a first-generation Armenian-American and faculty scholar who just lately graduated from UCLA with a BA in Anthropology and minors in Conservation Biology and Linguistics. She is eager about ecology and evolutionary biology, in addition to making scientific data accessible to wider audiences. She plans earn a Grasp’s or PhD in Biology to pursue a profession in conservation. Stella is most excited to hitch this program to study coastal points and how you can successfully talk these points along with her native communities to encourage motion.

Jennifer is a cartoonist, illustrator, plein air painter, and birder who grew up in New York Metropolis and located her residence in all of the wondrous nature of Los Angeles and Southern California. She likes to wander into the forest—or stand within the ocean—and paint for hours along with her gouache set and journey easel. An aspiring naturalist, she all the time carries a pocket pocket book and pen to sketch the vegetation, birds, and different animals she notices on her walks. She grew to become a birder a yr in the past after encountering California Quails working round between bushes on her hike, and she or he hasn’t been capable of put down her binoculars since.

Jennifer is thrilled to be a part of the Coastal Management Program as a result of she loves the seashore and ocean greater than something—and she or he’s excited to make use of her comics and illustrations to inform tales that advocate for shorebirds and the dear coastal ecosystems they name residence.

Gicela is passionate in regards to the interconnected relationships between folks, animals, and the land. Their ardour for environmental justice and concrete geography stems from rising up as an Indigenous Oaxacan in Central Los Angeles. By advantage of their upbringing, they consider inner-city, low-income youth of colour deserve the proper to entry the outside for bodily, academic, and social growth. She joins the Coastal Management Program to additional develop her management and birding abilities, and acquire a deeper understanding of LA’s city ecology.

Rujin is a third-year Ecology, Habits, and Evolution main at UCLA. As an Audubon campus chapter chief on the Bruin Birding Membership, she actively contributes to conservation initiatives and academic occasions on campus, and is devoted to constructing a welcoming birdwatching setting. Past her educational pursuits, she enjoys TRPGs (Tactical Function Enjoying Video games), drawing, and gaming. Rujin has all the time believed that constructing connections with most people is a key step in profitable conservation. She is happy to additional enhance herself in speaking science and to attach with the conservation science neighborhood in California by this system!

Coming from a neighborhood and labor-organizing background, Nathan has a deep ardour for connecting communities of colour to nature. Nathan goals to higher join highschool youth to the coast after finishing the Coastal Management Program. Nathan can also be an avid Dodgers fan.