I'm a proud member of the East Palo Alto community, born and raised here. I am also an intern for Grassroots Ecology stationed at Cooley Landing in East Palo Alto. This summer I helped lead a 5-week program for 7th graders from the Boys & Girls Club of Peninsula. I'd like to share my top 3 moments of the program for me.

Our Youth Stewards program gives local students the opportunity to safely connect with one another, learn about nature, and make a positive impact in their community. Over the last 14 months, our Youth Stewards had the opportunity to experience and learn about nature in person at a time when most school and summer programs were online.

Before Grassroots Ecology, I was a newly educated AP Environmental Science student who wanted to help the earth, but one who didn’t know where to start. I found out about the organization through a Cupertino newsletter advertising about Grove Guardians, a summer stewardship program for teenagers. After my first summer morning at Redwood Grove, I knew this is what I was looking for: an interactive experience with nature that furthered my education.