As a first generation Mexican-American, I grew up watching my mother reuse butter containers for salsas, or repurpose plastic ice cream containers to store frijoles in the freezer. But I never really made a connection between those actions, and environmental activism, until a a few years ago.

My passion for low waste living began when I enrolled in a college environmental science course in 2013. The professor opened my eyes to the ecological destruction happening locally and around the world. This class also allowed me the opportunity to take my first camping trip, where we visited several places including Owens Lake and Lake Mead which showed the devastating effects of climate change and the damage our extractive actions have caused to the Earth. I later pursued a leadership role managing the food and garden compost facility on campus. These experiences transformed me and led me to change my major with the hope of pursuing a career focused on sustainable living and care for our environment.

For the past six years, I’ve worked as a Garden Ranger for an LA-based non-profit. My time spent educating kids outside has continued to fan the flame of activism that was started back in college and I’m honored to ignite the same passion in the hearts of those I teach. As an advocate for low-waste living and gardening, it’s been a joy to help guide future generations, as well as my followers on social media, on how to be better caretakers of our natural spaces, and empower people to embrace a deep love for our wonderfully diverse ecosystems. I enjoy showing people that sustainability is a serious matter - but it can also be fun, that engaging in environmental activism is a wildly imperfect, life-long learning process and hopefully inspire others to embrace this journey with love, laughter, and compassion for Mother Earth.