Presentations from professionals in the field were joined with outdoor activities and open discussions during the three-hour sessions that took place once a week on Sunday afternoons. Teens in the program this spring got a taste of a range of niche topics under the umbrella of environmental science, including soil ecology, meteorology, sustainability, wildfire science, and climate science. “It inspired me a lot personally, because I learned to understand the science and the careers and everything that goes into protecting our environment, and I wanted to carry it out to my neighborhood, or my local vicinity,” Velazquez said. Joining the Eco Ambassadors program is what the soon-to-be high school senior describes as a “catalyst”, driving her interests in the environmental field deeper and motivating her to become more involved in local climate action efforts. “It was amazing because it’s such a broad field, and through this program, I really got to explore all of it.” “I met with so many different speakers in so many different areas of environmental science,” the 16-year-old said. Velazquez applied to the program immediately after she heard about it through her school, and has since been able to grow her own interest in environmental studies. One of those teens was Elisa Velazquez, a rising senior at Crawford High School in City Heights. “We had a great mix of teens from all over and excitement from various different avenues, all just really looking to make a connection and make community here,” said Alissa Lustgarten, program facilitator and lead educator for the park foundation. The program has so far attracted students from diverse backgrounds and experiences, joined by their collective passion for the outdoors. “We received nearly 100 applications, from students from high schools all over the county, and that was really exciting,” Morrissey said. After having received a significant amount of interest from San Diego teens, the program is gearing up to begin its next session in the fall.
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