Fall 2023-24 Fellowship Projects
Projects will continue to be added as descriptions become available. Please note that project listings are subject to change and final availability is contingent upon a variety of factors, including fellow placement.
Region | Organization | Description |
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Northern California | Alpine Watershed Group Wildfire Restoration to Forest Resiliency: Addressing Climate Change in Alpine County City: Markleeville Project Focus: Wildfire Resiliency | Alpine Watershed Group (AWG) protects, conserves, and restores the watersheds of Alpine County by promoting sustainable community and science-based collaborative solutions. AWG supports Alpine County watershed health through water quality monitoring, restoration projects, and community engagement. Following the Tamarack Fire in 2021, Fellows mobilize the community, including the Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California on whose ancestral lands Alpine County sits, to create a more resilient forest and heal the landscape. Fellows support increased community wildfire resilience through collaborative messaging on best practices for resilient, sustainable forests and engaging volunteers in post-fire restoration and monitoring, such as planting trees, tracking survival rates, and developing a native seed volunteer collection program to build supply for the restoration of native plant communities. |
Northern California | American Forests California Cone Corps Seed & Workforce Fellow City: North Fork Project Focus: Wildfire Resiliency | American Forests is a national non-profit organization committed to creating healthy and resilient forests, from cities to wilderness, that deliver essential benefits for climate, people, water, and wildlife. Fellows increase wildfire resiliency and help meet state reforestation goals by supporting preservation of the native seeds of California's forest. Fellows educate the community about the current seed shortage and provide opportunities to get involved. Projects include citizen science volunteer monitoring, initiatives around Latino Conservation week, watershed monitoring, cone and seed demonstrations, and virtual field trips. |
Greater LA | Amigos de los Rios East Los Angeles Emerald Necklace River Greenway Title 1 School Urban Greening Climate Action Fellows City: Altadena Project Focus: Urban Greening | Amigos de los Rios works to create the Los Angeles Emerald Necklace “Mountains to Sea” natural infrastructure network of greenways, green schools, parks, and trails throughout underserved communities in the Los Angeles Basin. This work connects urban residents to nature, provides equitable access to recreation and green spaces, and protects Los Angeles’ environment and urban communities from the ever-increasing threats of climate change. Fellows help implement natural infrastructure projects benefiting eastern Los Angeles County’s urban communities, which suffer disproportionately from gray infrastructure and lack of urban forestry. Projects include greening Title 1 public schools and urban rivers, as well as developing multilingual and age-appropriate climate education materials. Fellows also expand Amigos’ volunteer pool and participate in creating the Emerald Necklace urban forest. |
All Regions | Bay Area Community Resource (Team Leaders) Team Leaders City: Various Project Focus: Urban Greening; Organic Waste & Edible Food Recovery; Wildfire Resiliency | Bay Area Community Resources (BACR) is the implementing partner of the California Climate Action Corps Fellowship. Team Leaders play a key role in supporting climate volunteer engagement by providing resources and support to California Climate Action Corps fellows; tracking, leading, or participating in volunteer events; and collaborating with California Volunteers to connect volunteers with service opportunities through fellows and host partners. Team Leaders also support community outreach as program ambassadors and lead monthly volunteer, education, or outreach events in partnership with other fellows. |
Los Angeles | Breathe Southern California Environmental Engagement and Volunteer Engagement Fellows with Blue Sky LA City: Los Angeles Project Focus: Urban Greening | Breathe Southern California (Breathe SoCal) is an environmental health nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting clean air and healthy lungs through research, education, advocacy, and technology. Fellows support the Blue Sky LA program, which encourages Angelenos to participate in monthly air-quality-related volunteer opportunities with the goal of achieving measurable reductions in climate pollutant emissions, building community, beautifying the local environment, and cleaning LA’s air before the 2028 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games. Fellows build awareness of program opportunities, recruit partners and volunteers for events, and plan and track events. |
Northern California | Butte County Fire Safe Council Wildfire Resilience and Community Education Fellows City: Paradise Project Focus: Wildfire Resiliency | The Butte County Fire Safe Council provides safety in Butte County through wildfire hazard education, mitigation, and wildfire recovery. They provide wildfire education and risk reduction services to Butte County residents living in wildland urban interface communities. Fellows improve youth wildfire education, volunteer engagement, neighborhood wildfire safety and preparedness, and climate resilience by leading multiple, no-cost public programs for wildland urban interface residents. Fellows also focus on either K-12 education or media outreach, support local fire safe councils and Firewise USA communities, and support larger volunteer events. |
Northern California | Butte Environmental Council, Inc. Butte Regional Community Climate Resilience Initiative City: Chico Project Focus: | Butte Environmental Council (BEC) protects and defends the land, air, and water through action, advocacy, and education. Programs range from classroom workshops to large community events such as the annual Bidwell Park and Chico Creeks Cleanup, Chico Bicycle Music Festival, and tree plantings at schools and parks. BEC also has a community garden and composting program. Fellows support tree planting at residences, schools, and parks, as well as coordinate the development of community gardens and grassroots household food composting initiatives. Fellows recruit volunteers for fruit tree planting, provide outreach to community members to sign up for food waste pickup, support local climate education initiatives, and support BEC's youth education programs through workshops focused on recycling, composting, urban forestry and climate change. |
Los Angeles | California Creative Learning Academy Environmental Services Fellows City: Los Angeles Project Focus: Urban Greening; Organic Waste & Edible Food Recovery | California Creative Learning Academy (CalCreative) offers an education that embraces the power of possibility through a holistic approach to learning, authentic experiences, and the ability to effect social change. Fellows help to green CalCreative’s facilities, enhance students’ environmental learning opportunities, and assist the school to shift from energy wasting to energy saving. Fellows partner with agencies on urban greening projects and develop a lunch-waste diversion model to divert food waste away from landfills. Regular activities include organizing volunteers for lunch food waste diversion and monthly community gardening days. |
Central Valley | California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection Urban Forestry Next Generation Career Camp City: Sacramento Project Focus: | The Department of Forestry and Fire Protection serves and safeguards the people and protects the property and resources of California. The Urban and Community Forestry Program expands and improves the management of trees and related vegetation in communities throughout California. Fellows provide urban forestry and arboricultural education and training to young adults underrepresented in the industry using targeted and authentic outreach and partnership building. Additional tasks include leading the collaboration and partnership building between CAL FIRE and other entities which may include CAL FIRE’s current 125 grantees of the Urban and Community Forestry Program, dozens of nonprofit urban forestry organizations, and hundreds of volunteers and members of the public through organizing or attending community tree planting events. |
Northern California | California Open Lands Community Cultural Stewardship Program City: Chico Project Focus: Urban Greening; Wildfire Resiliency | California Open Lands (COL) enhances and preserves natural resources in the conservation of Northern California’s flora and fauna on open lands in perpetuity, including the restoration and cultivation of California native plants utilizing principles of Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledge (ITEK) for food, fiber and medicine; and fosters opportunities for people to connect with and learn about the natural resources and open lands of their neighborhood and region. Fellows engage Butte County and Northern California communities in short-term volunteer opportunities in the stewardship and maintenance of COL reserves and other public lands. Fellows also help facilitate long-term stewardship goals of the community and the land stewarded by COL by supporting development of ITEK curriculum development, long-term climate resilience planning, and ITEK-certified workforce development. |
Northern California | California State University, Chico Chico State Call to Action City: Chico Project Focus: Urban Greening; Organic Waste & Edible Food Recovery; Wildfire Resiliency | California State University, Chico (Chico State) has been recognized nationally as a climate-focused campus and has an engaged student body and strong connections with local communities, the North State, and the State of California. Building on projects from past CCAC Fellows, current fellows enhance, expand, and re-energize systems and organizations through support for climate action volunteer events, climate-themed environmental education, climate-related emergency preparedness, and increased awareness of climate urgency. Fellows help expand climate action in the North State through intentional alignment with community partners, colleagues, allies and mentors. |
Central Valley | California State University, Fresno Collaborative Climate Resilience: Food Recovery, Native Ecology Restoration, and Climate Awareness City: Fresno Project Focus: Urban Greening; Organic Waste & Edible Food Recovery | California State University, Freno (Fresno State) is recognized as both an Hispanic and Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander serving institution. Its primary ambition is to enrich the intellectual landscape of the Central Valley by producing individuals capable of tackling systemic challenges. Fresno State collaborates with community stakeholders to build a more sustainable Fresno. Under the umbrella of the Campus Climate Resilience and Sustainability Initiative, fellows support projects that green Fresno State’s campus and enhance food security by recovering edible food that would otherwise end up in landfills. Projects include food gleaning, xeriscaping and native species restoration, and climate education. |
Greater LA | California State University, Northridge Moving the Needle Towards Zero Waste at CSUN through Education, Outreach, and Action City: Northridge Project Focus: Urban Greening; Organic Waste & Edible Food Recovery | The Institute for Sustainability at California State University, Northridge (CSUN) works with stakeholders across campus to integrate sustainability into all aspects of the university. The Institute promotes, facilitates, and develops education, research, and programs related to sustainability focused on building awareness around sustainability among faculty, staff, and students. Fellows support CSUN’s Zero Waste program by educating the campus community about zero waste and food recovery efforts. Fellows help plan and host educational outreach events, lead volunteers, and conduct trainings and presentations geared toward shifting the campus culture to use less and waste less. Fellows also educate people about waste bins, food habits, best practices, and observe behaviors to evaluate CSUN’s relationship with waste. |
Central Valley | CalRecycle Assist School Districts with Implementing California Senate Bill 1383 Requirements for Organic Waste Recycling and Edible Food Recovery City: Sacramento Project Focus: Organic Waste & Edible Food Recovery | CalRecycle protects California’s environment and climate for the health and prosperity of future generations through the reduction, reuse and recycling of California resources, environmental education, disaster recovery and the transition from a disposable to a fully circular economy. Fellows support CalRecycle in providing technical assistance to school districts in Sacramento, Yolo, Orange, and L.A. counties to implement California Senate Bill 1383 regulatory requirements for recycling and edible food recovery. Fellows identify best management practices among school districts that have successfully implemented programs and establish peer-matching relationships. They also provide technical assistance to districts to help them to follow the California Senate Bill 1383 regulation process. |
Northern California | Center for Healthy Communities, CSU Chico 530 Food Rescue Coalition Fellows City: Chico Project Focus: Organic Waste & Edible Food Recovery | The Center for Healthy Communities (CHC) has more than 30 programs providing services all over California, including the 12 counties of California State University, Chico’s service area, that focus on health, wellness, and education. The 530 Food Rescue Coalition (530FRC) is an innovative project that supports local jurisdictions in meeting state-mandated edible food recovery goals while increasing access to healthy food in Butte County and neighboring counties. Fellows are trained in volunteer outreach, dispatch operations, and project promotion to guide the recovery of at least 250,000 pounds of edible food, completing 1,300 food rescues, and recruiting 150 volunteers with 50 non-profit partners and 80 food donors. Fellows may also support neighboring counties to adopt this model to provide edible food recovery. |
Central Valley | Chicken Ranch Rancheria of Me-Wuk Indians Tribal Climate Fellows City: Jamestown Project Focus: Organic Waste & Edible Food Recovery | Chicken Ranch Rancheria of Me-Wuk Indians of California is a federally recognized tribe in the foothills of the Sierras trying to implement more climate-conscious policies and framework to enhance the sustainability of it people and community for generations to come. Fellows assist and co-manage the organics resources and edible food recovery program on tribal land focusing on diverting organic waste and edible food away from landfills and into the Tribal Garden and Composting program and local shelters and foodbanks. Fellows also work on the Tribal Ag program and Medicine Garden Program to engage Tribal Community members about organic food waste, its connection to greenhouse gas emissions, and the composting program. Fellows also reach out to local high schools about organizing youth volunteers to assist with edible food recovery and moving organics away from landfills. |
Bay Area | City & County of San Francisco Environment Department Urban Compost Activation & Food Donation Education City: San Francisco Project Focus: Organic Waste & Edible Food Recovery; Urban Greening | The San Francisco Environment Department (SF Environment) improves, enhances, and restores our environment, and promotes San Francisco’s long-term environmental sustainability. SF Environment includes Zero Waste, Toxics Reduction, Biodiversity, Environmental Justice, Clean Transportation, Climate Change, Energy, Green Building, Urban Forestry and Public Information Programs. Fellows identify restaurants affected by California Senate Bill 1383, which requires edible food recovery, and contact businesses about food donation opportunities to distribute edible food to those in need. Fellows staff and promote the climate-compost connection at public compost giveaways hosted throughout the city with San Francisco Unified School District and Recreation & Parks, as well as work with SF Environment’s outreach team to engage volunteers and staff events related to their Climate Action Plan. They provide door-to-door outreach at San Francisco affordable housing sites to promote participation in recycling and composting programs and expand access among previously underserved and environmental justice communities. |
Greater LA | City of Long Beach Long Beach Climate Action Plan Support & Implementation City: Long Beach Project Focus: Urban Greening | The City of Long Beach is home to 470,000 people along with higher education facilities, an airport, tourist attractions and beaches. Fellows engage the community to increase urban forest canopy coverage through tree planting, tree care, and build awareness around the value of urban trees to health and climate resilience. Fellows organize and conduct community climate action education through the Willow Springs Park outdoor sustainability education space, as well as support the city’s pilot Climate Ambassador Program and other climate-related volunteer mobilization activities. Fellows support the city’s urban heat island mitigation and food security goals within its Climate Action and Adaptation Plan through strategic neighborhood tree planting and urban agriculture support. Fellows also work closely with the Office of Sustainability and Department of Development Services to develop strategies for outreach and community engagement. |
Los Angeles | City of Los Angeles - Bureau of Sanitation City of Los Angeles Curbside Food Scrap Recycling Outreach & Engagement City: Los Angeles Project Focus: Organic Waste & Edible Food Recovery | The City of Los Angeles’ Bureau of Sanitation and Environment (LA Sanitation and Environment) collects, cleans, and recycles solid and liquid waste generated by residential, commercial, and industrial users in Los Angeles and surrounding communities. Fellows support the city’s recent launch of a curbside food scrap recycling program by providing education and outreach to residents, training community groups how to engage their neighbors, interviewing residents about their understanding of food systems and composting, attending community outreach events, and developing social media content to communicate the importance of participation. Fellows train volunteers to distribute and track kitchen countertop pails and food scrap sink strainers to interested residents to incentivize participation and educate residents on the mechanics of separating food scraps for recycling. |
Central Valley | City of Modesto Modesto Rethinks Waste: An Action Plan for Community Waste Reduction and Diversion City: Modesto Project Focus: Organic Waste & Edible Food Recovery | The City of Modesto, the county seat and largest city in Stanislaus County, is addressing commercial edible food recovery and climate change at the same time with its implementation of California Senate Bill 1383. City programs divert edible food from landfills and help food insecure people in the city and in Stanislaus County. Fellows assist in establishing an edible food recovery program that diverts organics and edible food from landfills by conducting education, outreach, and container inspections. They create solutions and action plans, as well as conduct a waste characterization study on Organics and Recycling to better understand the City’s waste streams and diversions from the landfill. |
Bay Area | City of Oakland Transformational Climate Resilience - Creating Food Security and Equitable Decarbonization in Frontline Communities City: Oakland Project Focus: Urban Greening; Organic Waste & Edible Food Recovery; Wildfire Resiliency | The City of Oakland is committed to becoming a more sustainable city – a community in which all people can pursue safe, happy, healthy and fulfilling lives, now and into the future. Protecting a clean and healthy natural environment; growing a strong local economy brimming with opportunity; and fostering a safe, equitable and vibrant community are all critical components. Hosted by Oakland's Sustainability and Resilience Division, Fellows work directly with other city departments on projects such as recovering surplus edible food and redistributing to communities of need, engaging Oaklanders in volunteerism, reducing the risk of wildfire, implementing urban greening projects, and improving outreach in the most vulnerable communities. Fellows recruit and coordinate volunteers for city-wide urban greening projects and events, including MLK Day of Service, tree plantings, park restoration, Climate Action Days, Creek-to-Bay Day, and Earth Day. They also work closely with city staff to expand and improve communication about the City's Adopt-a-Spot program. |
San Diego | City of San Diego Environmental Services Department Organic Waste Recycling, Food Recovery and Recycling - Community Engagement and Tracking to Mitigate Climate Change City: San Diego Project Focus: Organic Waste & Edible Food Recovery | The City of San Diego’s Environmental Service Department (ESD) implements recycling, organic waste recycling, and edible food recovery programs to meet California Senate Bill 1383 and the City’s Zero Waste Plan as part of its Climate Action Plan. The city implements weekly curbside organic waste recycling including food scraps for 289,000 city-serviced residents; provides education and technical assistance to privately serviced multifamily residents, businesses and special events; implements commercial food recovery programs; and promotes successful recycling programs. Fellows implement a paradigm-changing program on a large-scale throughout the city, identify, and focus on the specific needs of diverse neighborhoods and communities. Fellow conduct community and commercial food recovery outreach, host education events, and assist Recycling Specialists to help businesses start food recovery programs. Fellows act as “Recycling Ambassadors” at community clean-up events and engage with large groups of volunteers to advise them on proper sorting of collected material and the importance of recycling to save resources, reduce energy use, and mitigate climate change. |
Bay Area | City of San José, Climate Smart San José Climate Smart San José: Community Resiliency and Climate Action Fellowship City: San José Project Focus: Urban Greening | Climate Smart San José develops and implements the policies and programs of the City of San José's climate action framework, a plan for reaching the targets of the international Paris Agreement, with ambitious goals set for energy, water, transportation and local jobs. Fellows support Zero Emissions Neighborhoods (ZEN) and GoGreen Teams (GGT), including hosting meetings with interested individuals, neighborhoods, and community groups to increase volunteer participation; promote and facilitate community ZEN and GGT workshops; gather information and resources on community climate action; update and create educational information, presentations, and workshops; and work with the community to identify and implement priority ZEN projects. Fellows expand resources that include information on electrification and weatherization; urban greening projects; alternative transportation resources and information; and waste diversion education. |
Bay Area | City of San Rafael Building a Resilient San Rafael: Climate, Ecology, and Wildfire Fellowships City: San Rafael Project Focus: Urban Greening; Organic Waste & Edible Food Recovery; Wildfire Resiliency | The City of San Rafael has a strong commitment to advancing sustainability and wildfire resiliency as outlined in the Climate Change Action and Wildfire Action Plans and re-emphasized through city council’s policy focus area of sustainability, climate change, and disasters. Climate Action and Ecology Fellows support the sustainability team on projects relating to California Senate Bill 1383 composting outreach, procurement and application of mulch, and conducting tree inventories in disadvantaged neighborhoods. Ecology and Wildfire Resiliency Fellows support the wildfire resiliency program by advancing residents’ defensible space and home hardening assistance programs, sustainable management of vegetative debris and biomass utilization, and open space fuel reduction and landscape restoration work. Fellows work collaboratively together and with other staff on volunteer events and community outreach. |
Los Angeles | City of Santa Monica Community Farm and Wellness Center Outreach, Planning and Programming Development and Implementation City: Santa Monica Project Focus: Urban Greening; Organic Waste & Edible Food Recovery | The Office of Sustainability and the Environment implements sustainable practices in Santa Monica with programs and policies that support citywide goals to achieve water self-sufficiency, zero waste, and carbon neutrality. The city leads efforts in sustainable procurement and toxic use reduction, climate action and adaptation, coastal resiliency, watershed health, building and vehicle electrification, sustainable building, single use plastic reduction, green business and buy local programs, and community engagement. Embedded in the city’s sustainability and wildfire mitigation teams, fellows lead, engage, and educate the community on wildfire adaptation, organic material recovery and utilization, carbon sequestration, and sustainable practices for their homes and businesses. Fellows lead their own projects and work together on key initiatives, including semi-annual and monthly recurring volunteer events to increase community participation in wildfire resiliency, invasive plant control, and urban greening. |
Northern California | City of South Lake Tahoe Making an Impact through Diverting Food Waste and Edible Food Recovery in Schools City: South Lake Tahoe Project Focus: Organic Waste & Edible Food Recovery | The City of South Lake Tahoe has undertaken bold science-based greenhouse gas reduction targets and is helping achieve California’s landfill organics diversion goals by scaling climate outreach, volunteer engagement, and direct education. Fellows train local school staff and parent volunteers on food waste and edible food recovery. Fellows also support the development of an outreach and education campaign to help motivate the local community and visitors towards sustainability. |
Los Angeles | City Plants Closing LA's Tree Equity Gap Through Community Empowerment City: Los Angeles Project Focus: Urban Greening | City Plants engages Angelenos to plant and care for trees throughout the city so that every neighborhood has equal access to trees and their benefits: clean air, energy efficiency, better health, cooling shade, and friendlier, more vibrant communities. To increase canopy cover in low canopy, historically disinvested neighborhoods, Fellows support the Tree Ambassador - Promotor Forestal Program, a bilingual, grassroots community organizing initiative designed to amplify community expertise and foster place-based stewardship of the shared urban forest in historically and systemically disinvested neighborhoods in Los Angeles. Fellows help develop a multi-stakeholder training curriculum to empower community tree ambassadors; provide information and educational resources on the benefits and role of trees in urban cooling and public health; align the program to achieve tree goals in the City of LA's Green New Deal; and convey the critical role of a healthy tree canopy to climate resilience, sustainable neighborhoods, and public health. |
Bay Area | Common Vision Climate Action through School Gardens as Food Hubs and Community Tree Planting City: Berkeley Project Focus: Urban Greening; Organic Waste & Edible Food Recovery | Common Vision (CV) nurtures a more healthy and just society by planting and maintaining fruit tree orchards and school gardens to serve as a foundation for engaged academic learning and environmental conservation. They create outdoor learning spaces essential to growing the whole child, an authentic community, and a healthy planet. Fellows function as a cohort to train and collaborate on special projects at project sites. They work with the garden educator and site supervisor on planting, maintenance, conservation and community education activities; help organize and implement monthly volunteer work parties; participate in food recovery and distribution activities; and provide community education. |
San Diego | County of San Diego, Department of Public Works, Solid Waste Planning & Recycling Section Recycle Organics, Use Organics! Catalyzing Organic Material Diversion and Recovered Organic Material Use in the County of San Diego City: San Diego Project Focus: Organic Waste & Edible Food Recovery | The County of San Diego, Department of Public Works, Solid Waste Planning & Recycling Section (DPW Recycling) is responsible for compliance with local and state recycling laws in the unincorporated county areas. DPW Recycling has programs for commercial and multi-family properties, food waste prevention and food recovery, and residential recycling and composting, while also facilitating outreach and education. Fellows support programs to minimize the amount of organic materials being sent to landfill. Tasks focus on completing site visits to businesses and multi-family complexes to ensure compliance with state and local recycling laws (specifically for organic materials recycling and food recovery), distributing resources to assist residents and businesses in participating in recycling programs, writing customized compliance recommendations, and tracking programmatic outcomes (number of sites visited, resources distributed, etc.). Additional projects may include facilitating translations of educational materials, door-to-door outreach at multi-family complexes, and researching connections within underserved communities to facilitate workshops, trainings, and community events. |
Los Angeles | CultivaLA, Inc. Increasing Food Access in Los Angeles City: Los Angeles Project Focus: Organic Waste & Edible Food Recovery | CultivaLA transforms access to healthy food and wellness through people, social enterprise, and environmental justice. Fellows address and seek to mitigate climate change or otherwise contribute to climate resilience and recovery through urban agriculture in South El Monte, Rosemead, and Greater Los Angeles. Fellows support climate volunteer engagement, action, and education in urban gardening settings. Fellows also develop leadership skills through hosting large-scale volunteer events and conduct monthly outreach for food giveaways. |
Bay Area & Inland | Edible Schoolyard Project Expanding Engagement in Edible Education City: Berkeley Project Focus: Urban Greening; Organic Waste & Edible Food Recovery; Wildfire Resiliency | The Edible Schoolyard Project transforms public education by using organic school gardens, kitchens, and cafeterias to teach both academic subjects and the values of nourishment, stewardship, and community. Fellows support the continued health of their one-acre farm and promote awareness of the climate benefits of green spaces. Fellows participate in daily garden maintenance work, collaborate with staff to coordinate volunteer events that are open to the wider community, and facilitate learning opportunities for students at the school and community members on the environmental benefits of green spaces. |
Central Valley | El Dorado Park Community Development Corporation The El Dorado Park Community Garden Project City: Fresno Project Focus: Urban Greening; Organic Waste & Edible Food Recovery | El Dorado Park Community Development Corporation enhances resident assets for positive community change. Fellows engage residents and community members through community gardening, community composting, food recovery, food distribution, environmental educational awareness events, wildfire resiliency management education and participation. Fellows also support community engagement and outreach, event planning, and other projects related to environmental education, justice, and awareness. |
Los Angeles | Environmental Charter Schools Climate Literacy Program City: Inglewood Project Focus: Urban Greening; Organic Waste & Edible Food Recovery | Environmental Charter Schools (ECS) reimagines public education in low-income communities of color to prepare conscious, critical thinkers who are equipped to graduate from college and create a more equitable and sustainable world. Fellows install a variety of edible and native garden spaces, help develop an organization-wide food recovery program, and support an organic waste program at all four campuses by streamlining or composting diversion practices and creating an operational manual. They develop, plan, and facilitate monthly garden days/workshops and seasonal events. Fellows work with students by assisting the Green Ambassador teachers with climate literacy providing education as part of the composting program. They develop and teach lessons to 6th to 8th and 10th-grade students engaging them as ambassadors and in community service and citizen science activities that combat climate change. |
Inland Empire | FIND Food Bank Volunteer Coordination & Programs Coordination Fellow City: Indio Project Focus: Organic Waste & Edible Food Recovery | FIND Food Bank educates the community, raises awareness, and mobilizes resources to fight hunger and end the cycle of poverty. Fellows help relieve food insecurity through food rescue and by reducing organic waste. Fellows assist with composting, program capacity and sustainability, and help sustain a strong volunteer base. By the end of their service, fellows will have contributed to feeding 150,000 people on a monthly basis through food redistribution, diverting a minimum of 2,000 pounds of food waste from landfills, piloting a new composting program, and increasing FIND's volunteer base through volunteer recruitment and event planning. |
Coastal | Fire Safe Sonoma Volunteer Coordination and Wildland Fire Home Assessment Lead Fellows City: Santa Rosa Project Focus: Wildfire Resiliency | Fire Safe Sonoma (FSS) is the Countywide Fire Safe Council, which educates Sonoma County residents about fire prevention and preparedness. FSS helps communities take action to make their homes and properties safer ahead of wildfire season. Fellows support a volunteer program, wildland fire assessment program, Listos tool trailer project, and maintain a social media presence. They engage in volunteer coordination, program development, community outreach and program promotion, hosting trainings, and handling related equipment. |
Greater LA | Food Exploration and Discovery San Gabriel Valley Food Waste Education Fellows & Environmental Education Action Fellows City: Monrovia Project Focus: Urban Greening; Organic Waste & Edible Food Recovery | Food Exploration and Discovery (Food ED) collaborates with San Gabriel Valley communities and schools to construct and sustain edible education sites focused on ecosystem stewardship, healthy living, and environmental innovation and entrepreneurship. Food ED focuses on gardening, workshops, and volunteering. Fellows serve in Food Waste Education or Environmental Education Action. Food waste education projects advance local and state goals to reduce food waste in landfills and engage communities around the newly implemented food recovery and food waste bill, California Senate Bill 1383. Environmental Education Action Fellows assist and lead community and school education programs at garden hubs around San Gabriel Valley by focusing on climate change issues through garden and food science. |
Greater LA | Foodbank of Santa Barbara County Backyard Bounty Expansion/Food Recovery & Reclamation City: Goleta Project Focus: Organic Waste & Edible Food Recovery | Foodbank of Santa Barbara County transforms hunger into health with fresh produce and nutritious groceries for our neighbors who need it and nutrition education for all, from preschoolers to older adults, veterans to farmworkers. Fellows help to grow the Backyard Bounty (BYB) Program, a volunteer-powered gleaning program in Santa Barbara’s South County, by recruiting and training volunteers and educating the community. Food Recovery and Reclamation Fellows support a food rescue program by creating a detailed category system for the rescued food and working directly with volunteers who operate the sorting facility and daily collection to reduce food waste and address food insecurity. |
Los Angeles | FoodCycle LA FoodCycle Collaborative Food Recovery Network City: Los Angeles Project Focus: Organic Waste & Edible Food Recovery | FoodCycle LA utilizes a large network of volunteers to recover and divert surplus food away from landfills to communities experiencing food insecurity. Fellows support active outreach and education of donors on California's efforts to reduce organic waste thrown into landfills. Fellows recruit and manage volunteers, create instructional materials for volunteers, and help with onboarding, training and retention. Fellows also document volunteer engagement for social media and storytelling and help create and execute regular online and in-person volunteer training sessions and events. |
Central Valley | Fresno Metro Ministry Communities in Action - Tree Planting, Food Recovery, Gardening, and Composting City: Fresno Project Focus: Urban Greening; Organic Waste & Edible Food Recovery | Fresno Metro Ministry is a multifaith and multi-cultural organization that improves the health, environmental quality, economic development and overall resiliency of the San Joaquin Valley. Fellows engage community members in direct climate action and provide climate education in community gardens and schools. They help with urban greening initiatives like planting trees, recover edible food to redistribute instead of going to the landfill, recover organic waste to compost at community gardens, build school gardens with recovered woody biomass, educate residents to reduce food waste, and improve localized low emission food access points. Fellows recruit volunteers and engage them in recovering food through gleaning events, composting food through community composting initiatives, school garden builds, and planting trees and native plants. |
Los Angeles | Garden School Foundation Cafeteria to Compost Food Waste Prevention and Food Recovery Program City: Los Angeles Project Focus: Organic Waste & Edible Food Recovery | Garden School Foundation provides in-depth garden-based education to youth at 10 Title I schools in Los Angeles, strengthening connections between food justice, environmental stewardship, and community health. Fellows teach two standards-aligned composting lessons to all students and assist with the Cafeteria to Compost program, including collection, compost management, and food redistribution efforts. Fellows support redistribution of uneaten food to children and families, weighing and recording food scraps, and helping with bimonthly free, on-campus Farmers Markets. |
Bay Area | Grassroots Ecology Engaging Local Bay Area Communities in Hands-On Habitat Restoration and Environmental Education City: Palo Alto Project Focus: Urban Greening; Wildfire Resiliency | Grassroots Ecology cares for public lands and waters in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties. In collaboration with public landowners, governments, schools, corporations, and other nonprofits, they engage the community in hands-on education and service to improve the local environment. Grassroots Ecology’s core programs are habitat restoration, community science, urban ecology, environmental education, and a native plant nursery. Fellows engage volunteers in local climate change solutions to improve ecosystem resilience. They lead volunteer events at least once per month and plan and facilitate a Winter Youth Stewards Program for middle and high school students. Fellows help ensure the physical and emotional safety of volunteers, teach volunteers how to do restoration tasks, lead short nature walks and educational talks during volunteer events, and create a fun, collaborative environment. Fellows learn about climate threats, from sea level rise to wildfires, and take meaningful action to mitigate these threats in order to help local communities. |
Los Angeles | Heart of Compassion Distribution Fighting Hunger Feeding Hope Food Distribution Program City: Montebello Project Focus: Organic Waste & Edible Food Recovery | Heart of Compassion's volunteers fight poverty and restore hope by empowering residents in local communities living in poverty to achieve self-sufficiency. Fellows support diverting edible food from landfills to people in need by reaching out to local food industry businesses to raise program awareness, recruiting volunteers for weekly food distributions of rescued food, and conducting community outreach. |
Los Angeles | Hollywood Food Coalition Rescue and Share Food with Hollywood Food Coalition! City: Los Angeles Project Focus: Organic Waste & Edible Food Recovery | Hollywood Food Coalition (HoFoCo) addresses food insecurity, eliminates food waste, and helps guests connect to essential services. HoFoCo’s Community Exchange Program is a free food concierge service aimed at providing small- to medium-sized organizations the food they need when they want it. Fellows support the Community Exchange program by assisting with the intake, sorting, cataloging, and sharing of rescued food. They also lead volunteers, track data, and expand food donors and recipient organizations to advance access to high-quality food across all of Los Angeles. |
Los Angeles | Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles - Watts Rising Watts Rising: Green New Deal in Action Intersecting Climate Justice, Community Development and Equity City: Los Angeles Project Focus: Urban Greening | Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles is the largest provider of affordable housing in LA and the lead agency for Watts Rising Collaborative, a group of more than 40 partner organizations working together to implement more than 30 different projects focused on climate action, sustainability and/or economic opportunity. Fellows support communications, a Tree Dedication program, or workforce development. Tree dedication activities range from working with partners to organizing informational community events/meetings, conducting community outreach, providing tree care education, and updating the web portal to reflect trees available for dedication. Workforce development activities include working with the Mayor’s Office to develop a focus on youth employment in green industries in Watts and working directly with Youth Green Ambassadors to identify additional opportunities for youth employment. |
All Regions | John Muir Charter Schools Climate Action and Education Connections for Sonoma and Marin County Youth City: San Rafael, Salinas, San Bernardino, Riverside, and Indio Project Focus: Urban Greening; Organic Waste & Edible Food Recovery; Wildfire Resiliency | John Muir Charter Schools is a dropout recovery high school working in partnership with the California Conservation Corps, Certified Local Conservation Corps, YouthBuild, and WIOA funded programs. Students gain skills to achieve lifelong, sustainable employment and become proactive members of their communities through collaboration with partner agencies and relevant, rigorous instruction toward a high school diploma, and college and career readiness. Fellows support the program’s focus on urban greening, food waste reduction, tree planting, urban forestry maintenance, and wildfire resiliency programs. Fellows connect the partner worksites to the school classroom. Fellows accompany students to their worksites and back to the classroom to incorporate climate action themes into students’ regular daily coursework. |
Los Angeles | L.A. Works, Inc. Los Angeles Climate Action Volunteer Recruitment, Education & Deployment City: Los Angeles Project Focus: Urban Greening; Organic Waste & Edible Food Recovery; Wildfire Resiliency | L.A. Works increases volunteer participation in the community, builds the capacity of nonprofit organizations to achieve their missions through access to volunteer labor and other resources, and educates and encourages people to engage in the broader social issues affecting the greater Los Angeles community. Fellows support L.A. Works’ Climate Action Initiative, which encourages volunteers to act locally while supporting statewide efforts through education on climate change, hands-on volunteer opportunities, and climate-related disaster response training. Fellows build and deepen partnerships with nonprofit and community agencies, provide ongoing volunteer recruitment, and create signature volunteer events that incorporate climate change education into the volunteer experience. |
Los Angeles | LA 2028 (LA28) LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games - Climate Adaptation & Resiliency Legacy Opportunities City: Los Angeles Project Focus: Wildfire Resiliency | The Los Angeles 28 (LA28) organizing committee is leading the effort to deliver a fiscally responsible and sustainable Olympics Games in Los Angeles in 2028. Fellows foster and build relationships across multiple stakeholder groups and gain experience developing, implementing, and presenting on climate-related initiatives. Fellows identify year-long engagement opportunities that amplify local climate resiliency initiatives in partnership with LA28’s external stakeholders. Fellows also engage with LA28’s external Sustainability Working Group, which is spearheading climate resiliency and environmental justice throughout the LA region, to identify opportunities to partner with those organizations on volunteer initiatives. Fellows support the development of LA28’s sustainability plan, which will include setting an internal carbon budget and setting ambitious targets around topics like emissions reduction, environmental justice, responsible sourcing, transportation, zero waste, and environmental legacy projects. |
Los Angeles | LA Compost Reconnecting Angelenos to the Soil & One Another City: Los Angeles Project Focus: Organic Waste & Edible Food Recovery | LA Compost restores lost connections to the soil and one another by collaborating with a diverse network of partners to co-create spaces for local compost access and engagement, restorative practices, and community empowerment. Fellows support volunteer and community engagement activities in the Compost Cooperative (Co-op), Regional Compost Hub, and Farmers’ Market Drop-off programs. Fellows help provide composting access to communities, learn how to properly maintain compost systems, guide volunteers in their composting skills, and share the importance of composting with community members. |
Greater LA | Long Beach Utilities Water Conservation Fellows City: Long Beach Project Focus: Urban Greening; Wildfire Resiliency; Organic Waste & Edible Food Recovery | Long Beach Utilities provides clean and safe water, sewer, and gas to Long Beach residents. Through various water conservation programs, they promote the transformation of water thirsty lawns into water wise California native gardens for their residential, commercial, and municipal users that reduce water use, attract local pollinators, and provide urban green spaces that are less prone to wildfires. Fellows facilitate volunteers for activities in turf removal, native plantings, and maintenance of California native gardens. Fellows learn about water conservation, plant maintenance and care, irrigation installation and troubleshooting, and support needed for ongoing turf removal projects for residential, commercial, and municipal water users. |
Los Angeles | Los Angeles City Council District 1 Los Angeles Council District 1 OrganicsLA Implementation Program City: Los Angeles Project Focus: Organic Waste & Edible Food Recovery | The LA City Council District 1 oversees all community matters throughout the City Council District as drawn per the City of Los Angeles. Fellows develop, implement, and maintain participation in OrganicsLA, the city’s curbside organics recycling program mandated by California Senate Bill 1383 to reduce organic waste and greenhouse gas emissions. In collaboration with the Community Advocacy Team, neighborhood organizations, and the district’s Volunteer Corps, Fellows engage in activities like door-to-door canvassing, phone/text banking, and coordinating with neighboring council districts to encourage constituent participation in events. |
Los Angeles | Malibu Foundation Water Resiliency in the Santa Monica Mountains City: Beverly Hills Project Focus: Wildfire Resiliency; Urban Greening | Malibu Foundation supports the community of Malibu and its neighbors as they work to rebuild and become more resilient after the Woolsey Fire. The Foundation is dedicated to ensuring water resilience and sustainability in the Santa Monica Mountains. Fellows support the Malibu Foundation’s strategic focus on water conservation, with an emphasis on stormwater capture, as part of their Climate Action Plan. Fellows will help create community outreach and education about the benefits of rain barrels and cisterns, so that property owners reduce dependence on scarce imported water for landscaping and use the stored water during high wind events to defend their properties from wildfires. Fellows also support a microforest project that plants native forests in public spaces to promote water conservation, dispel heat, and educate the public on native plants, water, and heat. |
San Diego | Mundo Gardens GROWTH - Geographic Regenerative Opportunities Working Together to Heal City: National City Project Focus: Urban Greening; Organic Waste & Edible Food Recovery | Mundo Gardens is a community garden and social justice organization promoting access to healthy foods and green spaces in under-resourced neighborhoods in South San Diego through leadership education, art, and culturally responsive programming. Fellows coordinate and collaborate with local agencies and the community on various projects including free trees projects, composting, community gardening, elementary school projects, and a farmer’s market equity focus and development group. Fellows also assist with community garden duties, coordinate volunteers and children visiting the site, interact and coordinate with community leaders to help promote access to healthy food and green space for community members, and promote community events and workshops on social media and contact lists. |
Bay Area | North Coast Resource Conservation & Development Council Compost Food Waste, Eat Local, Grow Trees & Grasslands, and Save Water to Combat Climate Change City: Santa Rosa Project Focus: Organic Waste & Edible Food Recovery; Urban Greening; Wildfire Resiliency | The North Coast Resource Conservation and Development Council (Conservation Works) serves Marin, Sonoma, Mendocino and Lake counties to create and restore habitat for endangered salmon and pollinators, address global warming by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, help with fire resiliency, and work with communities to become more sustainable. Fellows help expand programs that compost food waste through the Waste Wizards vermiculture program, add urban greening through planting trees, connect the community to local food producers, restore native grasslands, and use rooftop raincatchers to irrigate trees and other plants and develop drought resiliency. Fellows provide climate education to school communities and engage volunteers for action days and projects focused on tree and grasslands restoration, planting, and water conservation. |
Los Angeles | North East Trees Los Angeles Climate Action in Urban Forestry City: Los Angeles Project Focus: Urban Greening | North East Trees designs and builds parks and other green space and by hiring and training young adults from under-served areas. Fellows sign-up homeowners to receive trees, educate community members on tree care, and assist in tree planting events. Fellows also support the local plant nursery and educate volunteers in nursery activities. |
Bay Area | Our City Forest Free Trees for Underserved Communities City: San Jose Project Focus: Urban Greening | Our City Forest (OCF) increases community capacity for achieving healthy, sustainable communities for all. OCF serves low-income neighborhoods and schools of East San José and other high-need areas of Santa Clara County. Programs and services include tree planting, lawn conversions, the community nursery, tree stewardship, job training, and environmental education. Fellows recruit and coordinate volunteers for community plantings, lawnbusts, nursery workdays, and promoting the growth of the urban forest. Fellows promote the free tree program and identify recipients and stewards of free trees. Fellows collaborate with government officials, schools, neighborhood associations, and other community partners to identify potential locations for plantings, as well as support educational programs. |
San Diego | Outdoor Outreach Outdoor Outreach Youth Equity and Access Fellowship City: San Diego Project Focus: Urban Greening | Outdoor Outreach connects youth to the transformative power of the outdoors as a space to explore their world, cultivate belonging, and discover what they’re capable of. Fellows help increase youth engagement in outdoor recreation and education activities, increase youth awareness of climate change impacts and nature-based solutions in their communities, and recruit and engage youth and adult volunteers to support mitigation strategies. Fellows develop and implement youth recruitment and engagement strategies, build community-focused climate education lesson plans, and organize activities for youth and adult volunteers to engage in climate action including outdoor access activities and habitat restoration. |
San Diego | Pauma Band of Luiseno Indians Climate REZilient Pauma / Wildfire REZilient Pauma City: Pauma Valley Project Focus: Urban Greening; Wildfire Resiliency | The Pauma Band of Luiseño Indians is dedicated to sustainably stewarding the surrounding environment to protect land and nature for generations to come. Fellows support urban greening and wildfire resiliency initiatives by assessing climate vulnerability, garnering community input, and developing programming that engages the community. Urban greening fellows assist with tree planting and maintenance to increase canopy in shade-deprived areas, as well as composting. Wildfire resiliency fellows assist with projects that reduce fuel, increase carbon sequestration, improve soil health, and restore sensitive species. Fellows organize volunteer events and lead monthly educational events for tribal youth and adults on topics such as wildfire, cultural burning, extreme heat, and disaster preparedness. |
San Diego | Prophet World Beat Productions STEAM Gardening City: San Diego Project Focus: Urban Greening; Organic Waste & Edible Food Recovery | WorldBeat Cultural Center promotes, presents and preserves the African & Indigenous cultures of the world through Music, Art, Dance, Education & Technology. WorldBeat Center’s new Healing Peace Garden is a sustainable, edible garden that serves as an outdoor classroom for community outreach and education. Fellows promote urban greening and organic waste reduction by leading workshops to teach individuals, families, and schools how to restore the soil in their communities, start a seed library, and plant gardens. Fellows assist with community outreach workshops, working in the edible garden, and practicing principles to restore the soil to improve carbon intake. Fellows also lead climate action outreach activities and organize volunteers to assist with workshops and weekly docent tours. |
Bay Area | REAP Climate Center Partner Management and Volunteer Coordination - Climate Training and Experiences City: Alameda Project Focus: Urban Greening; Organic Waste & Edible Food Recovery | The REAP Climate Center fosters regenerative processes and biodiversity through biomimicry and ecosystem support. Programs are focused on biodiversity, regenerative agriculture, carbon sequestration, food security, closed-looped systems, and equity. Fellows manage volunteer outreach and coordination, help normalize and formalize internship programs with local high schools, and increase partnerships with mission-aligned nonprofits and organizations. Fellows help manage the volunteer base and support activities related to biodiversity in soil, and education programs such as building or staffing science exhibits, planning and planting the food forest, growing permaculture gardens, coordinating climate workshops, or tending the sheep, chickens, and bees. |
Bay Area | Saint Mary's College Climate Action through Regenerative Agriculture & Food Recovery at Saint Mary's College City: Moraga Project Focus: Urban Greening; Organic Waste & Edible Food Recovery | Saint Mary’s Office of Sustainability equips students to tackle the most pressing environmental problems, while transforming the built campus environment into a living laboratory for equitable and sustainable solutions. This project takes action on climate change through regenerative agriculture techniques with a focus on distribution of fresh, affordable food to low-income and food insecure populations at Saint Mary’s College and in nearby communities. Fellows support regenerative agriculture production to increase access to local, healthy, affordable food for food insecure populations; volunteer engagement in service opportunities related to food access, food justice, and environmentally-sound regenerative agriculture techniques; and community education and outreach to raise awareness about the intersections of climate action through regenerative agriculture techniques and food insecurity. |
San Diego | San Diego Audubon San Diego Audubon Nature Preserve & Education Fellowship City: San Diego Project Focus: Wildfire Resiliency | San Diego Audubon Society fosters the protection and appreciation of birds, other wildlife, and their habitats, through education and study, and advocate for a cleaner, healthier environment. Fellows assist with wildfire risk reduction, native plant restoration, and environmental education programs. Fellows remove non-native weeds and overgrowth to prevent the spread of wildfires, as well as restore habitats to their natural state by planting native species in place of the non-native plants. Fellows support community engagement by hosting guests and volunteers at preserves and educating them about the benefits of native plants for wildlife and wildfire resiliency. |
Bay Area | San Jose Conservation Corps Community Climate Resilience in San José City: San Jose Project Focus: Organic Waste & Edible Food Recovery | San José Conservation Corps + Charter School (SJCC+CC) works with young adults to develop their personal, professional, and academic skills as they complete resource conservation and zero waste projects. Fellows engage the community in climate activities through food rescue, community composting, and volunteer engagement. Fellows focused on food rescue and community composting recover food from local grocery stores that would otherwise be disposed of and sort it for distribution at the community market. Fellows promote the market to increase food security for their job training program participants and create high-quality compost for urban gardeners or farmers. Fellows focused on volunteer engagement recruit volunteers to work on fuel reduction, community composting, or food recovery while educating them on the climate impact of their actions. |
Los Angeles | St. Francis Center Food Rescue and Composting Initiative Fellows City: Los Angeles Project Focus: Organic Waste & Edible Food Recovery | St. Francis Center’s (SFC) mission provides relief and support to homeless and extremely low-income individuals and families in Los Angeles with a goal of reducing hunger and homelessness in our community. Fellows support a new volunteer program focused on rescuing surplus food and preventing food waste. Fellows establish a program and policies to compost green waste and recruit and train volunteers for this initiative. Fellows are responsible for all composting activities and oversee product sorting, packing, and disposal of green waste. |
Central Valley | Stockton Service Corps, a program of the Reinvent Stockton Foundation SSC Climate Action Coalition City: Stockton Project Focus: Urban Greening; Organic Waste & Edible Food Recovery | Stockton Service Corps (SSC) is a place-based initiative that works with national service programs and community partners to address issues within the focus areas of cradle-to-career, climate action, and social justice. Fellows build a system to execute strategic plans to leverage existing social infrastructure, current plans and projects, and expertise to advance regional climate resilience and adaptation. Fellows support outreach and volunteer recruitment by attending community events, managing social media, and conducting presentations. Fellows engage volunteers in tree planting, increasing community access to organic waste bins, and supporting community food recovery efforts to reduce food waste. Fellows also design and facilitate climate adaption workshops with high school students. |
Bay Area | Sustainable Marin School Novato Unified School District (NUSD) Decarbonization and Zero Waste Pilot Program City: Novato Project Focus: Organic Waste & Edible Food Recovery; Wildfire Resiliency | Sustainable Marin Schools helps Novato Unified Schools address energy use and waste, promote environmental education, increase resilience to extreme weather events, and prepare students to serve as leaders in the green economy. As Energy and Zero-Waste School Leads, Fellows help create a culture of sustainability by engaging students, teachers, parents/grandparents, principals, Green Teams, waste haulers, lunch staff, custodians, and Facilities and Operations. Fellows recruit community volunteers; provide climate education and training; engage in direct climate action to reduce energy, water use, plastic, and organic waste; and divert edible leftovers to students in need. |
San Diego | Tree San Diego Treejectory+ City: San Diego Project Focus: Urban Greening | Tree San Diego enhances the quality, density, and sustainability of the region’s urban forests for the benefit of all communities and the environment. Treejectory+ offers a multifaceted education and workforce development program serving disadvantaged and low-income communities through urban-forestry focused education, training, and job placement. Fellows direct outreach and recruitment for tree planting and training; register trainees for tree planting and Tree Steward educational events; support field activities and cultivate relationships with local leaders to foster ongoing volunteer engagement strategies; register candidates for Treejectory+ fieldwork and educational workshops; and plant, map, and monitor trees. |
Inland Empire | University Of California, Riverside - Office of Sustainability UCR Climate Solutions Project City: Riverside Project Focus: Urban Greening; Organic Waste & Edible Food Recovery | The UC Riverside (UCR) Office of Sustainability addresses economic decisions aimed at secure livelihoods and social justice; academic and policy investments that support ecological health and investigate interconnections among the economy, social well-being, and the environment; and environmental justice, encompassing a commitment to confront environmental racism, promote equity, and advance transparency and democratic inclusion. Fellows plant trees and connect students to natural spaces through land conservation, stewardship, and education. Fellows help plan and implement zero waste and food recovery efforts and develop educational and outreach materials to meet diversion goals. Fellows also expand UCR’s garden growing capacity and crop diversity to support on and off-campus food pantries, expand the garden’s programs to engage local youth in sustainable and regenerative agriculture, and participate in volunteer engagement. They also support the Green Labs program to improve energy efficiency, water efficiency and waste reduction in labs’ daily operations. |
Inland Empire | University of Redlands Sustainable University of Redlands Farm and Treestock City: Redlands Project Focus: Urban Greening; Organic Waste & Edible Food Recovery | The Office of Community Service Learning at the University of Redlands (UofR) is home to the Sustainable University of Redlands Farm (SURF) and their sustainable education and community engagement programs. The farm provides food to community distribution centers, and the university community and has a compost operation, native and drought tolerant demonstration garden, community plots, vineyards, fruit trees, and Treestock - a neighborhood shading program. Fellows support day-to-day operations, expand regenerative practices, manage Treestock, and build community education models with partners and at schools and after-school programs through the Roots & Shoots program. Fellows manage campus and community composting programs, collect and process pre-consumed waste, monitor the amount of food waste composted and used, and manage the Student Food Pantry. Fellows work with faculty, students, staff, community members, local non-profit partners, and the Redlands Unified School District. Fellows also work closely with and mentor UofR students completing service-learning, youth from economically disadvantaged schools and after-school programs, and farm visitors. |
Inland Empire | Upland Unified School District Saving the Environment and Feeding the Hungry Engagement Fellow City: Upland Project Focus: Organic Waste & Edible Food Recovery, Urban Greening | Upland Unified School District (Upland USD) Farm to School provides students with outdoor STEAM learning opportunities, community connections, and the skills to grow their own fruits and vegetables. Farm to School supports gardens and garden programming in all 14 Upland USD K-12 schools. Fellows support the K-12 Farm to School Composting Education and Food Recovery Efforts project to help students learn outdoors, cultivate fruits and vegetables, become stewards of the environment through Farm to School gardens, and implement the California Senate Bill 1383 compliance plan to reduce organic waste. Fellows conduct lunchtime waste audits, food preparation studies, food recovery efforts, and onsite composting, as well as educate K-12 students, staff, and the community. Fellows also support the greater Upland community by focusing on food recovery efforts through share carts and food donations. |
Bay Area | Watsonville Wetlands Watch Watsonville Community Forest and Climate Resiliency Fellow City: Watsonville Project Focus: Urban Greening; Organic Waste & Edible Food Recovery | Watsonville Wetlands Watch (WWW) preserves, restores, and fosters appreciation of the wetlands of the Pajaro Valley, in Santa Cruz County. WWW addresses the current restoration needs of the Watsonville wetlands and ensures ongoing care and stewardship by educating and engaging students and residents and developing future environmental leaders. Fellows advance the Watsonville Community Forest and Climate Resiliency program by supporting projects that build resiliency for projected sea level rise and climate and weather changes, such as engaging local students and community members in tree planting, urban and school greening projects, and wetlands restoration to restore and conserve the environment of the Pajaro Valley. Fellows also provide climate education to local students and community members at school programs and community events. |
Greater LA | weCompost2 Compost Facility Operations Fellow City: Irvine Project Focus: Organic Waste & Edible Food Recovery | weCompost2 is a composting facility that builds community in and above the soil by rescuing food scraps from the local farmers market to feed volunteers, composting spoiled food from the farmers market and local food banks, and hosting educational community programs about soil, plant, and human health. Fellows assist with worm farm management and the creation of "Cool Block" compost hubs throughout Irvine. Fellows also support community education programs such as farm tours, workshops, and creation of educational social media posts and how-to videos about composting techniques. |
Bay Area | White Pony Express Saving the Environment and Feeding the Hungry Engagement Fellow City: Pleasant Hill Project Focus: Organic Waste & Edible Food Recovery | White Pony Express (WPE) helps bring people living on the margins into the mainstream by helping food providers minimize waste while supporting the community. Fellows deliver educational content through research, writing, and information-sharing to community members and the public. Fellows deliver structured content about WPE’s environmental impact and the important relationship to the requirements of California Senate Bill 1383 through outreach and education to food generators. Fellows also directly support food waste diversion through WPE's School Pantry Program. |