In this twelfth episode, host Emily Harwitz takes a closer look at the fuel that drives conservation. Funding, of course, is essential, and two of the main sources of conservation funding are government agencies and philanthropy. Today’s guests—Ben Friedman and Geenah Leslie—are experts in those areas, from the state and federal levels to the local level. They’re also experts at cultivating relationships, because that’s the real foundation of this work: building relationships based on shared values and a commitment to making the world a better place, for all of us. From what’s in the upcoming Proposition 4 Climate Bond to the many benefits our urban trees provide, we hope this final episode of Season 4 gives you lots to be hopeful for.

Ben Friedman is the government affairs and public grants officer of Save the Redwoods League. Prior to the League, Ben led grantmaking in California for Western Conservation Foundation. He also has worked at the Wilderness Society and on Capitol Hill on the House Committee for Natural Resources. Ben’s education background is in geology and environmental management. In his spare time, Ben likes going to the beach with his wife Lauren and his dog Lobo, and baking seasonal pies.

Geenah-Marie Leslie (she/her) was born and raised in the ancestral lands of the Tongva People, presently known as Los Angeles. As the proud child of Jamaican immigrants, she was brought up to believe that she should never allow her gender or the color of her skin deter her from pursuing her wildest dreams. Her passion for the healing benefits of nature and connecting People of Color to the outdoors led to her working in the environmental justice field. In her professional tenure, she has played a crucial role in donor relations, fund development, and piloting successful community engagement initiatives. Her free time is typically spent by large bodies of water, listening to an Afrofuturistic audiobook, or psp-psp-psping a cat on the street. Find her on Instagram @geenah_leslie or on ⁠LinkedIn

In this eleventh episode, host Emily Harwitz takes a closer look at career development programs specifically designed to give young people work experience in park and public land jobs. Many guests this season found their jobs in conservation by following wending paths toward their love for nature—and through a little bit of serendipity. That’s true for Alfonso Orozco who, guided by his own experiences navigating a career in parks and the outdoors, now leads the Career Pathways Grants Program at Parks California where he helps make job training programs possible and accessible. One of the organizations that received a Career Pathways grant this year is the Santa Monica Mountains (SAMO) Fund, an official partner of the National Park Service. They help manage the award-winning SAMO Youth mentorship program for youth interested in exploring environmental careers. To share how this career development program works and how it changed their lives, today’s second featured guests are Adriana Barrera, Cecilia Lopez, and Javier Sandoval-Garcia, all former participants, and current staff of SAMO Youth.

In this tenth episode, host Emily Harwitz talks outreach and engagement—for nature and adventure—in a double-feature with Xiomara Batin, Outreach and Marketing Manager at GirlVentures, and Erika Granadino, Community Engagement Coordinator for the North Coast Redwoods District. How do you get people to come outside if they’ve never done it before? Hint: it starts with meeting people where they’re at. If you like talking to people, making connections, and telling stories, then today’s episode is for you!

Xiomara Batin is the Outreach and Marketing Manager at GirlVentures, an outdoor educational non profit based in Oakland, California. Xiomara has worked in a variety of educational institutions and non profit organizations with authentic engagement and genuine allyship at the center. Supporting communities that have had limited access to outdoor spaces due to historical barriers, is an integral area of importance to Xiomara and she feels passionate about being involved in advocacy in a variety of capacities. Find GirlVentures on Instagram @girlventures

Erika was born in El Salvador and raised in the vibrant San Francisco Bay Area with her mother and sister. She graduated from Humboldt State University with a degree in Environmental Management and Protection, with a focus on Natural Resource Planning.

For the past 4 years she has worked as an interpreter for California State Parks and the last year as the Community Engagement Coordinator for the North Coast Redwoods District, which has allowed her to exercise her passion and commitment to conservation and community engagement. Her favorite part about the work is getting to facilitate interpretive programs that connect people to parks, providing access, information, and inclusivity to their public lands. Promoting these places through interpretive programs gives hope that visitors will want to become stewards of these natural places, too. She feels lucky to be able to provide opportunities for people to connect with nature, helping them find meaning in what they are experiencing.

In her downtime she enjoys cooking, going out to eat at a good restaurant, or getting some exercise. However, nothing compares to a good scenic hike on a sunny day. Find her on Instagram @erkbea