SAN DIEGO — The Mission Trails Regional Park Foundation launched a new education program for teens who love the outdoors and may seek careers in nature-related fields.
Seventeen-year-old Taylor Folkers has her sights set on going to college in the fall; but while on a guided walk, all she has to worry about is watching for unique birds around Mission Trails Regional Park.
“Definitely [hoping to see] the Peregrine Falcon,” Folkers said. “I’m kind of hoping to see something that I’ve never seen before.”
Folkers is part of the Eco Ambassadors program, where the group of teens learn about nature, conservation and local ecosystems. For Folkers, the Eco Ambassadors program is a much-needed break from her senior year in high school and is teaching her to look at how things connect in the world around her.
“Opening my mind up to just like how everything is coexisting and it’s just like kind of life-changing when it’s like all I’ve been doing all day is being on my phone or doing school work,” she said.
Alissa Lustgarten is the lead educator at Mission Trails Regional Park Foundation. She said they have special guests every session to teach them about different environmental careers they can pursue.
“Not only engage with each other, but also to engage with nature and to learn how to care and protect; as well as learning about these careers that they can potentially take into their adulthood,” Lustgarten said.
She said the students have countless questions as they learn new things at every session, and she hopes as they grow up and start their adult lives they’ll remember the passion for protecting nature that started here at Mission Trails.
“When we learn about it, we learn to care about it, and when we learn to care about it, we want to protect it,” she said.
After several bird sightings, Folkers got her wish to see something new: a Peregrine Falcon perched on the cliffs.
“This is such a fun way to like, to just calm down and reorganize yourself but while also having fun and taking in your environment or just exploring your own backyard,” Folkers said.
The Eco Ambassadors program was made possible thanks to a generous grant from SDGE. Additional cohorts of Eco Ambassadors will continue in the fall.
The Eco Ambassadors program is free and open to high school students in San Diego County. There is an application process through which the 20 cohort members will be selected, and youth of color, LGBTQ, and individuals of all abilities are encouraged to apply.