North County Climate Steward Christina Hernandez Inspires Climate Action through Connection
Recent Community Environmental Council (CEC) UC Climate Steward graduate Christina Hernandez is a lifelong resident of the small coastal city of Guadalupe in North Santa Barbara County. A social and environmental justice advocate for over 10 years, she is driven by a deep love of her community and the desire to help her fellow residents connect with nature, access critical resources and support, and participate in building a healthy and resilient region. Christina fills many key roles in her community, including as a member of the Santa Barbara County Equity Advisory and Outreach Committee, a board member at Los Amigos de Guadalupe, and the Community Outreach Coordinator at the Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes Center.
We spoke with Christina about how CEC’s UC Climate Stewards program helped deepen her community engagement around climate change and nature conservation, and what she envisions for the future of Guadalupe.
What inspired you to participate in CEC’s UC Climate Stewards program?
Christina leading children in a nature education class.
I joined the UC Climate Stewards program to gain skills and learn more about climate change. I'm so grateful that Alhan Diaz-Correa from CEC encouraged me to participate. Alhan and I have been working on community projects together, and I am glad that he was so passionate about making sure I took this course, and letting me know that this learning space was for me.
As a mother, community member, and nature advocate, I feel that I have a responsibility to teach others how to care for our Mother Earth. Growing up, climate change wasn’t something my family ever talked about, and it got me thinking: “How can I take care of something I don't understand?” The more I gain a deeper understanding, the more I can share this information with my community, so we can learn to care for our Earth and help protect it for future generations to enjoy.
The UC Climate Stewards program gave me a deeper understanding of what climate change is and how it affects us all. I learned new communication tools that are allowing me to speak confidently about climate change with my family, my colleagues, and community members of all ages.
All participants in the program complete a capstone project to integrate their own personal interests with the in-class material. How did you decide what your capstone project would focus on?
I feel that we all are protectors of the environment, and we need resources to understand how to protect, preserve, and advocate for our beautiful Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes. I chose to focus on providing bilingual educational resources about climate change and about spending time outdoors to local youth and families. It was a natural fit because I am the Community Outreach Coordinator at the Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes Center, which allows me to connect people to the outdoors and learn about our unique ecosystem. My community, Guadalupe, needs equitable educational opportunities to really understand nature and climate change.
What do you hope to accomplish as a result of your community engagement around nature and climate change?
My future aspiration is to work alongside my community and provide equitable educational and outdoor opportunities that will help build community resilience. I want to provide local teachers and agencies with the resources needed to fight climate change together. I love to connect community members with our local environment to build the deeper understanding and connection necessary to protect and advocate for our land and water resources so we can all thrive for years to come. I want to make sure my voice, and my community's voice, is uplifted in city planning and development efforts. I also want to show community members that they are environmentalists, and that they can help fight for environmental justice with me.
How do you hope to inspire the next generation of climate stewards?
A group of youths clean up trash on the beach during Coastal Cleanup Day.
I want to be able to show youth that they too can be biologists, environmentalists, museum leaders, or botanists that work in our own backyard preserving our delicate ecosystem. On my time off, you can find me and my kids picking up litter at the dunes or near our home to help bring awareness of the importance of having clean water and showcasing how we can help fight climate change together. I'm also a member of the Lions Club and a mentor in their Leo program, helping connect our youth to any opportunities that I can find. It is important for me to connect our future leaders to our larger community.
