Please join us in welcoming Samuel Cervantes to the Debs Park team!

Born and raised in South Central Los Angeles, Samuel has never had the opportunity to explore much of nature or be part of many green spaces within his neighborhood. Realizing this fact and other environmental injustices when growing up in an area such as South Central Los Angeles, he wanted to find a way to mend these issues. He was drawn to the world of environmentalism. He is now pursuing a degree in Environmental Studies B.S. at the University of California Santa Barbara and is entering his third year. Samuel is excited to be a part of The Audubon Center at Debs Park family throughout the summer, thanks to an internship funded by the Arnhold Undergraduate Research Fellows Program. He hopes to learn a lot this summer and be a valuable part of this community while getting experience in conservation at the local level.

Samuel is interested in gardening, hikes, and all things nature-related, making this internship much more exciting and fulfilling. His favorite pastime is going on walks and observing the surrounding area. Samuel's favorite bird is the Red-Tailed Hawk due to its colorful pattern and size. Samuel is most excited about meeting new people and being able to educate individuals in his and surrounding communities about nature and the importance of green spaces.

Throughout his internship, Samuel will be focusing on community engagement and will be working to find creative ways to share the resources that the Center has to offer with local community members. 

The Bren Environmental Diversity Leaders and Internship Program is designed to advance diversity, catalyze environmental careers for particularly promising students in the environmental and natural sciences, support students’ financial needs, and further build partnerships with organizations committed to improving equity in the environmental, sustainability and conservation field. With a combination of learning communities, career exploration and skills workshops, and paired internships with graduate students, the Bren Environmental Diversity Leaders and Internship Program is focused on building a pipeline of underrepresented students trained for success as graduate students and in the workforce. This recently launched program seeks to identify and mentor students to become future leaders in the environmental field.