When did you get involved in EcoWomen? Why?
I got involved in EcoWomen in 2019 after a friend of mine said it would be a good opportunity to contribute to an area that I'm passionate about, and also gain some good professional experience. It's definitely been really great for me to hone my leadership skills.
What sparked your interest in the environment/ environmental movement?
I went to school for design, and I enjoyed visual communication. I learned a lot about how better communication could help so many people's lives. However, most (not all) of the jobs are in marketing and selling goods. Then I took a class on forestry and learned about the science behind climate change, and I decided that I wanted to work in visual communication and science translation in the environmental field. I've been able to do that by working as a multimedia specialist at EPA, but it's very overwhelming how much we can do to be better at communicating environmental science to the public.
Where does the environmental movement have room for improvement?
The problem with environmental protection has always been getting people to care and getting people to prioritize the environment in elections and in their daily life (where they spend their time, money and effort). It's very hard to make protecting the environment lucrative or fun (although that's been getting better and better), so getting people to care and take action is still what I would consider the area that needs the most focus.
Do you have any advice for those who are new to the environmental movement?
Getting more educated about climate change is important, because it makes the problem seem less overwhelming. You can see the individual problems and solutions that exist. Also, get to know the environmental laws and statutes, and the process for making regulations - that plays a big role in advocacy. Environmental work is very much based in the legal world or the science world, so making sure you pursue some education in one of those directions will probably help a lot! I wish there were more jobs in communication, but that path is definitely less straightforward. If you're passionate about it though, you can definitely make it happen!