What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.

Jane Goodall

In honor of Earth Month, we asked five Youth Scientists and Climate Communicators about how their identities inform their climate and advocacy work. Read their responses below, learn more about them, and follow!

Isaias Hernandez

he/they

“Choosing the name ‘Queer Brown Vegan’ was about celebrating my identity, and being a Gen Z activist goes hand-in-hand with that. No one should feel ashamed about their age in a movement that needs everyone. Youth activists experience ageism in so many climate spaces, so I try to fly the banner high for other young people to say, ‘you belong here too, anyone can do it, and we need you’.” 

Jenny Par

she/her

“Being a young scientist, I’m extremely curious. I’m constantly asking questions and thinking about complex climate issues from all aspects. Therefore, it has allowed me to be holistic in my problem-solving. “ 

Teresa Dorado

she/her/Ella

“My identity as a young scientist informs my work within the climate movement because I’m interested in learning about patterns in the environment through research and community participation. I work in the intersection between food systems, land management, and the environment where marginalized communities are often negatively impacted. As a Latina and daughter of immigrants, it is important to see representation within the science field and make space for scientists of all backgrounds and knowledge systems.”

Alaina Wood

she/her

“Being a young scientist and climate communicator helps me bridge the gap between the younger and older generations in climate activism. I communicate science and policy from the older generations to the younger generations, and I help the older generations understand the concerns and demands of the younger generations.”

Amanda Betancourt-Szymanowska

she/her

“Because I am an educator through TikTok and thus regularly communicate with the general public, it has a lasting effect on how and why I conduct prescribed burns and ecological restoration work. I not only have the educational background to understand why I do what I do ecologically but also the motivation; to restore ecosystems in order to make sure the next generation has access to them. Dealing with the public is a reminder that while nature has its own inherent value, the human dimensions of conservation are something that must always be taken into consideration.”

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All photos courtesy of subjects.

Answers may have been edited for length.

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