Hello, everyone! My name is Andrew, and I am a junior at USC majoring in environmental studies and minoring in legal studies. I am currently interning for California Coastkeeper Alliance (CCKA), which is an environmental non-profit group based in Sacramento. CCKA works to litigate for the environment, advocate for environmental justice, and fight for swimmable, fishable, and drinkable water for all Californians.
Hello! My name is Zoe, and I am a senior in Environmental Studies. During the fall 2024 semester, I interned in the policy and research department of the Los Angeles-based environmental non-profit organization TreePeople. TreePeople has many areas of focus and advocacy such as urban greening efforts and community education, but my internship focused on the effect that urbanization has on soil health, and on a climate policy overview.
Hello! My name is Marissa and I’m a junior majoring in Environmental Studies.
For the Spring 2025 semester, I was able to be a restoration intern with the Friends of the Ballona Wetlands. Friends of the Ballona Wetlands is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation, restoration, and protection of the Ballona Wetlands, the last coastal wetland in Los Angeles.
Hello! My name is Berit and I’m a senior in Environmental Studies who has been interning during the Spring 2025 semester for California Coastkeeper Alliance (CCKA). CCKA is a nonprofit organization that works to provide Californians with clean waters through policy and advocacy. Whether coastal or inland, CCKA addresses crucial water issues throughout the state such as pollution, water rights, and ecosystem health. Some more specific examples of CCKA’s projects for 2025 include protecting streams from groundwater overuse and working to set water quality standards to prevent coastal nutrient pollution.
Hi! My name is Kyla, and I have been interning with SkySource, working with Mr. David Hertz throughout this semester. David Hertz is an architect and an innovator who has been working on sustainable architecture practice and fire resilience projects. Additionally, Hertz is trained as a wildland firefighter; he is captain of the local county line community brigade and has worked with the Ventura County fire prevention district on several grants.
Hello! My name is Hector Espinoza, and I am a Senior double majoring in Philosophy, Politics and Economics and Environmental Studies. This semester I had the amazing opportunity of participating in a hybrid internship with TreePeople, an influential nonprofit organization that, obviously, plants trees but goes far and beyond in advancing and improving green, blue, and brown infrastructure in underserved communities in Los Angeles. During my time at TreePeople, I mainly supported the brown infrastructure aspect, which was perfect given my love for gardening and fascination with soils.
From the beginning of this semester, I wanted to understand what nonprofit work looks like in practice, especially in sustainability and urban greening. City Plants has given me that and more. I’ve been able to work on everything from outreach strategies and fundraising to event planning and content design. Oneof the most rewarding parts was helping prepare for the 2025 Arbor Day Celebration, where I helped create infographics and messaging to promote donations and community engagement. Seeing the event come together and knowing I helped support it was meaningful and rewarding.
This semester, I’ve had the opportunity to intern with Cleaner California Coast (CCC), a branch of the Leave No Trace initiative focused on protecting the Northern California coastline across three counties: Marin, Sonoma, and Mendocino. Cleaner California Coast’s mission centers around promoting sustainable coastal practices and enhancing visitor education, with a unique emphasis on bilingual accessibility to reach diverse communities.
Hello! My name is Valerie, and I am a senior pursuing my Master's in Public Administration and Bachelor of Science in Environmental Studies. For the Spring 2025 semester, I had the fortunate opportunity to be a policy intern for TreePeople’s Policy team, a local nonprofit based in Los Angeles that supports the planting of trees in urban areas and other environmental advocacy.
