The Mission Trails Regional Park (MTRP) Foundation, the nonprofit working in partnership with the City of San Diego to preserve and improve Mission Trails, invites teens to apply for its second Eco Ambassadors programming session.

The free program was created for teens interested in nature, the environment, and the interconnectedness of the world around them.

In June, the Foundation “graduated” its first group of Eco Ambassadors. Over the course of a few months, 20 teens from several local high schools hit the trails, heard from experts on nature-related topics, and explored careers focused on conservation and the climate.

The Eco Ambassadors program is free and open to high school students in San Diego County.

Steffi Lorica, a newly minted Spring 2023 Eco Ambassador, spoke about her experience in a recent Instagram post on the Mission Trails Regional Park account, sharing, “It’s [the program] a great eye-opener to figure out what kinds of things you really want to do if you’re still unsure. There are lots of hands-on activities that give you an exact idea of what different careers in the environmental science field look like. Being a part of the Eco Ambassadors program has helped me narrow down my career options and figure out how I’m going to get there.”

Among the last session’s program’s speakers was Mark Berninger, natural resource manager for the City of San Diego Parks and Recreation Department.

Berninger discussed the region’s Multiple Species Conservation Program (MSCP, a long-term habitat conservation planning program), and steps to getting into a nature-related career. Other speakers included a soil ecologist, meteorologist, wildfire science expert, and a climate scientist. Several of these speakers will return this fall.

The program will take place at Mission Trails on Sunday afternoons from mid-September through early November, and participants will earn an Eco Ambassador certificate at the conclusion of the program.

Applications for the Fall 2023 cohort are now open and will be accepted through Aug. 15.

Link to Eco Ambassadors application: Eco Ambassadors Program Application (google.com)

For assistance during the application process or for more about the program, contact MTRP Foundation Lead Educator Alissa Lustgarten at: [email protected].

Editor’s note: This information was provided by Taylor Crowley, Mission Trails Regional Park Foundation.