We are able to get time from Suzy G. , founder and Executive Director of Healthy Footprints Adventure Community in Southern California. Lets hear all about the club!
What is the official name of the club, and what is your primary mission?
We are the HFAC Adventure Leaders, the youth leadership team of Healthy Footprints Adventure Community.
Our mission is to connect environmental education with action. Students learn about ecosystems, wildlife, conservation, and outdoor leadership. Then they get opportunities to put that knowledge to work.
This year our focus is people making change. We introduce students to people working in science, conservation, education, media, and other environmental careers. We want them to see the many ways they could turn their interests into future work.
How many members do you have, and what is the typical “vibe” of a meeting?
We intentionally keep the group small, with up to 25 students. Most are homeschooled teens, but we also have students from traditional schools.
Our meetings usually don’t feel like meetings. We might hike, kayak, explore somewhere new, plan an event, work on a conservation project, or meet someone working in the field.
It’s relaxed and fun, but students are expected to contribute and take responsibility.
What specific branches of science do you focus on?
Environmental science and ecology are at the center of what we do. Students also explore wildlife biology, marine biology, chaparral ecology, urban ecology, and conservation science.
They study local ecosystems, collect wildlife and marine data, help with habitat restoration, and participate in species surveys. Marine science is also a big part of our program through snorkeling, and some students are part of our scuba team.
Some of our youth community science work is featured at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County’s NHM Commons.
We want science to feel real and active, not like something that only happens in a textbook.
What is the most ambitious project the club has tackled this year?
The year has just begun, but our biggest project right now is Take the Mic, a youth-centered environmental event. Our first event is on Catalina Island. More information is at takethemic.earth.
Our Adventure Leaders are helping run the event, not just attending it. Students are working in event production, photography, social media, community engagement, interviewing, welcoming guests, and public speaking.
Take the Mic brings students, environmental organizations, and the community together for youth talks and an outdoor ocean film screening.
It gives our students real experience in environmental communication, leadership, and community action.
What has been the club’s proudest moment in the last 12 months?
One of our proudest moments was helping remove more than 1,600 invasive plants during a conservation trip on Catalina Island.
But I’m most proud of watching students return and take on more responsibility.
A student might start by simply trying something new. Later, that same student may be helping younger kids, collecting data, working an event, interviewing someone in the field, or leading part of a project.
That growth is really what Adventure Leaders is about.
How does the club contribute to the local or broader community?
Our students take part in conservation, habitat restoration, community science, environmental education, and service.
They work on wildlife and ecosystem projects. They support younger students and help at community events.
They also volunteer with our community Gear Library. They help families learn how to get outdoors and get set up with the equipment they need.
We want students to see that environmental action can take many forms.
What are the long-term goals for the club?
We want to build a pathway from curiosity to real experience.
Students can meet scientists, educators, conservationists, photographers, journalists, and other professionals. They can learn what those careers actually look like and start building skills now.
We also want to expand our community science projects, grow our youth scuba and marine science team, and create more student-led conservation projects.
Eventually, I would love to take Adventure Leaders on conservation projects in other parts of the world.
Most of all, I want students to know they do not have to wait until adulthood to make a difference.
Anything else you would like to say to Ecolyst readers?
You don’t have to know exactly what you want to be when you grow up before you start getting involved.
Go outside. Ask questions. Volunteer. Help collect data. Learn about one species or ecosystem that interests you. Talk to people doing work you think is cool and ask how they got there.
One experience can open the door to something you never knew existed.
About Suzy
Name: Suzy Gonzalez
Position: Founder and Executive Director, Healthy Footprints Adventure Community / Adventure Leaders Program Lead
Club: HFAC Adventure Leaders
Website: www.hfadventurecommunity.com/adventureleaders
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hfadventurecommunity/
I’m Suzy Gonzalez, founder and Executive Director of Healthy Footprints Adventure Community in Southern California. I’m an environmental educator and outdoor leader. I help kids and teens learn outside, meet people working in the field, and discover where their interests might lead.
