Environmental Studies Newsletter 2023-2024

Program Review

This year was the seventh year since ENST has completed its last program review, which is a way that the institution assesses the program, and is helpful in seeing how things are going, what needs to be changed, and what is going well. The following is a summary of the review.

ENST Mission

The ENST BA degree exists within a department that has been growing over the past years since its inception and since the last program review. The BA program, which launched in 2011, started with 8 students, and has grown to 115 majors. The program converted in 2021 to a Department, which acquired the Environment and Community Master’s program (with 19 students currently enrolled), and then developed a new minor in Sustainability (currently with 13 declared). The BA is an interdisciplinary, liberal arts degree that attracts students who care about ecological issues, and is grounded in the arts, humanities, and social sciences. It complements other environmental program offerings on this campus, including the Environmental Sciences and Management BS, while emphasizing socio-ecological justice. Tightly aligned with Humboldt’s institutional values, the program emphasizes social justice and interdisciplinarity in its approach to environmental problems.

Our Goals

Provideliberalartseducation preparingstudentsforactive citizenshipanddiversecareerpaths

Offerinterdisciplinarystudieson environmentalissues

Deliveracomprehensivecurriculum emphasizingenvironmental responsibility,sustainability,and stewardship

Engagestudentsinreflectingonand advocatingforsocialresponsibility

Equipstudentsforaglobalized, interconnected,anddiverseworld throughenvironmentalstudies

Dr. Reed Authors “Settler Cannabis” and Wins Prestigious McCrone Award

It was never Kaitlin Reed's plan to write about cannabis, but her entanglements with it began during her first year of college when she shared amongst peers that she was from Humboldt, and their eyes lit up. She was working for the Yurok Tribe Environmental Program when she witnessed Operation Yurok, a massive raid to eradicate illegal pot growers. The Yurok Tribe faced environmental damage from illicit cultivation trespass, water diversions, chemical pollution, and human waste. Traditional gatherers faced threats, violence, and intimidation from cannabis cultivators. Reed argues that it was crucial to document the ecological and cultural impacts of cannabis cultivation for Indigenous peoples, as it was a continuation of settler-colonial resource extraction.

Settler Cannabis explores the historical and ecological connections between the gold rush and the green rush, arguing that

resource rushing is a violent settler-colonial pattern of extraction, focusing on access and control over lands and ecological management authority. The real gold is not gold but the land itself. The toxic legacy of resource rushing, including mercury use and atrazine spraying, negatively impacts tribal peoples.

Indigenous peoples have a long-standing relationship with their land, with their ancestors becoming the soil and Earth. The gifts they receive from Creators, such as salmon, elk, and acorns, nourish them and become part of their bodies. The health of ecosystems is directly linked to the vitality of Indigenous peoples, as the health of the River is crucial for the flourishing of all dependent on it.

Reed discusses the state of California's ecosystems and the impact of climate change on its water systems. She argues that the land was stolen 170 years ago, and the current water systems are choking and contaminated. Reed proposes a sustainable vision of land return and decolonization, rejecting the commodification and control of nature for wealth accumulation. She also argues that the cannabis industry is not the cause of this problem but rather a result of the toxic relationship with lands and waters.

For this work and more, Dr. Reed has won the esteemed McCrone Promising Faculty Scholar Award! Congratulations!

Faculty Research Corner

Dr. Sarah Jaquette Ray published a new co-edited book on “how to teach in a burning world.” This book is a collection of practices, assignments, and voices from college classrooms around the country. The following is an excerpt from the introduction.

Climate, Justice, and Emotions in the Classroom

By Sarah Jaquette Ray and Jennifer Atkinson

The climate predicament is demanding that higher education radically change. If we are in a womb, not a tomb, as the poet Valarie Kaur stated in a speech in 2016, how are educators to help midwife what’s to come?

It is no longer morally or strategically appropriate to berate students with dire forecasts and reports of the sixth great extinction, to teach case studies of slow violence and ecological destruction, or present problems so deep and entrenched that solutions appear elusive. With students coming into the classroom already aware of how bad things are, the old model of scaring them into caring is no longer working.

Even worse, the doom and gloom model is backfiring, as shown by a growing body of scholarship on the role of emotions in climate action. Apathy is the most likely result of these doom-focused change messages. Environmental melancholia, eco-phobia, degradation desensitization, and other emotion-focused terms are emerging to explain how the apocalyptic approach to climate messaging simply doesn’t work. If psychologists and climate communication experts know that piling on the doom makes us feel powerless, despairing, skeptical, and apathetic, why are so many educators still teaching this way? One fundamental premise of this collection arises from the insight that many educators have come to:

emotions shape not only students’ capacity for learning, but also their ability to respond meaningfully and effectively to what they’re learning. Most environmental educators want students to feel inspired to engage in sustained, lifelong action in service of climate justice, environmental protection, and both personal and societal healing. And most educators are aware that we are at a turning point in education, requiring enhanced skills to respond to these times. But few are aware of what psychologists, affect theorists, narrative experts, and students of most wisdom traditions and social movements all know— that the key to these outcomes is not logic, information, data, or facts, but (as much,

Dr. Sarah J. Ray

Jennifer Atkinson

and relatedly) emotion. This book seeks to bring the most up-to-date research on climate emotions to bear on college-level pedagogy.

It is no longer effective or ethical to teach climate topics without some training in trauma-informed pedagogy and without an analysis of white supremacy, heteronormative patriarchy, and Indigenous epistemology—lenses which are the domain of fields typically not in the sciences. In The Existential Toolkit for Climate Justice Educators, we aim to move climate pedagogy in these directions, bringing other frameworks to bear, in addition to the insights of psychology, on our awareness of how climate information works on and through students.

Another argument for centering emotions in climate pedagogy is that educators themselves are exhausted, overwhelmed, and often wrestling with climate emotions like despair, anger, apathy, and hopelessness. The coronavirus pandemic has made matters worse. It revealed in stark relief that the working conditions of educators, including at the college level, are precarious and exploited. This was worse for female faculty, and more so for female faculty of color, faculty with disabilities, and any faculty who were also relied upon for caregiving of children or elders.

More than ever, students are ready to imagine, desire, and build a different world. They don’t want to “go back to normal,” and they often see how “normal” was already bad for people and the environment. Abolition, mutual aid, intentional communities, new definitions of kinship, public banking, and taking governance, education, and infrastructure into their own hands—these are the skills students desire, since they have lost faith that existing systems will fix what ails us.

Faculty and Staff

Dr. Sarah Jaquette Ray Dept. Chair and Professor

Dr. Ray has been the chair of ENST since 2013. She researches environmental and climate justice, the environmental humanities, and the role of emotions in climate activism and education. She teaches all the ENST classes, depending on what isn't covered, and works closely with instructional and affiliated faculty to keep the program humming.

Iván teaches ENST 120, ENST 295: Power, Privilege, and the Environment, ENST 395W Research and Analysis, and in fall, a Graduate Seminar for E&C 610 Research Methods for the Environment and Community. He is a Ph.D. candidate writing his dissertation the environmental history of land grant colleges and the efforts in the 20th century to create agricultural technology that will replace farm workers. With skills as an illustrator, Iván’s dissertation will also be converted into a graphic novel so that people can read a condensed version.

Katie teaches ENST 490S Capstone and Geography 105 Intro to Human Geography. On top of teaching she is a Sustainability Analyst at Cal Poly Humboldt, coordinates campus STARS reports, produces outreach materials, advises students, and helps infuse sustainability. With a Master's degree in Environment & Community, and a BA in Geography, she focuses on establishing inclusive, sustainable communities in food, energy, education, and creative sectors.

Iván González-Soto Lecturer

Katie Koscielak Lecturer

Lonny Grafman Lecturer

Lonny Grafman teaches community-based design and engineering at Cal Poly Humboldt, where he also serves as the faculty coordinator for the student-led courses at the Campus Center for Appropriate Technology. He is the President of the Appropedia Foundation that shares nitty-gritty real solutions around the world, direct the Business Competition, and the author of To Catch the Rain and co-author of To Catch the Sun. Grafman.

Dr. Laura Johnson Lecturer

Dr. Laura Johnson teaches ENST 381, Climate Emotions as Activism, along with her regular spring courses AHSS 108: Culture, Nature, Food and GEOG 301: International Environmental Issues and Globalization. Beyond campus, Laura continues to grow her small business, A Restful Space, a Radical Restorative Yoga Studio and Cozy Community Healing Space in Old Town Eureka. There she offers trauma-conscious Restorative Yoga in a post-capitalist context, monthly Community Grief Circles, and special workshops and series, along with a Yoga for Ecological Grief self-paced online course.

Meridith Oram Academic Advisor

Meridith (she/her) academically advises first and second year students and first-semester transfers as well as provides career advising to all Environmental Studies students.

Amy Mixer Administrative Support Coordinator

Amy Mixer handles class scheduling and budget for faculty and staff, assists with the hiring of faculty and student assistants, and general office support, and welcomes students and staff as they enter the main office.

As a student assistant Julia provides support for students and faculty with general office work in both the ENST and Geography departments. Julia helps students find answers to their questions and to direct them to where they need to go.

Welcome to Environmental Studies New Faculty and Academic Staff

Amy Mixer

The Environmental Studies Department would like to introduce you to Amy Mixer. Amy joined the department in the Fall of 2021 as the department’s Administrative Support Coordinator. She handles creating the class schedules by working with the department chair and locating faculty workload reports to determine the day, time, and courses for a given term. Amy also helps the department with their budgeting to help pay for events and incoming money. Lastly, she helps in the hiring of faculty and student assistants.

Julia Novoa Student Assistant

Katie Koscielak

Katie Koscielak is a lecturer and sustainability analyst at Cal Poly Humboldt. She received a Bachelor of Arts in Geography from UC Berkeley. Due to the competitive work environment after the Recession of 2008- 2009, she chose to pursue a Master's Degree in Environment and Community at Humboldt State University in 2012. She has stated, "The program seemed like it was made for me!" As she looked through the program, she saw classes covering topics previously studied and topics that interested her as an undergrad in cultural geography, such as neoliberalism, globalization, political ecology, and commodities market analysis.

Koscielak currently teaches ENST 490S Capstone and Geography 105 Intro to Human Geography. One of her goals for students is to “understand the world's complexity, and that change takes time, strategy, and building trust with those around you.” Koscielak's teaching philosophy follows applied opportunities. In her class, she brings in many guest speakers to share their experiences within the work field, as well as shows documentaries in order to have students experience community voices about what is happening in real-world situations. In the future, she plans on coordinating more field trips so that students can experience places, case studies, and talk to people currently involved in pressing environmental and cultural issues.

Katie has also worked a full-time staff job in the Office of Sustainability as a Sustainability Analyst for the past seven years. Katie works with various campus stakeholders on projects relating to energy, waste, food, curriculum, water, transportation, social justice, and policy, among others. With her work on the Sustainability, Tracking, Assessment, and Rating System (STARS), she has developed a wide variety of data about the campus to help fill gaps and make recommendations on making the campus more sustainable.

Hello & Farewell Iván González-Soto

Iván González-Soto has been serving as a lecturer at Cal Poly Humboldt since last spring. He received his associate's degree in math and science at Imperial College and bachelor's in Environmental Studies at Humboldt State University with an emphasis on community organizing. His master's is from the University of California of Merced interdisciplinary Humanities, through the Department of History and Critical Race and Ethnic Studies. He is finishing his doctorate in History and Critical Race and Ethnic Studies, graduating in Spring of 2024 and will be taking an illustrious position in Latinx History at Washington State University in the fall.

Before finding Humboldt and Environmental Studies, Iván participated in environmental justice and community organizing, working with non-profits back home and teaching environmental education to junior high and elementary students. Humboldt State attended a career fair outreach at the school where Iván was teaching at the time, which grabbed his attention and was the only college he applied to Humboldt State in 2014," If I don't get in I'll wait another year and apply again!”

Iván has been teaching ENST 120, ENST 295, ENST 395W Research and Analysis, and a Graduate Seminar for E&C 610 Research Methods for the Environment and Community program. Iván’s goal is for students is to be able to communicate these environmental issues publicly, take what they have learned in these classes, and “be the person who can speak to all sides of a problem“ and not vilify one side of the group and find common ground for solutions of a more just future.

His teaching philosophy is student-centered. Encouraging students to bring in their own experiences and culture to see how it has shaped their perspectives. "Those are always the most exciting classes, when someone brings in their experiences and background."

Soto shares that students should focus on something other than the doom and gloom of these topics covered in class, as he has seen the motivation drop. Finding the moments of joy and laughter in the heavy topics can encourage those to learn more, making it more approachable.

ENST has benefitted immensely from Soto’s contributions as an undergrad and lecturer. We wish him continued success in his journey!

Dr. Deepti Chatti

Dr. Deepti Chatti joined the Environmental Studies Department in fall of 2019, in her four years with us, Dr. Chatti made a huge impact on so many students, and on the campus and community. She was hired straight out of her PhD program at Yale University as our first "environmental justice" faculty line. Her expertise on energy/climate justice, feminist political ecology, and critical science/technology studies inspired a new course-- Energy Justice-- and she worked with Schatz Energy Lab to bring a critical justice perspective to conduct research on fire with indigenous and engineering experts in the region. Despite the difficulties of remote learning she adjusted and threw her efforts into supporting her students and continued to make the classrooms inclusive where diverse viewpoints were accepted and encouraged for a deeper understanding. We appreciate her dedication and efforts to help students develop the skills to learn from a diversity of disciplines and viewpoints, explore various writing styles, and engage with the world in ways that are meaningful and ethical.

Here at Humboldt, Chatti taught several of the upper division major classes such as ENST 295 Power, Privilege, and Environment, ENST 395 Environmental Studies Research and Analysis, and ENST 480 Energy Justice. Chatti started a new position in fall 2023 teaching as an Assistant Professor of Climate Justice at the University of California, San Diego. She works in the Department of Urban Studies and Planning, and the Critical Gender Studies Program.

We are grateful to have had Dr. Chatti's presence for the time we did, and wish her the best of success in all that lies ahead.

In April of 2023 the Campus Center for Appropriate Technology (CCAT) began construction of a tire retaining wall in their on-campus garden at Buck House. Constructed by ENST majors Maddy Hunt, Nicole Suzuki, Kristina Fiebig, CCAT directors, instructors and volunteers, the retaining wall was part of CCAT’s project to rebuild the existing Reclamation Station structure located in their garden. The structure has served as storage for students to donate and access reclaimed building materials. Their main goal was to build sustainably, complement other natural building features at CCAT, and provide opportunities for community participation. The Reclamation Station has been built using a variety of natural building materials. Some of the natural materials used include a hempcrete wall which is an environmentally friendly building material for walls, floors, and ceilings.

Cobb is an ancient building technique, traditionally consisting of a mixture of clay, sand, and straw. Earthen Plasters protect the walls from moisture, pests, wind erosion, spread of fire, while adding to the aesthetic of the building.

ESNT Majors Left to Right: Nicole Suzuki, Kristina Fiebig, Maddy Hunt

Student Composition

When I wrote this, I was navigating some health issues and found myself questioning my attachment to ability and worth. I became inspired by Trisha Hersey’s work which centers on rest as resistance. This writing grew into a critique of my reliance on capitalist notions of work in my own activism and self-identity, but also a moment to position my body as the knower and teacher.

I felt my body calling me into a knowing that the Earth has never asked me to prove my living worthwhile, and that to be so caught up in that headspace is counterproductive to any change I am working towards. So collectively this piece is a reminder to myself that my value is innate, and that while direct action is critical it is not the only avenue of resistance. Change is birthed in infinite forms

I think I’m all fancy stomping around in used shoes high on mutual aid shouting about autonomy hating capitalism

but my body sat me down to talk made sure I knew I don’t know shit she spoke

if you want to be some kind of change you have to rest you have to be okay living in the knowing that you are blessing just by existing

meaning, when I cannot work even for the world

you are no less worth the space this body holds

you have to accept your existence is not linear you are a beautiful creative inconsistent burden to this economy too sexy

don’t hate on me

for begging you to take a nap for protesting all that work for reducing what you can accomplish in a day

you’ve been running around looking for ways to feel like you're fighting that system

girlie pop, I’m right here.

The Environmental Studies club held a climate anxiety meeting, where members led guided meditations to confront and manage feelings of anxiety and guilt. Meditation is a coping strategy for climate grief and anxiety, as it allows people to continue being obsessively positive. In How to cope (or not) with climate change, Linton writes of the climate grief and anxiety affecting people's daily lives, particularly among students at the Campus Center for Appropriate Technology (CCAT). Members of the Environmental Studies Club expressed fear of wildfires, mourned biodiversity loss,

and harbored anger towards those responsible for the climate crisis. Some students feel responsible for fixing the climate, but often hide it away, focusing on the little things that make them happy.

Linton points out Climate change is a complex issue that is often misunderstood due to the media's portrayal of it as unavoidable and irreversible. People often struggle with the cognitive dissonance of climate messaging, leading to denial and a lack of action towards climate justice.

Scan to read the article

Art by Eli Featherstone

ENST Student Pamela Reyes Organizes Career Tours

By Pamela G. Reyes

This past year, Environmental Studies majors are participating in ENST Career Tours, which take them to local organizations, agencies, or facilities to identify careers that align with their interests. These tours provide students with practical advice and insights from guest speakers, who share their academic journey and professional trajectory. The first two tours took place in September 2024 at the Six Rivers National Forest headquarters, with guest speakers from various fields. The third tour took place at the Arcata Wastewater Treatment Facility, where a Wastewater Operator and Compliance Manager shared her role and the importance of community involvement in decision-making.

The tours began because I was not finding jobs focused on interdisciplinary careers when looking for work last year. Most job advertisements require graduates from fields concentrated in science, health, and education. Environmental studies, not being a specific degree in these fields, places us at a disadvantage compared to other applicants. For this reason, the initiative to present ourselves to these establishments and meet professionals and their roles is aimed at exploring occupations where our education aligns with the responsibilities and missions of the organizations. In this way, not only do students see which branches can be explored for an academic and professional future,

but also the organizations themselves would understand how environmental studies are essential for community and ecological development.

The hope is that jobs will grow where students from our field are sought out, strengthening the balance and prosperity of communities in political, cultural, social, and environmental aspects.

Six Rivers National Forest headquarters

L.A.E.P. Research Project

Career Prep for a Diverse Environmental Studies

Through a new grant available through the Chancellor’s office, called the Learning Aligned Employment Program, Dr. Ray applied to fund three research assistants to conduct qualitative research on how to integrate career development in environmental studies, with a focus on what the university calls “underrepresented minority students” or URMs. The research assistants for this project were Ashley Keya (ENST), Athens Marron (SOC), and Imran Rashid (ENST).

Their research question is: “What are the best practices for supporting career development of URMs in environmental studies baccalaureate programs?” Although they are completing their research as this newsletter goes into production, their culminating deliverables will be: a poster presented at IdeaFest, submission of their findings for publication in the CSU Journal of Climate and Sustainability, and a presentation outlining their findings and recommendations to the faculty of ENST.

From left to right - ENST majors Ashley Keya , Imran Rashid , and Athens Marron (SOC)

ENST Club Success Story

Written by Zachary Meyer

The Environmental Studies Club was revived by a few Environmental Studies students in the fall of 2022. That first semester, we met with a consistent eight members. This last semester, Fall 2023, we had nearly twenty people come to each meeting. We have developed the club to meet two primary goals: providing a community fostering climate action and a space for students to work through their anxiety. We have been able to do this by promoting constructive discussions about topics ranging from the cost of sustainability to how parking laws stonewall affordable housing development. The club also leads hikes and nature walks within Humboldt County to allow students to connect with the natural world and enable new students to experience our beautiful area. Club member Maggie Demorest shares, “Being able to feel a sense of community and joyfulness each time we meet has added so much value to my time here at Humboldt! It made me feel connected to my peers and the area itself.” We are currently working on expanding our involvement in political action, as well as organizing a Climate Conference.

For more information on when the club meets and how you can join contact them via email or check out their

Instagram

Email

enst.club@humboldt.edu

Instagram @calpoly.enst

Tribute to Past Peer Mentors

Our major-based peer mentors helped connect Environmental Studies students with department faculty and staff to support their academic identity and create a sense of belonging. Sadly, With the end of the grant that funded the Peer Mentor program, we have had to end it (for now). A huge thank you to all of our mentors for the positive influence they had on so many students!

Molly Gilmore and Nicholas Graham

Fall 2020-Spring 2021

MollyislivinginSeattleandisaRental AssistanceProgramCoordinatorwithUnitedWay ofKingCountyhelpingdistributefundsto communitymemberswhoareatriskofeviction

Nich isworkingasanOutdoor&GardeneducatorataPreK - 8 school in North Carolina. “Teaching's become a vehicle to integrate art without having to commodify the process a form of activism that often feels less adrenaline-inducing thandirectaction;ahumblingexperienceexplodingmysenses ofselfeveryweek.”

Sara Daniel and Emily Read

Fall 2020-Spring 2021

SaraisworkingasanAdmissionsCounselorfora schoolinMainecalledHussonUniversity.Through hercapstoneproject,shewantedtopursuea careerinalternativemedicine.Ontheside,Sarais workingtogetmecertifiedtobecomeaWoman's HormonalHealthPractitioner.

Emilypursuedhermaster'sinEnvironmentalSystemsatCalPolyHumboldt, focusingonrenewableenergytransition.HerminorinAppropriateTechnologysparked herinterestinbridgingthegapbetweenenvironmentalpolicyandengineering.She workedunderKatieKoscielakattheOfficeofSustainabilityandconductedfield researchintheAndeanregionofPeru.

Delaney Schroeder-Echavarria and Sky Kili

Fall 2021-Spring 2022

Delaneyispursuinghermaster'sdegreein Environment&Community.Lastsummershewasa NationalinternwithIAC,assistingonprojectslike theFoodforIndigenousFuturesYouthCouncil. ShewasinvolvedwithharvestingTraditionalBull KelpfromWigi,alocalfoodsource.This experiencehasbecomethebasisoftheir graduatework,andtheyareexcitedtoassistona grantwiththeLab.

SkyiscurrentlylivinginSeattlewheretheyworkasaprogrammanagerforthe WildernessInner-CityLeadershipDevelopmentprogramservingimmigrantandrefugee youth.TheyhavebegunapplyingtoMastersProgramsthisyearandhavealongterm goaltobecomeaclinicalsocialworkerandusenatureandmovementasvehiclefor somatictherapy.

Grace Clapper Fall 2022-Spring 2023

Grace isinherfinalsemesterhereatCalPolyHumboldtin EnvironmentalStudies,emphasizingEcologyandconservation. Sheis currentlyaninternfortheFriendsoftheDunesDERT(Dune EcosystemRestorationTeam)inrestoringManilaDunes.Shehopes shecanfindworkintheforestserviceafterreceivingherdegree.

IVÁN’S ENST PLAYLIST

Written By Iván González-Soto

I began curating an environmental studies playlist in 2023. That playlist includes a variety of songs that I typically listen to as I prepare for my classes, and they often relate to course themes or assigned readings for a particular week. My playlist has grown since 2023, and Humboldt students have shared songs that I’ve added to that original playlist. The playlist will continue to grow as I teach new classes and learn about new songs that relate to environmental studies.

“(Nothing But) Flowers” Talking Heads

“Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)”

Marvin Gaye

“Trópico de Cáncer”

Café Tacvba

“When The Levee Breaks”

Memphis Minnie and Kansas Joe

“Backwater Blue”

Bessie Smith

“Sleeping In”

The Postal Service

“The Earth is Our Mother” Oi Polloi

“The Revolution Will Not Be Televised”

Gil Scot Heron

“Lord, Mr. Ford”

Jerry Reed

“Acid Rain”

D.R.I.

“Franco Un-American” NOFX

“Preservation” The Kinks

“D.D.T.”

Malvina Reynolds

“Cement Octopus”

Pete Seeger

“Shapes of Things”

The Yardbirds

“The Day Turned Dayglo”

X-Ray Spex

“In the Year 2525”

Zager & Evans

“Kyoto Now!” Bad Religion

“Carbon Monoxide” CAKE

“Long Line of Cars” CAKE

“Hungry Planet” The Byrds

“Kepone Factory”

Dead Kennedys

“Cesspools In Eden”

Dead Kennedys

“Saturn”

Stevie Wonder

Decolonizing Sustainability

This speaker series aims to highlight and unpack intersections of settler colonialism, white supremacy, and systems of power/privilege/oppression within the discourse and rhetoric of contemporary sustainability, environmental, and climate change movements. This series is intended to serve as a deep dive into problematic and harmful discourse(s) of sustainability to move toward a decolonial sustainability movement that amplifies Indigenous sovereignty and traditional ecological knowledge. This year, we had the following robust set of speakers and authors.

Student Awards

Every year, the campus and the department offer a variety of awards to amazing students. We nominate ENST students in every category we can, from Sustainability to Outstanding in Academic Excellence to student activism and co-curricular activities, to our own departmental ENST Student Leadership Award. We are so proud of these students for all they contribute to the world:

Maddy Hunt

Sustainability Champion Award

Spring 2023

Maddy Hunt received this award for her dedication to expanding and adopting of natural building techniques. She taught the ENST 123 Natural Building course, where she led students into the development of the Reclamation Station. A section of the grounds of the Campus Center for Appropriate Technology. Hunt has also competed in the Sunstone CSU Startup Launch Competition Working with an indigenous housing initiative and natural homebuilders to bring hemcrete building technology to Humboldt County as a way to address Housing and fire safety challenges with a carbon-negative building material.

Delaney Schroeder-Echavarria

ENST Student Leadership Award 2023

Delaney Schroeder-Echavarria won this award for demonstrating leadership in and out of class and having diverse and visible leadership qualities. She was a peer mentor for the department in the Fall of 2021 and Spring of 2022. She also interned for Rou Dalagurr: the Food Sovereignty Lab & Traditional Ecological Knowledge Institute in 2023 and created the Greenhouse handbook for the greenhouse. They presented her work at the Intertribal Agriculture Council spring gathering which was well received and applauded by Indigenous community practitioners. She is sharp, eloquent, discerning, constructive, analytical, and brilliant at times, but she also made the classroom a welcoming environment for all students and encouraged others to participate.

Congratulations AerinMonroe

ENST senior Aerin has been selected from all of the student award nominations to be the most Outstanding Student of the Year in Co-curricular activities!

Aerin is a student member of the INRSEP (Indian Natural Resources, Science and Engineering Program + Diversity in STEM (INRSEP+) at Cal Poly) and an indigenous person of the Americas and beyond. He braids ancestors' wisdom with modern Western science techniques to mindfully nurture his calling of stewarding the landscapes he inhabits through his daily activities as a student, parent, grassroots holistic farmer, and entrepreneurial nonprofit developer.

Aerin has a horticultural and natural landscaping background. He is focused on sustainable food systems, restorative agriculture, ecosystem restoration, and land and food sovereignty for BIPOC communities. He builds community awareness towards social progress and support for Black rural spaces and experiences. His work is connected to Black Land Stewardship, AfroEcologies, and Botanical & Cultural Arts advocacy. Aerin has contributed to the initiatives of local organizations like Save California Salmon, Sorrel Leaf Healing Center, and Blue Lake Rancheria's Daluviwi' Community Garden.

Outstanding Student Award

Spring 2024

His experiences as a Cal Poly Humboldt Environmental Studies major have fast-tracked Aerin’s understanding of local culturally significant fauna as part of his developing regional ecosystem stewardship growth. His project concepts such as his work with Save California Salmon significantly align with the broader stewardship inertia of this region. With ENST alumnus Valentina Dimas (‘21), Aerin produced a series of documentaries called “Sowing Seeds: Racial Justice and the Environmental Movement,” which was featured in Humboldt Now in February 2024.

Aerin is also the Co-Founder and Codirector alongside his wife, Dr. Susanne Sarley, of a local nonprofit called Pathways of Purpose, which seeks to empower youth and the community to dream big for their lives and the world by providing asset-based, STEAM educational and vocational programs.

Toyon Environmental Justice Award

Written by Holly Rae

Toyon Multilingual Literary Magazine and the Environmental Studies Program at Cal Poly Humboldt would like to congratulate Emily M. Stewart, the recipient of the 2024 Environmental Studies Program Award in Environmental Justice Writing and Art, for their poem, “The Submission.”

The opening of this poem elicits the imagery of the seeming incongruence of concrete and metal with blooming flowers and the dancing of moths. “The people who pass by are unknown to themselves” observes the poet, suggesting that they see themselves as more connected to the concrete and metal than that of the living matter, blooming in between cracks. The smell of decay, and the piling compost matter, repulsive at first, is observed by the speaker as “nature's greatest mechanisms, more pure and efficient than the tin we call flesh and the bolts we use as joints.” The speaker gives voice to our place as nature in the process of death and decay. The blooming flowers of the opening lines ask, “tell me your sorrows” as the once mechanical individual submits to the process of decayed reunification with the earth and the grief that accompanies the realization of harm caused from the hubris of thinking we were separate in our polluting and domination.

This work suggests that grief itself is a necessary process of regeneration. This poem is also a warning to connect, grieve and act before it is too late. In this time of environmental catastrophe and climate change, it is more imperative than ever that we see not only the harm caused by human impact but that we also see ourselves as harmed and impacted by the avarice consumption and pollution of the earth.

This poem invites the reader to remember that what is human is also nature. That decay gives birth to new life, and even though we may for a time imagine ourselves separate from this process, in the end, we are all earth.

Sponsored by the Environmental Studies program at Humboldt State, the Environmental Justice Award was established in 2016 to recognize exceptional achievement in environmental justice writing and art.

Film 362: Social Change Digital Production with Sarah Lasley

Film 362: Social Change and Digital Production is a 4 unit upper division course that examines how social change digital media is a tool that increases awareness and modifies behavior. By taking this course students were able to screen, discuss, develop, and produce short digital media social change productions.

Sarah Lasley, a video artist from Louisville, Kentucky, is an Assistant Professor of Film at Cal Poly Humboldt. She has screened at various film festivals and has worked as an animator and projection designer. Lasley received the Toby Devan Lewis Grant from Yale School of Art and was awarded the grand prize for her work at Blue Star Contemporary's Projection/Projektion video program in Germany. She holds an MFA from Yale and a BFA from the University of Louisville.

Student Artwork

Every year, ENST students produce an incredible amount of art in service of their own wellbeing and sometimes, in service to planetary healing. In courses such as Radical Graphics and Art, Health Justice, & Climate, and in other classes in Film, JMC, and other departments, ENST students express their interventions for a better world through a variety of mediums.

Evelyn Banuelos

Darcy Sarr

Maria Zamora

Ash Marino

Eddie Guzman

Maya Branch

Karla Rodriguez

CONGRATULATIONS GRADUATES

Many of our graduating students came to Humboldt during the pandemic learning remotely. Their hard work and perseverance should be applauded, and we are very proud of all of you for reaching this monumental accomplishment. All the best for a happy, healthy, and prosperous future wherever the next step takes you.

Fall 2022

Cherland, Logan

Cimino, Sophia

Foster, Ameera

Juarez Paez, Briana

Kaeser, Kinsley

Maxwell, Rose

Purdy, Justin

Vargas, Monica

Spring 2023

Banuelos, Evelyn

Bocox, Chloe

DaSilva, Daniel

Dunne, Ryan

Fiebig, Kristina

Franco, Megan

Garaway, Benjamin

Hunt, Madison

Hussain, Gabriella

Jordan, Jessica

Kili, Sky

Kitchen, Marcia

Lachman, Elizabeth

Loza, Jared

Moon, Charlie

Nichols-Tabrum, Felix

Ramirez, Alexa

Ramirez, Marcos

Reifer, Ashlie

Schroeder-Echavarria, Delaney

Selvaggio, Sophia

Simkins, Nicholas

Sjostrom, Emma

Valenzuela, Justin

Vincent, Zeen

Wilkinson, Katherine

Yaskowitz, Peter

Spring 2024

Aronson, Benjamin Ford

Barrett, Patrick

Baumstone, Stella

Beissert, Anna Christina

Buangsuwon, Alex Andrew

Burrola, Mewtwo Xavier

Cain, Willow Marie

Capps, Donavin Maxwell

Circe, Tanner Riley

Circe, Hunter Marshall

Clapper, Grace Makenna

Clear, Erin

Colegrove, Princess Jintcon Yvette

Demorest, Maggie Whitney

Ellison, Bryan

Elliston, Jack

Ferlinghetti, Aurora T

Fall 2023

Sutton, Sunsara

Sullivan, Shaely

Segura, Wendi

Rewerts, Mason

Penick, Luis

Omori, Reza

Hakenen, Finn

Ferntree, Niyana Ruth

Harrison Jon Robert, Chubb

Hickingbottom, Matthew James

Hollenbeck, Cassidy Jane

Holt, Octavia Victoria

Jayden Justus , Morehead

Koh, Hannah

Luna, Natalie

Magee, Ruth W.

Matsumori-Kelly, Michelle Y.

Mele, Michael Joseph Anthony

Meyer, Zachary Skott

Mohr, Erin Renae

Monroe, Aerin Jordan

Nehl, Julia Beth

Novoa, Julia Gabrielle

O'Bryan Frey, Eliza Sidonie

Odom, Madeline

Pitchford, Ashlie D.

Rabadan, Alexis

Reyes, Pamela Gisel

Robbins, Jackson Alexander

Ronald, Amanda

Rose, Iris

Ruiz, Sophia

Sever, Ramona

Smalley, Dylan

Worley, Nathaniel Allen

Zamora, Jacob

CONGRATULATIONS GRADUATES

Fall 2022

Henry, Danielle Masters, Timothy Schmoke, Katherine

Spring 2023

Garcia-Berumen, Christopher

Fall 2023

Barrantes, Josefina

Smith, Jody

Preston, Vikki

Gorko, Nicole

Spring 2024

Barrantes, Josefina Angelica

Gorko, Nicole Elizabeth

Preston, Vikki

Smith, Jody Joanne

After two years of being on pause, we officially re-opened the Environment and Community Master's program

Fall 2023!

The E&C program is designed for highly motivated students who are passionate about exploring the intersection of environmental and social issues, and who wish to accelerate their academic and professional growth in this field.

Learn more about the program

shaped our department’s history and inspire the next generation. We are thrilled to hear from call of you, sharing diverse and impactful endeavors post-graduation, from parenthood to careers both in and outside of environmental fields. No matter what you’re up to, or not up to, please send Dr. Ray your alumni updates: sarah.ray@humboldt.edu, or post them on the Forever Humboldt “submit update” webpage.

Shanti Pockell

“I am just finishing my first semester at the Wright Institute for my Masters in Counseling Psychology. I really enjoy thinking about how my journey from ENST and the work I did in that field connects to this work, how well it prepared me, and why it feels like such a seamless transition. A lot of what drew me into ENST, besides my deep love for the earth and world, was the program’s focus on relationships and the deeper influences that guide human behavior, holding dialectics, and focusing on change making. The opportunities I took within the program and beyond have also all given me extremely applicable skills to the counseling field. Right now my time is mostly taken up by grad school, but I also nanny, go on big walks, do yoga, road trip up to Mendocino when I can, forage mushrooms, surround myself with beloveds, craft around, and probably a lot of things I cannot think of right now.”

Daniel DaSilva

“I am currently working for CA State Parks exotics department. We mostly do habitat restoration, remove invasive species and plant natives. We manage district 5 which is the largest district in the state covering land from Garberville to North of Crescent City. A typical project assignment involves removing the invasive species placing them in piles and burning them afterwards. We are also working in part with the Eureka Zoo on the Tolowa Project. This project is aimed to create a habitat for the silver spotted butterfly. The zoo is helping to raise the Silver spotted butterfly and we supply the habitat.“

Shiloh (Green) Soto

After graduating from Humboldt, Shiloh earned her M.A. in interdisciplinary humanities at UC Merced, where she will also graduate with her Ph.D. in the spring of 2024. Her graduate work is housed in the Department of History & Critical Race and Ethnic Studies and analyzes a public history project she directed with the San Joaquin Valley's city of Livingston. Shiloh moved back to Humboldt in 2022 and began working at Cal Poly Humboldt's College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences as the College Graduate Programs & Recruitment Coordinator. Good luck to Shiloh in her next adventure at WSU.

Claire Roth

Claire lives in Eugene, Oregon, and works as a Program Manager with the educational nonprofit Better EugeneSpringfield Transportation (BEST). BEST advocates for better, more convenient, and safer transportation for everyone, no matter their mode of choice or ability, and believes that community partnership and collaboration are the keys to finding sustainable and equitable solutions to transportation challenges and that the voices of the most vulnerable users of the transportation system should be continuously elevated. Claire also serves on two local nonprofit boards: Shift Community Cycles and the Whiteaker Community Council. She believes that nonprofits fill the gap that governments cannot cover.

Ashley (Perez) Mezeske

Ashley moved her family from Humboldt to rural Michigan in August of 2023. While living in Humboldt, Ashley worked briefly in the nonprofit sector, helping to provide resources for various aspects of childcare for a local organization. She has been a stay-at-home mother after having her first child in 2018. She plans to open up her own business with an interdisciplinary environmental lens this coming year. She says the concept of a “third place” and the loss we have of them in society has become very interesting to her lately. She loves Humboldt!

Robin Rader

Robin is a stay-at-home mom and is taking drone courses to get a commercial license for flying one. She's not exactly sure what she'll do with that, but she can be flexible with it and continue raising her son, so that’s a plus! Robin loves being a mom! She says it’s so awesome watching her son grow and learn. We garden, and he loves it. They hike, cook, and learn together; what a beautiful thing!

Abbey Ramirez

Since graduation, Abbey moved to Sonoma County on Pomo and Coast Miwok land, where she is the Head Gardener for Traditional Medicinals Tea Company (the company that makes Throat Coat!) She tends the educational garden, which serves as an herbal library, displaying many medicinal herbs the company uses in its teas. She is also the zero-waste coordinator working with the environmental department on getting the tea company recertified as a zero-waste facility. Abbey is still working with CCAT as a member of the Steering Committee, and she is always proud to say where her education came from!

Ava Lorizzo

I'm the Environmental Coordinator for Blue Lake Rancheria. As BLR’s Air Quality Technician I run our air monitoring program. I was teaching 6th graders about temperature inversions by making inversion models with them. I have also been running a food sovereignty program for BLR which delivers fresh local food to 100 households monthly. We had the 8th grade class come to our garden to learn about our food sovereignty and ways they can give back to the community.

Acknowledgements

Contributors Artists

Dr Sarah Jaquette Ray

Iván González-Soto

Pamela G. Reyes

Holly Rae

Zachary Meyer

Grace Clapper

Cassidy Hollenbeck

Eli Featherstone

Darcy Sarr

Maya Branch

Eddie Guzman

Karla Rodriguez

Evelyn Banuelos

Maria Zamora

Ash Marino

Hey everyone, my name is Grace and I am a senior here at Cal Poly Humboldt my emphasis is Ecology and Conservation. Last year I applied for the Peer Mentor position for the Environmental Studies Department. I went for the job as I wanted to be more connected with the department and instructors. That position helped me gain more skills such as organization, public speaking, as well as digital design. I was very excited to be offered the opportunity to create this newsletter for all of you and for the Department.