Evelyn Hurtado

I'm a sustainability educator and leader, ecstatic for the opportunity to build upon my skills in program development, agroecology, and advocacy in support of the climate restoration movement. LinkedIn

My main skills and experience are in…
sustainability education     •     agroecology
program development     •     team leadership

 

About me

As the daughter of Mexican immigrants, I am a first-generation college graduate, determined to continue making change for social equity and ecological regeneration.

I've served as a Green Labs Team Leader, Sustainability Analyst, and Climate & Sustainability Learning Resources Ambassador while an undergraduate at the University of California, Riverside. I facilitated a university-level course called the Urban Garden Seminar, focusing on traditional and organic farming methods that give students an experiential learning opportunity to mix theory and practice. I’ve also worked for the National Conservation Lands System division at California’s Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and as a Public Administration Analyst for the BLM National Office in Washington, D.C. 

With a B.S. in Sustainability Studies and a B.A. in Political Science, my approach is interdisciplinary, intersectional, and feminist. I’m interested in the political intersections of global climate change, such as climate displacement and migration, water and food security, and environmental justice. I plan on pursuing a Master’s in Environmental Sustainability where I see myself implementing community gardens in public schools and libraries, developing educational curricula, and engaging in diplomatic efforts to aid climate refugees and war-fleeing immigrants. I want to write policies that protect and properly compensate farmworkers, and I’d like to be involved in creating and supporting small intensive farms all over the world. 

Find me at LinkedIn, let’s connect! 

Organizations, projects, and companies I work with & support 

 

My lightbulb moment

First, some background: in 2011, I became a vegan, as a protest against the inhumane working conditions of an already exploited people; the abuse subjected onto animals; and the harm to our environment to grow, feed, and raise these animals. Veganism was my way of responding to the despair and inaction of my peers, my communities, and my government. I reduced my personal carbon footprint by diverting meat consumption, recycling, and composting — I figured some action, no matter how small on my part, was better than nothing. But it still felt like I was just slowing down the impending doom. 

I dedicated my academic pursuits to sustainability, hoping desperately that I would find a meaningful way to contribute to the climate solutions of our era. I learned how to grow my own food, so that I may teach others how to survive in what I thought might be a desolate, harsh world. Bleak, right? I did experience some relief learning that we can reduce methane emissions (and overall food waste) by composting our food scraps, and we can reduce fossil fuel consumption, as well as alleviate food insecurity, by growing our own food, collectively. 

It wasn’t until I discovered ClimateChangesEverything that the mental lightbulb went off in a big way for me. I have newfound excitement, enthusiasm, and purpose from realizing it’s not only about mitigation or adaptation — we can actually reverse the effects of excessive emissions and get back to a safe, healthy state. We can actually solve the climate crisis!  

Climate change in SoCal

People I read & follow 

Angela Davis; Chandra Mohanty; Gayatri Spivak; Jade Sasser; Miguel Altieri; Naomi Klein; Vandana Shiva; Winona Laduke

Climate media