Hi everyone! I’m Tessa, Terra Cultura’s new intern here in beautiful Aromas! I am extremely excited for this opportunity to join this amazing team on this powerful mission.

A little about me:

I am originally from Buffalo, NY but have been living in Santa Cruz, CA since August 2018. I moved over here for all of the amazing opportunities in the environmental sector. I graduated from SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry in Syracuse, NY in May 2016 with a B.S. in Environmental Studies with minors in writing and recreation. Since then, I have been working in a variety of outdoor and environmental educational positions in NY, Texas, California, and Latin America. I love working with young people from all different cultures and inspiring them to get outdoors and care for the environment.

My farming experience:

The majority of my farming experience comes from time I’ve spent working and volunteering with reforestation and sustainable agriculture in Ecuador and Nicaragua. For the past few months, I’ve had the opportunity to work with local high schools in Santa Cruz creating and maintaining school gardens and environmental clubs. I believe that it is really important for all people to know where their food comes from, and to feel a connection to the land.

My goals:

I am thrilled to get involved with Terra Cultura in order to learn from and support a growing non-profit and educational farm; two things I am passionate about. I’m hoping that with my background in education, outreach, and fundraising, I can help bring in a variety of participants to the farm and provide quality programs. My goal is to share my passion to learn and enjoy the outdoors with the community around me!

Thank you to Terra Cultura for welcoming me into their team. I’ve only been on board for a couple weeks so far, and I’ve already learned so much! I can’t wait to see what we get up to in the next few months.

I can be contacted in English or Spanish at Tessa@terracultura.org