The Audubon Center at Debs Park is proud to have worked with 3 incredible interns this summer.  These Audubon WINGS Conservation Education Interns help us develop and deliver our summer camp program to the community.   Over the course of the summer these interns work with nearly 200 kids, helping them see the natural world in Debs Park and teaching them about how they can make a difference for the environment.  All of us at the Audubon Center at Debs Park are honored to have worked with these talented people.

Emily Cobar is an LA native.  In high school, she was involved with the Los Angeles Audubon Society’s Green House internship program at Baldwin Hills. Currently she is a University of California-Santa Cruz student, majoring in Environmental Studies with an Education minor.  Here are some of her reflections about working  with Audubon:

Every day when I got home from the camp, I felt really blessed that I was given the opportunity to work as an intern. Now that camp is over I am very grateful for meeting so many amazing people including the staff, Green Team, and campers. I couldn't really pick out a favorite week because they were all great but I would say week 5, “Our Arroyo, Our Community” is in the top favorite. I do not live in the Arroyo Community but I did learn so much about it and relearned the concept of channelization. The best part of the week was the active engagement with the green team and campers. Since there were fewer campers, I got to know so much about them and know for a fact that they will grow up successfully as if they have been interacted with nature at an early age. Unfortunately, not many kids in my community are actively engaged in nature especially because there’s no access to nearby green spaces. We do have Kenneth Hahn Park and the Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook but it is not the same to places like Eaton Canyon or Debs Park. This is where I want to come in for change. I wouldn't really know how to do it but I believe I’m at a good start.

One of the other activities that I really enjoyed was the presentation by Nature of Wildworks in Critters Week. I learned so much about the animals they presented like the odd arrangement of the owl’s ears. In addition, I learned so much the following week, Birding Week, from the presentations the campers made in groups. They listed a lot of cool facts about common birds in the area and it was pretty great to see the campers working together, flipping through bird books to complete their poster.

The most memorable part of the camp were the field trips; although we live in a very urbanized city, it is good to know that there is still natural ground with trees, streams, and creatures we don’t get to see every day in the city. No matter how many times a camper has been there in previous years of camp, I could tell that they don’t get enough of places like Millard Canyon.

Overall, I've been truly inspired through the whole summer camp to continue my path to community outreach. I have learned and developed my skills on working with young naturalists including teen naturalists. However, I do want to continue shaping my leadership skills. Each and every time I lead or co-lead an activity I grew comfort with myself and others. I do look forward to staying in touch since I have definitely fallen in love with Debs Park. I’m hoping I get to come back to participate with the kids again as they have really touched my heart. I will now be aiming for community outreach events here in Los Angeles and in Santa Cruz which I can participate primarily focusing on outdoor/education for urban youth. I cannot thank the staff enough for giving me this opportunity for such an amazing internship!