Thriving Earth Exchange is excited to announce the May 2025 launch of community leaders! They will work with Community Science Fellows to launch 12 Community Science projects in the United States, Mexico, Costa Rica and Chile. Stay tuned for more information about the inspiring communities involved and the transformative projects to come!
Waukegan, IL (Waukegan-Zion, North Chicago)
Community Leaders: Dr. Muriel Adams and Maritza Rocha
Biography:
Dr. Muriel Adams is the founder and executive director of One World Shared Future Community Labs, where she collaborates with frontline communities to address environmental and health challenges through innovation, education, and entrepreneurship. Her work integrates environmental literacy, community-based research, and workforce training to advance community economic development and resilience. Through her adult learning program, A River Runs Through It!, Dr. Adams promotes urban water stewardship and builds local capacity to manage essential water resources. She is committed to empowering communities with the tools and knowledge to thrive in the face of environmental change.
Maritza Rocha is a dynamic leader whose life and career reflect resilience, vision, and an unwavering commitment to community and environmental justice. She made history as the first Latina Nature Center Director at the Little Red Schoolhouse in Cook County’s Forest Preserves, where she led the operations of a LEED Gold-certified center and introduced inclusive, culturally grounded environmental programming. As Executive Director of Cool Learning Experience (CLE), she continues to build pathways for youth and families—especially BIPOC communities—to engage in nature-based education, STEAM, and advocacy. Her leadership spans across multiple sectors, including public health, youth development, and environmental justice. She is a published writer and an active advocate that finds joy in writing, gardening, hiking, and spending time with loved ones. Maritza’s life and work continue to uplift voices, build bridges, and protect the natural world for future generations.
Lake Forest Park, WA (City of Lake Forest Park)
Community Leaders: Sarah Philips and Dana Campbell
Biography:
Sarah Philips is a long time LFP resident and worked as a Legislative Aide for a county council member (1994-1998) and for LFP city government as the Community and Governmental Affairs Manager from (1999-2011). Sarah chairs the LFP Climate Action Committee with deep knowledge of and strong connections to people and organizations within the city. She has served on local boards including the community college board and Third Place Commons. She is a volunteer with the Miyawaki Forest at the Shoreline Historical Museum, League of Women Voters and People for Climate Action, and an Environmental Rotary Club of Puget Sound member.
Dana Campbell is a faculty member in the division of Biology at the University of Washington, Bothell where she teaches Biology and Climate Change to undergraduates. She is active in Lake Forest Park (LFP), the small city in which she lives, as a member of the City Climate Action Committee, a member of the Advisory Committee for the local Water district, as a volunteer with the StreamKeepers Organization, and as a mentor of undergraduate stream monitoring interns. She is a 2024 graduate of MidSound Fisheries’ summer Community Action Training School (CATS), where she put together the idea of building a LFP “Climate Hub,” which is the basis for the project with Thriving Earth Exchange.
Deerfield Beach, FL (Zero Waste Lab)
Community Leaders: Alexa Simeone and Beatricz Emmanuel
Biography:
Alexa Simeone is a National Geographic-certified educator, strategic designer, and founder of The Art Lab—an award-winning environmental organization rooted in art, powered by science, and dedicated to growing a greener planet and cleaner oceans. The Art Lab offer programs in zero waste, soil science, ocean literacy, and sustainable design, providing hands-on challenges that foster innovation, minimize waste, and drive systemic change. Their work empowers communities to transform local priorities into impactful environmental action. Alexa is committed to making science education more accessible, inclusive, and engaging through project-based art, design, and science discovery programs.
Beatricz Emmanuel leads strategic operations at The Art Lab, drawing on a strong background in software engineering, business strategy, and systems design. With extensive experience in project management and community engagement, she specializes in bridging technical innovation with social impact. Beatricz is passionate about regenerative practices and inclusive innovation, and brings deep expertise in permaculture, waste reduction systems, and cross-cultural collaboration.
Superior, WI (Superior Wisconsin)
Community Leaders: Pam Savoy and Patty Meysman-Lier
Biography:
Pam Savoy is a life-long resident of Superior, WI her husband and her raised their two sons here and are currently enjoying retirement. She became a member of “Neighbors Against NTEC” which was formed by a group of citizens in 2024 to protest the proposed Nemadji Trail Energy Center (NTEC) 625 megawatt natural gas power plant. Superior is home to an oil refinery as well as other industry, which causes concern about air quality and the health effects of adding more fossil fuel industry to our small community. Pam learned that the nearest EPA regulatory air monitor is approximately 5.5 miles west of Superior in Duluth MN, and the prevailing westerly winds carry pollutants from our industry away from that monitor. Her involvement with “Neighbors Against NTEC” has prompted her to become an advocate for obtaining an EPA regulatory air monitor that can accurately represent the current PM2.5 particulate matter exposure to the residents of the community.
Patty Meysman-Lier lives in Superior, Wisconsin with her husband and they have two grown daughters. Patty worked for 35 plus years as a RN and retired in 2023. Patty believes the community needs to better understand the cumulative health implications of living near two fossil fuel industries. There is an oil refinery in the city and now there is a proposal to build a 625 MW gas plant near the refinery.
Saint Paul, MN (Frogtown/Hamline Midway)
Community Leaders: Stephanie Hankerson and Danielle Swift
This project, led by representatives from the Frogtown Neighborhood Association and Hamline Midway Environment Committee, seeks to analyze and interpret air quality data. This will help assess the health risks to the neighborhood and provide potential mitigation strategies to share with the public.
Bronx, NY (Start:Empowerment)
Community Leaders: Destiny Tullis and Seth Gilman
Biography:
Destiny Tulles is a 24 year old STEAM educator, urban farmer, and multimedia designer from New Jersey. They have a degree in Urban Placemaking and Environmental Design from NYU Gallatin. Destiny is the Youth Leadership and Education Coordinator at Start:Empowerment, planning and implementing critical environmental and climate justice education through summer programs, leadership and career development opportunities, and community work. In their free time, they enjoy urban farming, zine-making, and planning fun creative projects with friends!
Charleston, SC (The March Appreciation and Restoration for Happiness Project)
Community Leaders: Blake Scott and Rhiannon Wilkinson
Biography:
The M.A.R.S.H. Project is a grassroots, community-based organization actively working to restore and advocate for the Lowcountry wetlands and marshes in Charleston, South Carolina. With extensive support from city officials and community members, we have taken presented our goals to local levels of government and are currently in the process of designing and implementing an ecological corridor framework across the Charleston peninsula to increase flood resistance planning and adapt to imminent sea level rise. Through engaging with scientists and practicing local diplomacy with Charleston city officials, The M.A.R.S.H. Project wants to stand out as a model for urban landscapes across the United States and emphasize the connection between local and transnational environmental issues.
Los Queñes, Chile (Consejo de Defensa de Los Queñes)
Community Leaders: Matías Cavieres and Todd Ericson
Biography:
Matías Cavieres lives in the town of Los Queñes, a pre–Andean town in central Chile. He has been working for 30 years for his tourism company, which has cabins and adventure tourism activities such as rafting and canopy. Matías is the president of “El Consejo de Defensa de los Queñes”, working in the environmental defense and cultural heritage of his town, for 10 years now. Matías likes the outdoors and enjoyes nature and rivers, and is very committed to achieving, maintaining and protecting the rivers and the customs of his community.
Matías Cavieres vive en el pueblo de Los Queñes, un pueblo precordillerano de la zona central de Chile. Hace 30 años que trabaja por su empresa de turismo lo cual cuenta con cabañas y actividades de turismo aventura como Rafting y Canopy. Matías es el presidente del Consejo de Defensa de los Queñes, trabajando en la defensa ambiental y patrimonio cultural de su pueblo, desde ya 10 años. A Matías le gusta la vida al aire libre y disfrutar de la naturaleza y los ríos, y por eso está muy comprometido en lograr, mantener y proteger los ríos y las costumbres de su comunidad.
Todd Ericson is from the United States, but has been living full time in Chile since 2005. He has degrees in Public Relations and Secondary Education (Language Arts and Communication) from Susquehanna University. Todd has been running Chilean Adventures since 2003 and Los Queñes River Lodge & Cabañas since 2009. As a founding member of “El Consejo de la Defensa de Los Queñes” he looks to protect the safety and best interests of his neighbors and natural environment.
Todd es estadounidense, pero reside en Chile desde 2005. Es licenciado en Relaciones Públicas y Educación Secundaria (Lenguaje en inglés y Comunicación) por la Susquehanna University. Dirige Chilean Adventures desde 2003 y Los Queñes River Lodge & Cabañas desde 2009. Como miembro fundador del Consejo de la Defensa de Los Queñes, se esfuerza por proteger la seguridad y el bienestar de sus vecinos y del medio ambiente.
Quintero, Chile (Corporación Quintero Mide)
Community Leaders: Víctor Azócar Guzmán and Nicole Núñez
Biography:
Víctor Azócar Guzmán is a recognized social leader of Quintero, with more than three decades of community commitment. Currently, he presides over the Quintero Mide Corporation and the Communal Union of Neighborhood Councils of the community, leading initiatives in defense of the environment and public health. His career includes active participation in instances such as the Civil Society Council of the Viña del Mar–Quillota Health Service and the Council for Environmental and Social Recovery (CRAS), where he has represented the historical demands of communities affected by industrial pollution.
Víctor Azócar Guzmán es un reconocido dirigente social de Quintero, con más de tres décadas de compromiso comunitario. Actualmente, preside la Corporación Quintero Mide y la Unión Comunal de Juntas de Vecinos de la comuna, liderando iniciativas en defensa del medio ambiente y la salud pública. Su trayectoria incluye participación activa en instancias como el Consejo de la Sociedad Civil del Servicio de Salud Viña del Mar-Quillota y el Consejo para la Recuperación Ambiental y Social (CRAS), donde ha representado las demandas históricas de las comunidades afectadas por la contaminación industrial.
Nicole Núñez is an agronomist and has a diploma in Municipal Environmental Management. She is the co–founder of “Vivero Los Chungungos” whose objective is the propagation and conservation of the native and endemic flora of central Chile. Nicole is the Secretary of the Quintero Mide Corporation, and has been appointed counselor of the Council for Environmental and Social Recovery (CRAS). She has led presentations in conferences on air monitoring, which have stood out for her ability to translate technical information into accessible messages for citizens.
Nicole Núñez es agrónoma y diplomada en Gestión Ambiental Municipal. Ella es cofundadora de Vivero Los Chungungos cuyo objetivo es la propagación y conservación de la flora nativa y endémica de Chile central. Nicole es la Secretaria de la Corporación Quintero Mide, por su rol en la corporación, ha sido nombrada consejera del Consejo para la Recuperación Ambiental y Social (CRAS). Ha liderado presentaciones en seminarios sobre monitoreo del aire, destacando por su capacidad de traducir información técnica en mensajes accesibles para la ciudadanía.
San José de Maipo, Chile (Voluntarios por el Agua)
Community Leaders: Raúl Marcelo Pino and Rosa Clavijo Moya
Biography:
Raúl Marcelo Pino is an accountant and a member of “Voluntarios por el Agua“. He believes that the care and preservation of nature should not be a struggle, but the involution of the human being keeps us fighting for something that is essential for the continuity of life; the natural creation of this wonderful planet and with each of its elements that compose it. We have a place where our existence is possible and, as far as we know, there is no other place where the human being can exist.
Raúl Marcelo Pino es un contador computacional y miembro de Voluntarios por el Agua. A Raúl, el cuidado y preservación de la naturaleza no tendría por qué ser una lucha, pero la involución del ser humano nos mantiene luchando por algo que es primordial para la continuidad de la vida; la creación natural de este maravilloso planeta y con cada uno de sus elementos que la componen, tenemos un lugar donde es posible nuestra existencia y por lo visto no hay otro lugar donde el ser humano pueda existir.
Rosa Clavijo Moya is a user experience and service designer and a member of “Voluntarios por el Agua“. She was born near the estuary of a river and grew up aware of the power of water and its capacity to renew natural environments in times of rain. She learned to respect the strength of the estuary near her home, the river where its waters reached and the ocean into which it flows. Currently, and periodically, Rosa hikes from the sea to the mountains, following the course of the Maipo River in Chile, feeling privileged, recognizing a superior power of nature and the earth over us. Rosa believes that we are rivers, we are water, that knowing its pulse and its health in all its extension is our job as inhabitants and communities that depend on it for their subsistence. Rosa wants to share this belief and value to other Voluntarios por el Agua in the Maipo Basin, from the mountains to the sea.
Rosa Clavijo Moya es una diseñadora de experiencia de usuarios y servicios y miembro de Voluntarios por el Agua. Ella nací cerca del estuario de un gran río, crecí consciente del poder del agua y su capacidad renovadora de entornos naturales en tiempos de lluvias, aprendí a respetar la fuerza del estero cercano de su hogar, del río donde llegaban sus aguas y del océano al cual desemboca. En la actualidad, y, periódicamente Rosa va desde el mar a la montaña, siguiendo el curso del Río Maipo en Chile, sintiéndome privilegiada, reconociendo un poder superior de la naturaleza y la tierra sobre nosotros. Rosa cree que somos ríos, somos agua, que conocer su pulso y su salud en toda su extensión es nuestra labor como habitantes y territorios que dependemos de él para su subsistencia, ese es el valor que quiero llevar a otros voluntarios por el agua en la Cuenca del Maipo, de Cordillera a Mar.
Cancún, Quintana Roo, Mexico (Karst Lab México)
Community Leaders: Ana Katalina Celis Hernández and Myrna Lilí López Monzalvo
Biography:
Ana K. Celis is an Archaeologist and Coastal Oceanographer working in the preservation of the natural and cultural heritage of caves in southern Mexico. As a short-term fellow at Smithsonian in Panama, she developed a strong sense of commitment to create positive social impacts through her profession. For the last seven years, she has worked for nonprofits, government agencies and the private sector in the areas of subterranean ecosystem conservation, cave archaeology and groundwater quality monitoring. In 2022, she founded Karst Lab Mexico with the vision of integrating scientific, educational, and community-led solutions for the conservation of underground ecosystems. In 2024, she became a Fulbright Scholar of the Hubert H. Humphrey Program and founding member of the U.S.-Mexico Binational Working Group on Karst Resource Protection.
Ana K. Celis es Arqueóloga y Oceanógrafa Costera, y trabaja en la preservación del patrimonio natural y cultural de las cuevas del sur de México. Como becaria de corto plazo del Instituto Smithsonian (STRI Panama), desarrolló un fuerte compromiso por generar impactos sociales positivos a través de su profesión. Durante los últimos siete años, ha trabajado para organizaciones sin fines de lucro, agencias gubernamentales y el sector privado en las áreas de conservación de ecosistemas subterráneos, arqueología de cuevas y monitoreo de la calidad de las aguas subterráneas. En 2022, fundó Karst Lab México con la visión de integrar soluciones científicas, educativas y comunitarias para la conservación de los ecosistemas subterráneos. En 2024, se convirtió en becaria Fulbright del Programa Hubert H. Humphrey y miembro fundador del Grupo de Trabajo Binacional México-Estados Unidos sobre la Protección de los Recursos Kársticos.
Myrna Lilí López Monzalvo holds a Master ‘s degree in Water Sciences from the Centro de Investigación Científica de Yucatán (CICY). She is an open water swimmer and Advanced Diver. She is a full-time professor in the Tourism Division at Universidad Tecnológica de Cancún. She has led responsible tourism planning projects for tourist caves and cenotes in Quintana Roo. She is also the Technical Manager of the project “Women’s Participation in Diving Tourism in Northern Quintana Roo,” funded by the Women in Science Program of the Quintana Roo Council for Humanities, Sciences, and Technologies 2023-2024.
Myrna Lilí López Monzalvo tiene una Maestría en Ciencias del Agua por el Centro de Investigaciones Científicas de Yucatán. Es una nadadora de aguas abiertas y buza certificada. Myrna es Profesora de Tiempo Completo en la División de Turismo de la Universidad Tecnológica de Cancún. Ha liderado proyectos de planificación de turismo responsable para cuevas y cenotes turísticos de Quintana Roo. Es responsable Técnica del Proyecto “Participación de las mujeres en el turismo de buceo de la zona norte de Quintana Roo” financiado por el Programa Mujeres en la Ciencia del COQHCYT 2023-2024. Ha tenido la oportunidad de trabajar y aprender con jóvenes, instructoras de buceo, administradores de cenotes y comunidades mayas que le inspiran para creer que otro mundo es posible.
Palmares, Alajuela, Costa Rica (Fundación Madre Verde)
Community Leaders: Pamela Campos Chavez and Pablo Carazo Fernández
Biography:
Pamela Campos Chavez is a biologist, a volunteer forest firefighter, a lover of nature and life. For more than 10 years, Pamela has worked with a non–profit organization, Fundación Madre Verde, which has allowed her to grow as a person and professional, get closer to the communities and see with her own eyes the reality of them. She has worked in environmental education and management, project management, administration of protected areas, fighting and prevention of forest fires. Pamela considers herself a humanitarian offering help whenever possible and feels fulfilled by contributing to better society. Pamela loves physical activity, hiking, traveling, getting to know her country and the world.
Pamela Campos Chavez es bióloga de profesión, Bombera Forestal Voluntaria, amante de la naturaleza y de la vida. Durante más de 10 años, Pamela ha trabajado con una Organización sin fines de lucro, Fundación Madre Verde, que le ha permitido crecer como persona y profesional, acercarse a las comunidades y ver con sus propios ojos la realidad de las mismas. Ella ha trabajado en educación y gestión ambiental, gestión de proyectos, administración de espacios protegidos, combate y prevención de incendios forestales. Pamela se considera una persona altruista, brinda su colaboración siempre que está en sus posibilidades y le llena aportar a una sociedad mejor. A Pamela le encanta la actividad física, el senderismo, viajar, conocer a su país y el mundo.
Pablo Carazo Fernández is a natural resources manager and director of the “Red Costarricense de Reservas Naturales” (Costa Rican Network of Natural Reserves). Although he spends a lot of time working, he is passionate about field activities and being surrounded by nature. CrossFit and volunteering are his favorite ways to stay active. Pablo is part of a forest fire brigade and an environmental education commission, so whenever there is a chance, he gives walking tours in the Madre Verde Natural Reserve, where he loves to tell the history of the place and show how, with love and effort from many people, they have managed to restore a small but important patch of the Premontane Forest. Pablo is a tech enthusiast. He enjoys working with Geographic Information Systems (GIS), likes to learn about the ecology of different species, mainly mastofauna (mammals) and herpetofauna, and enjoys learning about the Management of Protected Wildlife Areas in other parts of the world. Pablo loves podcasts, analysis, details and reading, especially if it relates to geopolitics, history, Hispanic identity, and world cultures.
Pablo Carazo Fernández es gestor de recursos naturales y director de la Red Costarricense de Reservas Naturales. Aunque pasa bastante tiempo en labores de oficina, le apasiona las actividades de campo y el contacto directo con la naturaleza. El CrossFit y el voluntariado son sus maneras favoritas de mantenerse activo. Pablo forma parte de una brigada de bomberos forestales y de una comisión de educación ambiental, por eso siempre que hay chance, guía caminatas en la Reserva Natural Madre Verde, donde le encanta contar la historia del lugar y mostrar cómo, con amor y esfuerzo de muchas personas, han logrado restaurar un pequeño pero importante parche de Bosque Premontano. Pablo es un “fiebre” de los temas técnicos. Le disfruta trabajar con Sistemas de Información Geográfica (SIG), aprender sobre la ecología de diferentes especies, principalmente mastofauna y herpetofauna, y conocer sobre el Manejo de las Áreas Silvestres Protegidas en otras partes del mundo. A Pablo le encantan los podcasts, los análisis, y la lectura, sobre todo si se trata de geopolítica, historia, hispanidad y culturas del mundo.
