About Me
I’m Nancy (they/them/theirs) — I’m an environmental justice activist, facilitator, and consultant. I believe that everything we are doing to further environmental justice needs to address and connect to how people — particularly people of color — are impacted. The environmental movement has historically shut out communities of color, so we need to now always tend to, understand, and center the needs and health of communities of color in our approach to the work.
My origin story
I was born and raised in South Seattle to immigrant parents. My mom is from Tarlac City in the Philippines, and my dad is from Guadalajara, Mexico. They encouraged my love of animals — and I was obsessed with orcas when I was a kid. I remember my dad taking us to the Oregon Zoo to meet Keiko, the orca that portrayed Willy in the movie Free Willy.
I still remember that moment to this day. It was so quiet in the aquarium, so much that my awestruckness filled up most of the space. I remember looking at my parents and going, OMG, this is happeninggg. I remember them looking back at me — amused — and going, yes, this is happening.
And that moment was the first time I thought that I knew what I was going to do with the rest of my life.
The turning point
After earning my degree from the University of Washington’s aquatic and fishery sciences department, I started my career with a conservation group that focused on water quality. We would test for different bacteria, test PH, the temperature, clarity and murkiness, particulates — we’d do these tests in creeks, rivers, lakes —
And we never talked about people. We didn’t talk about the impact that people’s water quality had on their health.
A turning point early in my career was when I assisted at a depave event in a majority Black and Brown community. We were removing pavement, putting in new soil, and planting trees and shrubs to improve water quality. At this event, I was one of three people of color where there were over 50 volunteers and staff members. I remember while I was planting trees, I saw many brown faces driving by with a puzzled look on their face, probably wondering to themselves, what is going on here?
I then asked myself, “Wait, what is going on here?”
Environmental Science often feels so very disconnected from the community when equity is not centered, and a byproduct of that is that we also disconnect from caring about people. So from that point forward, I centered social justice in my environmental activism and professional work. I shifted from focusing on technical water quality work to doing organizing and community-led-focused work.
Centering my work around communities of color
Today, I am a consultant who works with community groups, business associations, government departments and agencies, nonprofits, coalitions of people, and community members to center their needs in environmental justice. As a consultant, I center my work around supporting communities of color, particularly Black and Indigenous communities, to move them toward truly being equitable partners in problem-solving the issues that affect where they live.
Other facets of me!
When I’m not working, I’m hanging with my dog, going for walks, bringing nature into a lot of the things that I do. I like making art in a way that supports me in my emotional health — I like scribbling, for instance, and making something cool out of that. (This is an exercise I’ve integrated into my consulting practice, too.) I’m also a photographer.
Feel free to learn a little bit about what my values are, what my professional expertises are, and meet some of my collaborators. I love getting to know people, so please feel free to drop me a line to start a conversation.
Career Highlights
Currently serving on Conservation Futures Advisory Board, King County
2016-2021 — Volunteer and Climate Justice Organizer, Got Green
2017-2020 — Co-chair, Environmental Justice Committee, City of Seattle
Writing
“Grassroots Reflections on the COP25,” for South Seattle Emerald, co-written with Sean
“Opinion: Durkan’s executive order is a step toward climate justice, but more needed,” for South Seattle Emerald
Nourish, a book of photos, stories, and recipes from 10 Seattle organizers (including me)
“The Nexus Guidance for Local Governments Centering Racial Equity in Climate Planning and Practice,” 2021
Research
“Climate to COVID, Global to Local, Policies to People: A Biopsychosocial Ecological Framework for Syndemic Prevention and Response in Behavioral Medicine,” 2022
“The Nexus Guidance for Local Governments Centering Racial Equity in Climate Planning and Practice, 2021”
Featured in
One Earth: People of Color Protecting Our Planet, by Anuradha Rao
Education
University of Washington Aquatic & Fishery Sciences B.S.
Languages
Native English speaker, conversational in Spanish, can understand Ilocano
