Katie Ryan 2025-2026 Urban Conservation Fellow
For the 2nd year in a row, AFC has been grateful to host two Urban Conservation Fellows through the California Climate Action Corps — part of AmeriCorps which is now funded by the State. Katie Ryan joined us in September 2025 as one of these fellows.
Katie came into this fellowship eager to learn, connect with community members and the land, and to dive into all aspects of urban conservation. She thoughtfully educated AFC’s community by crafting well-researched communications projects, guiding young students on native plant, avifauna, and geology field trips, and leading habitat restoration events at our Preserves. She helped develop a new wildlife curriculum and was an inquisitive and bright addition to our team. We’re sad to see her leave but look forward to following her journey in urban conservation!
Please read Katie’s reflection on her year with AFC below.
MY YEAR WITH AFC
Katie Ryan
I am incredibly grateful for the year that I’ve spent with Arroyos & Foothills Conservancy.
When I moved to Los Angeles, I was immediately taken by the way nature and urban landscapes interact. The LA River, in particular, had a huge impact on me. Channelized and filled with invasive plants, life persists — however imperfect and unlike the ecosystems originally found here. Even small patches of habitat in a city have a powerful effect, both supporting our native life — and, simply by being here — drawing in passionate people, to whom it becomes obvious to spend their free time helping nature regain its strength. Caring about the environment can sometimes feel heavy, but after a year with AFC, I feel revitalized with optimism and confidence in our ability to create a city where nature thrives.
I have been privileged to spend this past year outdoors and in community: removing invasive plants, building trails, raising oak trees, and making our landscapes more resilient to an uncertain future. One of the most profound experiences has been serving as a field trip docent at the Rosemont Preserve. I guided thousands of students through the trails of our foothills, learning about native plants, geology, and wildlife. For some students, it was their first time on a hike. Seeing them notice a caterpillar on a milkweed plant, or be captured by the patterns on a stone, I felt each field trip offered a gateway to lasting curiosity about the history and wonders of the land. If nothing else, I hope that taking a deep breath and growing confident on the trail showed them that nature is a place where they can feel at home.
My opportunities to teach were matched by my opportunities to learn. From Gabrielino Tongva community members, I was taught by example how caring for nature is both innate and a privilege, and that humans have as much capacity for good in nature as any other species. From AFC’s vast community of dedicated volunteers, Friends Group members, scientific advisors, and infectiously passionate college interns, I absorbed a knowledge of natural science and stewardship that I never knew possible for myself. I am so grateful for the generous mentorship of AFC’s staff throughout this fellowship. Thanks to them, I’ve touched so many dimensions of urban conservation, from conducting ecological surveys to tracking conservation policy, showing me what it truly takes to lead strategic, grassroots environmentalism.
It is very bittersweet to come to the end of this fellowship. I never could have predicted how impactful this experience would be, both in understanding the world and in understanding myself, my strengths, and what I can offer to this movement. I hope that my future is marked by experiences as rich as this one, and that I can continue to learn how we can expand what is possible for our urban ecosystems.
