We are excited to introduce our 2024 summer interns! Our summer intern program is now in its 7th year and we are delighted to welcome this year - Oscar Johnson, Alex Hoffman, Natalie Barton and Kelsey Nguyen.
Alex and Oscar will be working on the "TreeCity USA" project. They will be researching what it will take for Los Altos to meet the standards required in order to receive recognition as a TreeCity USA. They will evaluate what other cities have done, learn about their challenges and successes, and make a report and presentation to the Environmental Commission. They will be mentored by Gary Hedden, founder and leader of GreenTown’s 500 Trees program.
Kelsey and Natalie be will be working on "Farm to Table, Apricot Harvest" project. They will work on developing an inclusive and equitable process for families to help in the apricot harvest from the Heritage Orchard, an historical landmark at the Civic Center. The harvest is usually in the last two weeks of June. They will create a business plan for a small fruit stand to engage the community in the harvest, using concepts such as pick-n-pay activities for families, interview experienced local orchardists about innovative harvest approaches and develop learning activities for participants to learn about honorable harvest practices that are respectful of the trees and others well-being. They will be mentored by Jane Packard (Los Altos History Museum and Orchard Committee member), Glenda Chang (GreenTown board member) and Cary Anderson (GreenTown Eating Green program lead).
Alex Hoffman
I was born in Munich, Germany and moved to Los Altos when I was 9 years old. I am very passionate about the environment as well as soccer and engineering. I have been helping out GreenTown Los Altos for a number of years with planting trees and other events, and I have been a member of the Green Team at my high school for the past 3 years.
Kelsey Nguyen
Hello! I’m Kelsey Nguyen, a rising senior at Los Altos High School. I’m the co-president of LAHS’ Green Team and volunteer with Grassroots Ecology and Acterra as a Youth Steward and Student Ambassador respectively. My love for nature and animals started as a child but quickly expanded into environmentalism when I learned about climate change in grade school. When I’m not studying my favorite subject of science, I love to cook/bake, listen to music, and stand-up paddleboard!
Oscar Johnson
Hi! I'm a rising senior at Los Altos High School. I'm involved in my school’s Investing and Economy Club and The Global Uplift Project, a non-profit which aims to support local economies through the employment of local people in developing countries while delivering aid. I'm also the executive producer and president of the school’s TEDx Club, and the managing editor at Los Altos High School's newspaper, The Talon. I'm interested in journalism and economics of equity and sustainable growth.
Natalie Barton
Hello! My name is Natalie Barton and I am a rising senior at Los Altos High School. I am excited to work with GreenTown for the Farm to Table internship where we will eventually present a proposal on how to make Los Altos’s heritage orchard more communal and inclusive. Personally, I really enjoy seeing the food process first hand so I am looking forward to sharing the process with others and connecting our community back to an important part of its history. Outside of school and work I enjoy traveling, riding horses, and playing lacrosse.
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