August Great Story by Laurel Smith, Sacramento Climate Fellow Coming into CivicSpark I had no idea what to expect. I thought of it simply as a job and an interesting opportunity to gain experience and forward my career path. Little did I know that one of the greatest things I would gain out of it…

August Great Story by Noe Martinez Diaz, 2016-17 Southern California Climate Fellow We applied our unique abilities To help municipalities and agencies Address climate change taking initiative Each Fellow’s effort always remained inspiring Even when we felt like the Greek King Cursed to push the rock up a hill We managed and mustered the will…

June Great Story by Janelle Del Campo, 2016-17 San Joaquin Valley Fellow For my service year I work in the San Joaquin Valley region, specifically focused on the City of Fresno. I started late and I think that was due to the fact that there were very few people that wanted to be placed in…

May Great Story by Fanny Yang, Bay Area Climate Fellow My partner and I went snorkeling for the first time during Memorial Day Weekend and I’m not sure how, but spending almost every day in the ocean reminded me how much I had, in the past, valued the existence of a perfectly, beautiful, ocean landscape…

April Great Story by Victoria Hernandez, 2016-17 Bay Area Climate Fellow In the silence of the trees, a presence greeted me; Why has it taken you so long to come and visit me? Come; sit on my trunk and embrace my energy, The very little I have to offer after many centuries. The creatures, they are startled,…

April Great Story by Phillip Tran, Bay Area Climate Fellow As I left Mid-Year Gathering at the end of March, a fellow asked me to describe my experience that past week in five words, words that I feel to some extent can describe my service year thus far. Those words are humbled, inspired, confused, rejuvenated,…

March Great Story by Liya Klingenberg, Central Coast Water Fellow Caring for the waterways in San Luis Obispo has been a rewarding part of my CivicSpark service year. Over the past five months, I’ve had the opportunity to survey many of the tributaries in the SLO watershed, giving me a broad picture of one problem…

Story by Jessie Rudd, 2014-15 CivicSpark Alum, Central Valley Region G’Day CivicSpark Fellows, I write to you from 10,972 meters above the Tasman Sea. Flying from New Zealand to Australia, I am peering into the vastness of the sea, and I am marvelled by the contents of it; marvelled by the islands and the people…

Story by Aaron Presburg, 2014-15 CivicSpark Alum, Los Angeles Region It has now been 10 months since I started my job as Energy Program Manager at Portland Public Schools and I am still learning something new every day (yes, the learning continues after CivicSpark). Back in August I was contacted by EPA’s ENERGY STAR Regional Program…