Meet Celeste Rios

We had the good fortune of connecting with Celeste Rios and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I’m currently still working towards my dream job of conservation research by earning a
B.S. degree in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. I am most proud of my ongoing
volunteer work in scouting, helping youth to grow and achieve their dreams. In the past,
I have completed an internship with the US Forestry Service, in partnership with the
Hispanic Access Foundation and National Forest Foundation. Where I got to where I am
today wouldn’t have been possible without my first job in Nature, on Catalina Island.
There, I first learned what environmental interpretation is and how important it is to be
able to communicate different aspects of environmentalism to different audiences. It
wasn’t, and still not easy to keep finding professional opportunities in this field of work.
But I persist in my volunteer work nonetheless, which has continued to get me far
beyond what I had originally imagined I would be doing now. For that reason, I’ve
learned to be prepared first and foremost for anything. Because, as someone once told
me, luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity. I want people to know
that I am dedicating my life to helping humanity and the Earth.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I would take my best friend first to discover how biodiverse Los Angeles is, by taking
them to the different spots throughout the Angeles National Forest. We would go for a
day hike, like in Trail Canyon Falls, where we could stop by the waterfall. I would want
to go overnight camping with them in Buckhorn and Blue Ridge Campground, because
of the views. After two days there, we would spend the next day exploring the Natural
History Museum, since it has many exhibitions to offer that I would enjoy seeing with
them. For one of the days, I want to take the metro from Newhall in Santa Clarita down
to Union Station. There, we would visit these places in this order: the LACMA to admire
the contemporary art, then Placita Olvera to witness more culture and to grab some
food, and then to Little Tokyo.
And to finish off the week, I want to stay 2 nights on Catalina Island. My favorite Scout
camp is there, and it would be incredible with the different activities such as scuba and
snorkeling to spot our state fish, the Garibaldi, different hikes to explore the island and
see the views, and finally the Pennington Marine Science Center, where we could pet
and learn about some sharks.
These are what I would take my best friend in order to experience the most of Los
Angeles.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I dedicate my shoutout to the Scouting program for helping me achieve the confidence,
leadership, and life skills that are fundamental to my everyday life. Without Scouting, my
life would look drastically different from what it is today, as I would not have discovered
my passion for environmentalism.

Website: https://scouting-la.org/

Image Credits
Celeste Rios