Meet Lauren Bergloff | Sustainability Leader

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

Hi Lauren, what do you think makes you most happy? Why?
Picking up litter with my trash grabber makes me happy. Whether it’s in my own home town, when I’m traveling, by myself, with friends or coworkers— I find joy in walking outside and making the world a more beautiful place. I find picking up litter to be a meditative experience that is great for my mental health. It seems to also bring joy and inspiration to others! I’d be rich if I had a dollar for every time someone stopped me while I was picking up litter to thank me.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I have always loved nature and realized early in life that it was my purpose to spread my love for the natural world to others to inspire them to protect it. It was my family road trips to visit my grandparents in Montana with stops at national parks along the way that really inspired my love of nature. This love eventually led me to creating my perfect job as the Sustainability Leader at Terranea Resort.
I studied Environmental Science at UC Santa Barbara and minored in Science and Math Education. While I was in school, I volunteered for the Wilderness Youth Project and Kids in Nature where I really cemented my calling in outdoor education. After I graduated, I moved to Catalina Island to be an Outdoor Educator at the Catalina Environmental Leadership Program (CELP) where I taught small groups of 5th grade through college age students all about the Southern California ecosystem. These students learned by doing— kayaking, standup paddle boarding, gardening, composting, snorkeling (day and night), hiking (day and night), tide pooling, rock climbing, stargazing, and more.
The more time that we spend having fun in nature, the more we will realize that we need to protect it!
After a year and a half, I got a little island fever and realized it was time to go back to the mainland. My previous boss, Michael Wildey, was working at Terranea Resort at the time and told me sustainability was one of their pillars and I could definitely create a career there.
I applied, and started off as a hostess at Nelson’s restaurant. I moved up the ranks through hard work and dedication. I became the resort naturalist and started taking guests on guided hikes and tide pool tours. After 4 years of persistent convincing and many PowerPoint presentations, I finally created the Sustainability Leader role I was destined to fill!
The lesson I would like to share with the world about creating your dream job is to never give up. Keep persisting. I put in 4 years of hard work and convincing to get the career I wanted and deserved. Keep pushing and keep going!

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 them on a bike ride along the strand from Redondo Beach to Playa del Rey. I would take them to Palos Verdes during low tide and show them all the cool creatures that live in the tide pools. We would go on a beach walk with trash grabbers and pick up any litter we might find. MB Post in Manhattan Beach would be a must stop for dinner including bacon cheddar biscuits! We would go for drinks at Esperanza and snack on their delicious homemade tortillas and honey butter. Ideally, we would go to a concert at the Fonda Theater, the El Rey, or the Roxy. We would go dancing at Sound Nightclub late night in Hollywood. There is so much to do and see in LA!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would like to dedicate my shoutout to Michael Weber who referred me to Mike Bhand. Michael and I met while working together in Rancho Palos Verdes. Michael has a zest for life and always knows how to make people feel genuinely happy. He joined the Green Team I revamped and was always excited to volunteer to make the world a better place!

Instagram: https://instagram.com/sustainabergie

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurenbergloff/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sustainabergie

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sustainabergie

Other: https://terranealife.com/meet-lauren-bergloff-terraneas-sustainability-leader-naturalist https://terranealife.com/terraneas-sustainability-leader-lauren-bergloff-unique-appreciation-outdoors https://www.greenlodgingnews.com/lauren-bergloff-sustainability-leader-naturalist-terranea-resort/