Ep. 12 A Day in the Life of Ms. Smarty-Plants™

Introducing our new Director of Trails and Conservation Larissa Hepburn! Larissa is a southern California native who developed a passion for recreational trails and nature after spending a summer working in the wilderness of Yosemite National Park on a backcountry trail crew. She spent the next 14 years leading and mentoring youth corps in various National and State parks in California managing a variety of projects. Larissa is grateful her path has led her to the Foundation to combine her passions with managing trails that lead to the sea. She is excited to serve the community through education and outreach performing trail restoration and conservation projects. As famous world-renowned oceanographer Jacques Cousteau once said, “People protect what they love.” Larissa hopes to provide quality outdoor recreational access while protecting our natural resources. She is excited to watch the community fall in love with the lagoon and create meaningful connections to nature.

Contact The Show

Podcast Website: Nature All Around Me

The Foundation website: Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation or call 760-804-1969

Website: https://www.aguahedionda.org

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AguaHediondaLagoonFoundation

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

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aguahedionda/

Producers:  Samantha Richter, Lisa Rodman, Emily Bonds, Kellie Davis, Chris Swann, John Sanders, Samual Davis

Music: Frogs by the Water Hole by Chris Swann/Swann Concepts Pub

Studio: Imagine Podcasting, Carlsbad California 

Join AHLF's own Samantha Passovoy to learn all about the most commonly seen reptiles and amphibians found in the Carlsbad area, including in and around the Agua Hedionda Lagoon.

In her previous career as a zookeeper and wildlife educator, she has trained animals for movies and television, visited schools and libraries with live animals to do educational presentations, worked as a wildlife care specialist and behaviorist at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, and served as an adjunct professor focusing on wildlife education. 

Currently, she is the Director of the Discovery Center here at the Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation, in addition to acting as the Outreach Coordinator for the San Diego Herpetological Society.  She hopes to inspire her community to care for all the plants and animals surrounding them.

Contact The Show

Podcast Website: Nature All Around Me

The Foundation website: Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation or call 760-804-1969

Website: https://www.aguahedionda.org

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AguaHediondaLagoonFoundation

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

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aguahedionda/

Producers:  Samantha Richter, Lisa Rodman, Emily Bonds, Kellie Davis, Chris Swann, John Sanders, Samual Davis

Music: Frogs by the Water Hole by Chris Swann/Swann Concepts Pub

Studio: Imagine Podcasting, Carlsbad California

Sara was born and raised in southern California. Her love of natural resources was instilled at a young age while growing up horseback riding, camping, and spending time outdoors. Her passion for the environment and nature led to her earning a degree in Environmental Studies.

She found an interest in outdoor education while working as an interpreter for California State Parks, where she led interpretive programs about ocean ecosystems, native plants and animals, Native American history, and geology.

The knowledge she has gained over the years brought her to AHLF in 2022, where she is so excited to teach children all about southern California’s incredible biodiversity and be a part of such a great team.

During her free time, Sara enjoys rock climbing, hiking, camping, and spending time with her two dogs. 

Contact The Show

Podcast website: Nature All Around Me

The Foundation’s website: Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation or call 760-804-1969

Podsafe Music by Geovane Bruno, Tremembé/Brasil

https://pixabay.com/users/geovanebruny-19309525/

Produced by

ImaginePodcasting.com dba Heard Not Seen Media. Inc.

Audrey Holloway is an Environmental Stewardship Teacher here at the Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation, where she teaches in our all-outdoor preschool as well as teaching our school programs.

Audrey also works in shark conservation with Shark Stewards. We are excited for you to listen and learn about shark conservation and the ways you can help! 

Contact The Show

Podcast website: Nature All Around Me

The Foundation’s website: Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation or call 760-804-1969

Podsafe Music by Geovane Bruno, Tremembé/Brasil

https://pixabay.com/users/geovanebruny-19309525/

Produced by

ImaginePodcasting.com dba Heard Not Seen Media. Inc.

Linda is a Board Member here at the Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation, elected in 2021. She has worked in Carlsbad at Thermo Fisher Scientific since 2014. Linda has a Ph.D. in Nutritional Biochemistry from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, an M.A. in Molecular and Cell Biology from UC Berkeley, and a B.S in Chemistry from San Diego State University (SDSU).

At Thermo Fisher, Linda works as a Technical Writer. In addition, she leads community outreach/STEM education programming at the Thermo Fisher Carlsbad site. Linda is passionate about STEM education and the environment. Currently, Linda serves on our Tip Top Run Committee, Education Committee, and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Committee here at the Foundation.  

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. is the world leader in serving science with a mission to enable its customers to make the world healthier, cleaner, and safer. Their global team of more than 100,000 colleagues delivers an unrivaled combination of innovative technologies, purchasing convenience, and pharmaceutical services through their industry-leading brands, including Thermo Scientific, Applied Biosystems, Invitrogen, Fisher Scientific, Unity Lab Services, Patheon, and PPD.

For more information, please visit www.thermofisher.com 

Contact The Show

Podcast website: Nature All Around Me

The Foundation’s website: Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation or call 760-804-1969

Podsafe Music by Geovane Bruno, Tremembé/Brasil

https://pixabay.com/users/geovanebruny-19309525/

Today we welcome Renee Junge. Renee is a Carlsbad resident and joined the AHLF board in 2021. Renee serves as the Vice President, Corporate Brand Strategy and Communication at The Bumble Bee Seafood Company, a role she has held since 2019.

With a love for the planet and as a believer in businesses that operate as a force for good in the world, Renee has spent her career at organizations that share her values including Jamba Juice, Sambazon, The Coca-Cola Company, and now The Bumble Bee Seafood Company. In her current role, Renee has been instrumental in driving forward Bumble Bee’s “Seafood Future” commitments to sustainability and social responsibility.

Contact Renee Junge

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/renee-junge-463150a3/

Contact The Show

Podcast website: Nature All Around Me

The Foundation’s website: Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation or call 760-804-1969

Podsafe Music by Geovane Bruno, Tremembé/Brasil

https://pixabay.com/users/geovanebruny-19309525/

Produced by

ImaginePodcasting.com dba Heard Not Seen Media. Inc.

Contact The Show

Podcast website: Nature All Around Me

The Foundation’s website: Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation or call 760-804-1969

This Giving Season, The Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation (AHLF), has a lot to be thankful for.

We are thankful for the 90 donors that helped us reach 110% of our Giving Tuesday Goal by November 30th. We are thankful for the 20 families who allowed us to be their children’s environmental learning outlet during our Discovery Fall Camp. We are thankful to the 87 Oceanside Turkey Trot participants who chose the AHLF as their charity of choice, garnering $5 of each registration. We are thankful for the 250 community members who shopped with us at our Holiday Sip N’ Shop, supporting small women-owned businesses, where 10% of the proceeds went back to the AHLF totaling $1250.

We are thankful for you.

Contact The Show

Podcast website: Nature All Around Me

The Foundation’s website: Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation or call 760-804-1969

Podsafe Music by Geovane Bruno, Tremembé/Brasil

https://pixabay.com/users/geovanebruny-19309525/

Produced by

ImaginePodcasting.com dba Heard Not Seen Media. Inc.

Today, we welcome Joe Cooper of Under-SEE and we are excited to learn more about Under-SEE, uROV’s, MPA’s, and marine education. Joe Cooper is the owner of Under-See, an on-and-below water services provider for coastal conservation agencies.

Over the Summer of 2021, Under-See provided Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation with underwater remote-operated vehicles (UROVs) and expertise for their Explore the Coast day camp for under-served youth.

With degrees from SDSU in both biology and recreation systems management, combined with decades of working and playing on the Southern California coast, Joe formed Under-See to help bring the underwater world above the surface for all to appreciate.

To date, Under-See has provided hundreds of kids and adults exposure to underwater habitats while also collecting data used by government agencies and scientists to help inform marine protected area managers.  

Contact Joe

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3Uwg1-teFpRiMbmo8u7PiA 

Email: boatsd@gmail.com

Website: https://under-see.com 

Contact The Show

Nature All Around Me podcast https://www.natureallaroundme.org/

Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation https://www.aguahedionda.org/

760-804-1969

Podsafe Music by Geovane Bruno, Tremembé/Brasil

https://pixabay.com/users/geovanebruny-19309525/

Produced by

ImaginePodcasting.com dba Heard Not Seen Media. Inc.

This is Emily Bonds and today, I welcome my sister Leanna Bonds who’s the Development Manager at The Ecology School located in Saco, Maine. 

Contact Leanna Bonds

leanna@theecologyschool.org 

https://theecologyschool.org/ 

Contact The Show

Nature All Around Me podcast https://www.natureallaroundme.org/

Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation https://www.aguahedionda.org/

760-804-1969

Podsafe Music by Geovane Bruno, Tremembé/Brasil

https://pixabay.com/users/geovanebruny-19309525/

Produced by

ImaginePodcasting.com dba Heard Not Seen Media. Inc.

We welcome Josh Cantor today and are excited to learn a little bit about the history, current offerings, and all the recreational opportunities you can find at the lagoon, which goes hand in hand with our environmental education. 

Josh was recognized as our honoree during our 2019 Gala (Bond ~ The Lagoon that Loved Me) for his contributions to the Foundation.

Josh is the owner of California Watersports, which is the recreational arm of the lagoon. His facility offers private beachfront rental space, kayaks, paddleboards, and a few motorized boat options for visitors to enjoy on the lagoon.

California Watersports is our venue sponsor for the yearly Lagoona Kahuna Team Challenge, which allows corporate businesses to get out and clean the lagoon on kayaks and paddleboards as well as compete in team-building games.

Contact Josh

California Watersports https://carlsbadlagoon.com/ 

Contact The Show

Nature All Around Me podcast https://www.natureallaroundme.org/

Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation https://www.aguahedionda.org/

760-804-1969

Podsafe Music by Geovane Bruno, Tremembé/Brasil

https://pixabay.com/users/geovanebruny-19309525/