Hi sunshines! My name is Arely Saraí Lopez (pronouns she/her/ella) and I identify as first-generation, Chapina-American from sunny Southern California (Norwalk, to be exact). My love, respect, appreciation and passion for the environment and the land stems from the deep knowledge and wisdom passed down from my family in Guatemala and my parents. I continued to dig deeper into my passions throughout my undergrad years at UC Berkeley. I earned my BS in Conservation and Resource Studies with an emphasis in environmental science, education, and public health. My heart glows when I’m able to immerse myself in gardening, spending time outdoors, trying new brunch spots, rewatching comfort shows and random YouTube videos, spending quality time with friends, facetiming my niece, dancing, birding and, most recently, climbing (thank you Emily Taylor)! I am an OEI (2023 Spring cohort, lets go!) and cannot wait to pay it forward by being one of the program leads for this years cohort. I’m excited to strengthen my outdoor facilitation skills, gain new skills altogether, and share beautiful experiences with you all (: