The EcoNetwork is made up of youth, ages 14-20, who are currently in ITE programs and actively contribute to the ITE community, as well as 200+ young alumni who have participated in programs in the past.
Youth who are part of the EcoNetwork are among the first to be recruited for paid and unpaid ITE Internships and have access to ITE EcoNetwork Benefits and Services.
Hi! My name is Terra Simone, and I’m an architecture student in the CAPLA program through the UofA. I was born and raised here in Tucson and enjoy learning about community and sustainability, which is why I love ITE. Through ITEs various internships and opportunities, I have learned so much about the earth and the connection I have to the earth (more specifically, my connection and love for my home here in the Sonoran Desert). While on a trip with ITE, we visited the Mesa Verde cliff dwellings, which is where I found my desire to study and become an architect. I hope to someday design and build homes that work with and are made from the environment around.
ITE Internships & Programs: Envisioning Urban to Wild 2022, Community Action Toolkit 2020, Desert Youth Heritage Project 2020, Wilderness Warriors 2019, EcoNetwork 2019-2023
I have always loved trees- everything from the shade that they provide to the branches and trunk that I started climbing in when I was about 2 years-old. I love the various barks and learning about the teas and therapeutic remedies that many trees provide to humans and animals. I enjoy learning about the root systems. I think that trees like aspens that share a common root system are amazing and maybe even have a silent language we just don’t understand, like the Ents and Telperion and Laurelin, the Silver Tree and the Gold Tree, in JRR Tolkein books.
I have been passionate to not use too much paper and paper products so that we can reduce our dependence on trees. WhenI was young, I built tree houses in our neighborhood for me and others and I could have spent hours in the. I wish I still had a tree house. I can read better there than anywhere. Trees are some of the greatest resource on Earth providing shelter, roots to reduce erosion, and most of all oxygen for us to breath! I have been disheartened and wrote letters to advocate for trees when many trees have been taken down at the Carmanah Preserve in British Columbia, Amazon forests and then in a special area near Sabino Canyon.
I love to bike, hike and backpack, and am always grateful to stop in the shade of a tree. As fun, I have organized my scout groups and friend group to join Tucson Clean and Beautiful for tree plantings, and that has felt good to do.
ITE Internships and Programs: EcoNetwork 2023
Mimi has been with ITE for 2+ years and has participated in various programs and internships. She is an avid reader and writer, and enjoys interviewing her family members for ITE projects, observing the dinosaur birds in her yard, and traveling to the east coast to see the water and sand dunes.
ITE Programs and Internships: Youth Ambassadors for Southwest Cultures 2020, WorldWildWeb 2020, Desert Youth Heritage Project 2021 & YAC Advisory Committee, Nature and Culture Beyond Borders 2023, EcoNetwork 2020-2023
My name is Blake James. I love hiking, camping, playing video games, watching movies, watching football, and writing fiction stories. I am mostly American but am part Irish, Ukrainian, and German. My Favorite thing about nature is how animals and people can adapt so well. For example there is water that we can drink, trees that give shade which can make the ground up to 30 degrees cooler, and some plants even have food that some animals and people live off of.
ITE Programs and Internships: Youth Ambassadors for Southwest Cultures 2021, Desert Youth Heritage Project 2021, EcoNetwork 2021-2022
I am Jesus Mendoza-Villela, I am 16 years old and I go to UHS. I love to listen to music pop and classical music, watch tv and attend/participate in school competitions. What I love about the environment is nature and how different species evolve.
ITE Programs and Internships: Youth for Blue Skies 2022, Envisioning Urban to Wild 2022, Creativity on the Fly 2022, Youth for Blue Skies Mentor 2023, EcoNetwork 2022-2023
I can’t pick a favorite thing in nature, I really love everything, the bird sounds, the little animals, the big animals, the trees, the fungi, the cacti, the fresh air, the running water. Feeling living soil beneath your feet. I think my favorite thing about it is that it is- how healing and ever present it is. I am passionate about nature and writing. I read a lot and write creatively and am hoping to one day publish my own works. I am currently working on hosting my own creative writing workshops and making a literary magazine. I love gardening and working on farms and with animals and plants. I part-time in Tucson with my mom and part-time in Santa Cruz with my dad. In the future I hope to learn more about the earth and how to be self-sustainable living on it, I hope to learn more about the plants, animals, and fungi and also hope to learn how to fix some things. There are many things I hope to learn.
ITE Programs and Internships: EcoNetwork 2023
My name is Samantha, I’m sixteen years old and I have done the Youth for Blue Skies internship with Ironwood Tree Experience. It has given me so many new opportunities and it has taught me so many new skills and has allowed me to meet some incredible people. I find nature fascinating in so many ways but especially in all of the life that it holds and how all of that life lives in harmony together. I think the diversity and symbiotic relationships in nature serve as a great example for how our communities should be.
ITE Programs and Internships: Youth for Blue Skies 2022, Envisioning Urban to Wild 2022, Youth for Blue Skies Mentor 2023, EcoNetwork 2022-2023
My name is Bianca. I’m a senior at Rincon. What I love about ITE is that it’s very supportive, nurturing, and is a judgment-free zone. I’ve done 3 programs with ITE: YAC, DYHP, and Youth for Blue Skies. For me, I love how community and nature come together when it’s really important. For example, there were a bunch of kids who did a walk out to show their passions. Community is about action, family, being supportive, and beauty!
ITE Programs and Internships: Youth Ambassadors for Southwest Cultures 2021, Desert Youth Heritage Project 2022, Youth for Blue Skies 2022, Envisioning Urban to Wild 2022, Youth for Blue Skies Mentor 2023, EcoNetwork 2020-2023
Hello! my name is Jazmine Lopez. I’m 16 years old and I am a mix of Mexican and Native American specifically the Tohono O’odham Nation. Growing up I wasn’t very connected with my culture but as I become more of my own person I find more of an interest in my traditions. I’m starting off by reconnecting myself with nature because I know that natives are very connected to this earth because mother earth has given us everything and we should be thankful for that. i’m hoping that the more I work with ITE the more I’ll be connected with the earth. this trip to New Mexico will be the second trip I’ve taken with ITE. on our last trip we ventured to Mount Lemmon it was one of the highlights of that time for me. I got to spend time with some good friends and experience the beauty of nature. I think ITE is an amazing program because it gives you the chance to realize that we can get entertainment and amazing memories without technology.
ITE Programs and Internships: Envisioning Urban to Wild 2022, EcoNetwork 2022-2023
Santos has been with ITE for 2+ years through programs and school field trips. He is an avid mushroom whisperer, often finding them before ITE field staff even can. He enjoys camping, walking, making art with devil’s claws in nature, and traveling.
ITE Programs and Internships: Youth Ambassadors for Southwest Cultures 2021, Youth Ambassadors for Southwest Cultures 2022, Wilderness Warriors 2022, EcoNetwork 2021-2023
Destiny has been with ITE for 2+ years. She is an avid writer and loves to explore nature. She is interested in learning more about climate change because she has learned a lot about air pollution and other environment injustices but her knowledge on climate change is very minimal. She’s heard many different opinions on climate change but hasn’t gotten hands on learning or solid facts about it. She believes it is important to have more information on this subject especially because of how much it truly impacts not just one state but the whole world. Climate change is something that creates a chain reaction within environments and human nature.
ITE Programs and Internships: Youth Ambassadors for Southwest Cultures 2021, Desert Youth Heritage Project 2021, Youth for Blue Skies 2022, Youth for Blue Skies Mentor 2023, EcoNetwork 2021-2023
I am Oscar Delgado; I go to Nosotros Academy. I value that ITE doesn’t care about how weird you act. My last ITE internship I have done with ITE was Wilderness Warriors. I value how many animals are in these community’s and how they evolved to live in these areas.
ITE Programs and Internships: Youth Ambassadors for Southwest Cultures 2022, Wilderness Warriors 2022, Nature and Culture Beyond Borders 2023, EcoNetwork 2022-2023
I am interested in learning about intersectional environmentalism. From a young age I’ve been taught about environmental consciousness and its importance. Being able to learn about the environment and preservation of it, is fascinating and it has become a very important part of my everyday life. This past year I was able to learn more about intersectional identity and why intersectionality should be recognized, which interested me a lot. Learning about environmentalism and how it impacts diverse people is very compelling and sounds right up my alley.
ITE Programs and Internships: Youth for Blue Skies 2022, EcoNetwork 2022-2023
I like trees and water, lakes, rivers, I’m passionate about being outdoors and learning new things. I’m curious about harvesting food from bushes etc, my favorite classes are history and PE. I’d like to learn how to harvest foods and how to survive outdoors, I call home wherever I can sleep at and I hope to learn medical certification, farming, and cooking as I get older. The sun on my skin helps me feel connected while outside, and the smell of rain in the Sonoran desert.
ITE Programs and Internships: YASWC 2022, Wilderness Warriors 2022, EcoNetwork 2022-2023
Julia has been with ITE for 3+ years since she went on an ITE hike with her gardening class. She joined her first internship and has been in almost every program since. She loves running and walking in nature, connecting with birds and all creatures, traveling the world (she’s currently in France for her senior year), and interviewing and recording stories.
ITE Programs and Internships: Youth Ambassadors for Southwest Cultures 2020, WorldWildWeb 2020, Desert Youth Heritage Project 2021, YAC Advisory Board, Wilderness Warriors 2022, Creativity on the Fly 2022, Nature and Culture Beyond Borders 2023, EcoNetwork 2020-2023
I’ve been really enjoying learning about environmental education and all of the aspects of the Sonoran Desert through my previous internship with the Arizona Trail Association. I’m taking as many chances as I can to learn more and to spend more time with this environment. Ali is also passionate about restorative justice, environmental activism, and the intersections of mental health and nature.
ITE Programs and Internships: Youth for Blue Skies 2022, Youth for Blue Skies Mentor 2023, EcoNetwork 2022-2023
My favorite thing in nature is the smell of the air I just think it’s so natural. I’m very passionate about seeing new things and trying out new stuff. My favorite class is graphic design, I love art projects, and I like to learn about animals. Places I call home is where I feel safe. I would consider school home. I hope to learn how to grow and how to grow a healthy body.
ITE Programs and Internships: EcoNetwork 2022-2023
I am a Yoeme activist. I love to be around my friends and learn new things. My hobbies include reading, drawing, skateboarding, baking. My favorite class would be world history or English. Community to me means family and knowledge. I feel most connected to nature during the evening when I can walk outside with no shoes.
ITE Programs and Internships: EcoTruths for Indigenous Youth 2023, Youth for Blue Skies 2023
I am in a lot of activities I do a public high school for example Im in swim, soccer, hiking, and biking, two of those which are with Mr. Somoza, and then I’m also in student council. I feel like this could be a great way for me to learn more about nature and I could spread more of the worry about nature to Pueblo High School which then would be more environmentally friendly.
ITE Programs and Internships: YASWC 2022, Wilderness Warriors 2022, EcoNetwork 2022-2023
I love nature and I’m a very outside person…but also not (lol). I participate in biking and hiking clubs at school as well.
ITE Programs and Internships: EcoNetwork 2022-2023
I love nature, hiking but I definitely love learning new things around me. I love art, my preferred mediums are acrylic and watercolors. I also want to work in the science field, I love art and all but learning new things everyday is so much more fun.
ITE Programs and Internships: Youth for Blue Skies 2023, EcoNetwork 2022-2023
My favorite thing about nature has to be climbing even if it’s not considered a biological subject but I really enjoy different amphibians and reptiles within nature. I’m most passionate about physical activities such as climbing, and hiking because i love how they bring me into nature and I can experience the outdoors more but I also enjoy rugby as a way of somewhat letting out my aggression that we all contain over time. I’m most curious about definitely reptiles such as snakes, geckos, and frogs but any amphibian/reptile is very interesting to me. My favorite classes are JROTC, Biotech, and Spanish because I enjoy increasing my knowledge on language, biology, and also physical activities. The places I call home are obviously my home but I find my most peaceful and inviting places in the mountains; I’ve always found them peaceful and beautiful and I’ve spent a lot of time hiking and climbing in them with my family over the years. What I hope to learn as I get older would probably be about how I can be a more humble and loving person to the people around me to be a facet for their passions and dreams.
ITE Programs and Internships: EcoNetwork 2022-2023
My hobby is skateboarding and my favorite class is algebra. I like having new experiences. What community means to me is gathering of people to have passion for the things they want to do.
ITE Programs and Internships: EcoTruths for Indigenous Youth 2022, Youth for Blue Skies 2023
Jazmy Martinez-Guzman is a writer and nature lover. They are passionate about making urban spaces more accessible for all people, including public transportation. They enjoy writing everything from school newsletters to climate change fantasy and allegory (their final presentation for YBS).
ITE Programs and Internships: Youth for Blue Skies 2022- Community Consultant, Youth for Blue Skies 2023 Intern, EcoNetwork 2023
I am especially connected to nature because I went to a Montessori school for middle school and every quarter we would go on a camping trip and at the end of the year we would go on a big trip (one year we went on a river trip and the second we went to Prescott). I think those experiences highlighted my love of nature and it brought me closer to the Hermosa community. My mom’s side of the family first came to Tucson in the 70’s from Taiwan, and it was difficult for them to live here, as there weren’t a lot of other Asians (there still aren’t) and people were prejudiced. I always thought it would be easier if they had just gone to LA or Flushing like our other relatives, but over time I’ve found I still love this city even though there’s something left to be desired in terms of finding other people like me.
ITE Programs and Internships: Nature and Culture Beyond Borders 2019, Desert Youth Heritage Project 2021, Wilderness Warriors 2022, Creativity on the Fly 2022, EcoNetwork 2019-2023
I’ve always been interested to outside activities. I’m also very open minded to new things and am fond of making new memories and to learn more about the area I live in. Му favorite part of this program was the camping trip and going to Mount Lemmon, and going on fun hikes in Chiricahua National Monument.
ITE Programs and Internships: Nature and Culture Beyond Borders 2023, School Campout, EcoNetwork 2023
I love to think and observe, my hobbies are skating, making music, and drawing, my favorite classes are English, and science. I want to explore new things that I might find interest in and so that I could potentially have another career option, that being something to do with the earth.
In someway, a community is a group of people who maybe perceive in the same thing and all have the same idea and believe the same way. I feel most connected to nature when I am outside maybe exploring and just observing every little thing out there, and I appreciate a lot when I am outside; being outside is a preference to me than being at home. Just being outside and getting fresh air is nice and the scenery sometimes too– I feel most connected when I’m outside.
ITE Programs and Internships: EcoTruths for Indigenous Youth 2023, Youth for Blue Skies 2023
Some of my favorite parts of internships have been: Planting trees. It was one of the few times I’ve ever truly felt like I was part of a community, and all of us working towards that same goal felt really nice, like we were all connected. I also liked Sabino Canyon when we did the silent activities because you get to sort of see everyone do their own thing- everyone enjoying nature no matter what they’re there for. I also have enjoyed presenting at the YBS showcase, camping with other teens, and the hikes in the different mountain ranges.
ITE Programs and Internships: Youth for Blue Skies 2023, Nature and Culture Beyond Borders 2023, EcoNetwork 2023
Santos has participated in our 3-day, 2-night backpacking program in Spring 2023 to Hutch’s Pool.
ITE Programs and Internships: EcoNetwork 2023
Earlier this year, I did a camping trip through my school this year and I really enjoyed it.
ITE Programs and Internships: Nature and Culture Beyond Borders 2023, School Campout, EcoNetwork 2023
I love nature and I love the trees. I’ve always loved the outside. I’m now really worried about what’s coming in the future about the weather and status of our world. I love reading and am not a big fan of writing, but I do love learning about new things all the time- literally about anything. I’m really into crime, psychology, neurology, and forensics.
ITE Programs and Internships: Youth for Blue Skies 2023, EcoNetwork 2023
Gael enjoys playing guitar, farming and gardening at Las Milpitas Community Garden, and going on long walks in nature. He is a recent intern as of 2023. One of his favorite things in nature is to stop and sit, feel the breeze, and just practice being.
ITE Programs and Internships: Nature and Culture Beyond Borders 2023
What community means to me is when people get together and are like a family taking care of each other. I feel most connected to the environment when my family and I go to the mountains to go hiking or camping. The skills I’m bringing to the team is leadership and I like to make good decisions. Most of my teachers always tell me that I’m like a mom to people because I will be nice with them and take care of them and listen to their ideas while trying to see how they would work.
ITE Programs and Internships: Youth for Blue Skies 2022, Youth for Blue Skies Mentor 2023, EcoNetwork 2022-2023
I’m curious about animals in nature and building habitats. I’m interested in rock formations and desert animals. I’m also wanting to learn skills of how to survive outdoors in heat and cold—mostly heat. At one time I wasn’t as interested in the outdoors but after the hiking trip I became more interested in learning about camping. It is a fun adventure.
ITE Programs and Internships: EcoNetwork 2023
Neydi Cruz joined us for Youth for Blue Skies 2023. She focused her project on the power of photography to tell a story.
ITE Internships and Programs: Youth for Blue Skies 2023, EcoNetwork 2023
