<p>On this episode, I sit down with LA based visual artist, illustrator, climate strategist, birder, wildlife photographer, and outdoor adventurer Valeree Catangay at the Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook in Los Angeles, California. </p><p><br></p><p>Val takes me through her Long Beach roots, how Animal Planet and Tree Musketeers sparked her love for nature, and a formative Earth Watch scholarship trip to Texas studying whooping crane ecosystems. She shares how birding became a grounding practice during a tough season of life and naturally led her into wildlife photography, plus how her plein air painting community, Warrior Painters, makes her hyper-aware of light, weather, and seasonality. We also get into her Coastal Connections zine inspired by the Audubon Coastal Leadership Program, practical ways to plug into LA’s environmental community, her favorite local spots (Anza-Borrego, Sepulveda Basin, Ballona Wetlands), her Brower Youth Award and UCLA Environmentalists of Color Collective work, her sustainability role at Earth Justice, completing the Sierra Club Wilderness Travel Course, and birding and travel experiences in Peru and the Philippines.</p><p><br></p><p>Follow Valeree on IG:</p><p>https://www.instagram.com/valereeplants</p><p>https://www.instagram.com/valoutdoors</p><p>https://www.instagram.com/valereecat</p><p><br></p><p>Lean more about Valeree and support her work on https://www.valereecatangay.com/</p><p><br></p><p>Follow Just Trek on https://instagram.com/just.trek</p><p><br></p><p>Shop Just Trek merch on ⁠⁠https://www.justtrek.net/shop⁠⁠</p><p><br></p><p>Become a Just Trek Patron member on https://www.patreon.com/justtrek</p><p><br></p><p>Listen to more podcast episodes on ⁠⁠https://www.justtrek.net⁠⁠</p><p><br></p><p>Want to send me a message? Email me at ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠ or DM on Instagram @just.trek</p>