Stacey Vigallon knows how to reach a variety of students. And in Los Angeles, where the student population is about as diverse as you can get, she understands that what works for some students might not work for others.

Simultaneously, Stacey believes that conservation issues and their interdisciplinary nature present an opportunity to find out what most interests a student, and then use that interest as a gateway into environmental stewardship. For some, science and math are natural entry points; and for others, art is their passion.

As a biologist, science illustrator, and environmental educator, Stacey Vigallon has embodied this diversity throughout her career. Through her work with the Los Angeles Audubon (where she plays multiple key roles including: Director of Interpretation, Manager of the Baldwin Hills Greenhouse Program, and Project Biologist), she has developed science-based programs and outreach materials suited to reach a wide range of students, including artists. In Los Angeles, Stacey has worked with students from a variety of socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds. Her experience has guided her belief that in order to solve complex environmental problems of tomorrow, and we must engage the many students living in diverse urban centers now.

Stacey’s Toyota TogetherGreen Conservation project allowed her to engage public school students from Los Angeles’ urban core in the conservation of costal sage scrub and sandy beach habitat. She built on her already impressive environmental education track record by incorporating science illustration instruction into existing conservation and outreach programs. By doing so, she enabled students to tackle conservation concepts in new ways, fostering creativity and reaching a new group of potential environmental stewards. This program engaged both elementary and high school students from the Los Angeles urban core, each with varying access to the natural world around them. The project culminated in a year-end art exhibit and community education event that showcased not only the student artwork, but also their conservation work. 

To Stacey, conservation is for everyone—scientists, mathematicians, educators, and of course, artists.