Chantelle is celebrating her one year anniversary as an Eco-Apprentice at LEJ and we’re honored to share her story. Chantelle grew up in the Philippines and immigrated to the Bay Area when she was 18 years old with many of her siblings. She has worked in office management and home health care, helping to financially support her family members in the US and the Philippines. To advance her education, Chantelle began taking classes at City College of San Francisco. It was during an Environmental Science class field trip that she was introduced to LEJ and learned about the Restoration Technician Eco-Apprenticeship.
On her first visit to LEJ with her class, she was inspired that the organization had been operating for 21 years and that they had worked with youth in the neighborhood to shut down a power plant. “The staff were a different kind of people than I’m normally exposed to. I knew this was where I was supposed to be.” Ryan, a staff member at the time, showed Chantelle’s class a map of San Francisco before and after colonization that demonstrated the landscape changes that have occurred with the development of roads and homes. She learned that LEJ was working on solutions to address the environmental impacts of development. “We could make that ugly map green again and it would provide jobs, green jobs, for people. We don’t have to be broken-hearted. Yes, there are problems, but there are also solutions.”
While working at LEJ, Chantelle experienced a work environment she hadn’t known before. “In other jobs, they might say, ‘Don’t bring your problems to work,’ but at LEJ you feel supported because you can talk about your life.” Staff and Eco-Apprentices check in with each other often about how each person is doing. Camping regularly with co-workers was also a new experience for Chantelle.
Chantelle learned an array of skills that taught her how to grow and care for native plants. As an Eco-Apprentice, Chantelle learned how to collect seeds for native plants and propagate them in the nursery. “My favorite plant is Toyon. Toyon taught me to be patient and observe to find out what it needs. The Toyon plants were very sick last summer and now they are doing so much better. We thought that they needed pruning and horticultural oil. We experimented a lot and found the real problem — over-watering. During the summer, we water once per week. During winter, they don’t need any water at all. They look so beautiful right now! The internship doesn’t tell you exactly how to take care of toyon. We experimented and found the best way.”
Chantelle has had a life-long passion for plants, people, and the environment. Growing up in the Philippines, Chantelle preferred playing outdoors. “When I was a kid I always liked playing outside with friends and climbing trees.” In Chantelle’s backyard, she had four trees of three different species: Indian Mango, Kamais, and Cacao. I would see people gather the cacao, open it for the beans, and turn it to hot chocolate. The other tree, kamais, I would eat it like a snack. Because it was sour, I’d eat it with salt. There were so many ants on the mango tree but I didn’t care.” Chantelle remembers a grass, like bermuda grass, that always had to be trimmed. She also remembers a flower, the national flower of the Philippines, Sampaguita, that grew in her yard. “I thought, wow, there were a lot of pollinators on that plant and not on the others. I didn’t really know about native and invasive plants at the time.” Chantelle started a garden in her backyard in 2018 where she now grows food during every season. She doesn’t purchase soil any more because she has learned to rejuvenate what she calls “dead soil.”. She takes free, recycled soil from LEJ back to her house and adds kitchen waste to the pile and covers it with leaves to block the smell (which she says works well!). When she turns the pile regularly, it revives the soil within a month. “I’m just mimicking the mastery of the Earth.” Chantelle wants to use her gardening skills to support food equity in communities. “I can’t wait to be back in the Philippines to help people grow their own food.”
While at LEJ, Chantelle was appointed as the Nursery Eco-Apprentice Crew Lead. Chantelle was already orienting new Eco-Apprentices to the nursery and leading in many ways, so the transition to a leadership title was natural. “ I didn’t know that I could lead people but LEJ gave me the opportunity to have this leadership experience. I think that a good leader is also a good follower. LEJ believes in me and supports me.” Chantelle has always leaned on nature for support and the power of nature’s elements shine through in her leadership.
Chantelle plans to continue her education in Environmental Science and will continue to seek habitat restoration work like she has done at LEJ. She feels that Environmental Justice work is the right work for her. “My target is to work in urban places because that is where the environmental destruction is happening. We are like doctors of the environment.”
The most valuable thing Chantelle learned at LEJ? “I think I became more kind because everyone at LEJ is so understanding and honest. Before, it was harder for me to understand what people were going through. I feel I have an even bigger heart now. I just feel I’m a better person. I’ve fallen more in love with the plants, the ecosystem, nature, and social justice. It was all already inside of me but, since I’ve gotten here, I’ve kept growing and growing.”