Meet the Next Generation of Conservation Heroes in Cuyama Valley

For a while there, we didn’t think we would find them. We were trying to attract two students in the tiny town of Cuyama to intern with us on our new landscape transformation project, and the good folks at Quail Springs were attending their second recruitment event at the local high school. Their Land Stewardship Director, Amy Yuelapwan, recalls being surprised at how small the school was. This year, 17 students graduated, and this was one of the larger class sizes in a while. Amy remembers the kids were completely silent – it appeared there was no interest whatsoever. Of course, it’s understandable they weren’t thinking about jobs yet. Even if it was a weekend internship that was paying more than the $18/hr. minimum wage rate.

Our plan was to engage the interns across many aspects of our project, which aims to create a diverse native habitat that supports the web of life. We also want to spread and improve the practice of using native plants through outreach, education, and science. The Cuyama Valley is a high desert, groundwater-dependent community that will be particularly hard hit by the imminent implementation of the California Sustainable Groundwater Management Act. Producers will almost certainly have to fallow land in order to reduce groundwater use, and that land would almost certainly turn to weed patches – filled with non-native and invasive species that pose various risks. Native plants, as opposed to weeds, would support pollinating and pest-controlling insects that benefit the farm, and don’t require supplemental water once established.

Meet Joseph Fonseca and Dabrya Fonseca

We lucked out in the end, with two of the best interns ever. Engaged, smart, polite, hard-working, fun – they’re the whole package. Tenth grader Joseph Fonseca was the first to apply, and then he convinced his cousin and good friend Dabrya Fonseca to apply too. Their families have had a long-time presence in Cuyama, and include members who work or have worked in the food production industry. Both Joseph and Dabrya are also involved with the Future Farmers of America, which aims to develop students into effective leaders, both in agriculture and beyond. Amy shared, “The fact that they are so close as cousins really helped quicken the sense of comfort and familiarity as a team. They already knew how to work together on things and communicate with each other’s unique personalities.”

Experiences That Inspire and Give Us Hope

Over the course of 15 work days between November 2024 and June 2025, the interns had a lot of opportunities for hands-on experiences across four of our six demonstration sites (three farms and a community garden).

On their first day, they toured Quail Springs, which sits on a 450-acre permaculture demonstration site, and whose mission is to cultivate ecological and social health. They learned how gravity is used to divert a small amount of water for the crops, then they helped to collect and clean seeds, and even finished with some planting. Later, they learned how to prepare a site by sheet mulching, how to install irrigation, how to set up an experimental science project, and how to monitor the birds and bugs that flock to the native plants. And there was plenty more propagation and planting in between. Joseph shared in his project journal, “We get to plant these native plants for future generations. It’s kinda cool to think that they could still be here when I have grandkids.”

Part of the project involves some experimental science, and they got in on this, too. How many of you have ever done point counts? How about focal follows? Used a trap camera? The interns did all of this to monitor bird use at our sites and learn about how our native plantings affect their populations and behavior. They also used an arsenal of techniques to study the bugs, from pitfall traps, beat sheeting, and target collecting, to baited traps and photography. I couldn’t have been prouder when Dabrya said, during her final presentation, “Each activity ties into larger scientific themes: soil science and habitat restoration, climate and water cycles, experimental design and plant ecology, wildlife observation and biodiversity monitoring, insect sampling and behavioral ecology – even the simplest task, like laying mulch or taking photos feeds into broader ecological research, and we were helping build a resilient, data-driven system that benefits people and nature.”

Saying Good Bye to Joseph and Dabrya

Judging by their journal entries and final presentations, the interns’ favorite days by far were the most exploratory. This included a watershed hike at Quail Springs in January and a visit to Santa Barbara Botanic Garden in June. At Quail Springs, they were able to see where the creek begins and flows through the property, with Watershed Stewardship Director Brenton Kelly sharing his wisdom. Dabrya reported, “Today is cold but warm, which is perfect for a hiking day. We had a nice breakfast at Quail Springs before starting. First, we went through the creek, which was just ice. As we made our way farther up, there was less and less ice, making it kind of muddy. We stopped halfway through and had a snack. We kept going up the canyon, which was beautiful. At the top, it was even better. We had lunch and then made much quicker time back down. Made it home by 5. Best day so far.”

In their final week of the project, Dabrya and Joseph came to Santa Barbara Botanic Garden with Amy and toured the grounds, labs, and herbarium. They had a lot of fun (their words) exploring the Backcountry garden’s maze and other play structures, seeing the different plants and communities across the Garden, and discovering the science behind the scenes. Especially cool (literally) was Joseph seeing his first redwood tree and experiencing the reduction in temperature within the grove. He described this visit as an “experience I’ll never forget” that “inspired me to pursue preserving other habitats and understanding more from an ag point of view.”

It wasn’t all fun and games. There was hauling mulch and cardboard in 96-degree heat, and measuring, marking, and labeling hundreds of circular plots after clearing the land of weeds, which left them sore. Friendly competition and a strong work ethic kept them going. Our conversations about pop culture, Joseph’s pig Pepper, and their future didn’t hurt either. “Seeing their excitement and dedication really inspires my hope for students and what learning and work experience is possible at such a young age,” said Amy.

Ready to Get Involved?

All in all, our first Cuyama internship session was a great success. Now, the stories continue as we search for our next two interns. If you’d like to learn more or apply, we’d love to hear from you. There are many ways to get involved.