Mission: Nature Nexus Institute (NNI) is founded on the belief that reciprocity between communities and nature is essential to the survival of both. We seek to provide equitable and intergenerational entry points to cultivating healthy community-nature relationships. To that end, we strive to be a nexus for science, culture, art, and research endeavors that result in a new generation of change-makers and storytellers.
About: Nature Nexus Institute aims to support and manage community-led habitat restoration, youth leadership, and conservation programs that promote equitable access to Los Angeles open spaces and the natural environment. To cultivate an appreciation of and respect for nature. We seek to foster positive nature experiences in order to dispel fears and stigmas related to nature by encouraging engagement with the natural world through experiential practices that include both science and art. NNI is dedicated to making nature accessible for all. That starts with understanding the obstacles that prevent communities from accessing nature. It also means learning how communities may already be connecting to nature.
Location: Culver City, CA
Stacey Vigallon
Executive Director
Stacey oversees NNI programs and staff management. She leads community science programs, art-science workshops, and also manages NNI’s Baldwin Hills Greenhouse Program. She is a co- founder of the West Los Angeles College Conservation Studies Certificate Program. She holds a BS in Wildlife Management from Humboldt State University, an MS in Wildlife Science from the University of Washington, and she completed the UC Santa Cruz Science Communication Graduate Program with an emphasis in science illustration. She received her EdD from UCLA, with a dissertation focus on nature and transdisciplinary learning.
Emily Cobar
Community Programs Director
Emily coordinates a range of programming that connects students, program alumni, and community members with nature-based opportunities. She is co-founder and co-instructor at the West Los Angeles College Conservation Studies Certificate Program. A graduate of UC Santa Cruz and a certified California Naturalist, Emily was part of the very first cohort of NNI’s Baldwin Hills Greenhouse Program in 2008.