Feeling old and jaded? World getting you down? Well, zip up your Pearl Jam hoodie or throw on your dancing bears tie-dye tee (we at Acterra are welcoming of ALL generations of musical tastes) and curl up for a read about zines (yes, zines) and how our Student Ambassadors are using them to take the baton from our tired arms and continue the fight against climate change.

For Zach, now a junior in high school, it all started with penguins. When he was younger, and - if he’s being honest, even now - they were and are his animal of choice. OBSESSED. So imagine his little 10-year-old-boy heart when he heard that the second-largest colony of king penguins had vanished due to warming oceans. “It's terrible now,” Zach tells us, “and even more terrible for a 10 year old who loves penguins, right? I cried about it for hours.”

He added: “And then I resolved myself to actually do something about it.”

See? An actual Zine! 

Zach (middle) and his teammates
making the aforementioned zine

But what could he do? He felt powerless. Then one day at a volunteer fair, he picked up an Acterra Student Ambassador Program (ASAP) brochure. This was it.

“I wanted to meet people like me,” he says, “who were doing their best to better the world.” Despite being a self-described shy kid, Zach applied for the program.

Soon, the first day of the program was here. And he got his wish. There he was, gathered around tables with other high school students, talking excitedly, sharing project ideas. He and 3 of his cohort decided to start a zine.

The students worked with their ASAP advisors to scope out the project and plot a timeline. “They also gave us really great resources,” Zach says. “I think one of my favorite things was that we got to do, like, a little training on how to make a media kit, and how to do outreach, and how to do public commenting.”

ASAP also featured speakers, which opened Zach up to new aspects of environmentalism he hadn’t thought of. “That was honestly my favorite part,” Zach says. “When you learn about climate change in school, it’s very limited. You learn about, like, global warming, or plastic, or whatever.”

But ASAP’s speakers covered a wide range of topics. “One of them was about disability and climate, which I had never thought about before. There was one about cultural foods, and how climate change affects those. It really opened my eyes to how climate intersects with everything. Like, literally everything.”

“I think a lot of what I learned from those speakers shows up in the zine, because it’s all about showing how expansive the issue is.”

Summer drew to a close, and the zine was done. The team, struggling to get submissions, used their own art and poetry. It was personal. And meaningful. And now they had to share it with their peers.

Zach presents his team's work
(Triple gulp.)

Maximum zine energy
(and beautiful, indeed!)

(By now, your memory has probably rocketed you back to high school, where you once had to stand up and present something. Earnestly. To fellow high-schoolers. Gulp.)

Due to end-of-summer travel schedules, Zach, armed with a few physical copies of the zine, presented his work - alone. “It was a little nerve-wracking,” he confesses.

(Double gulp.)

Breathe easy, readers. It was a success. Zach was both relieved and proud. “It was like, ‘I finished something. That was really validating, and I’m really glad I did it.’”

This experience changed something in Zach. When ASAP finished, he decided to keep the zine going. With everyone back in school, the second issue, focused on the intersection between culture and climate, would be all on his own.

“I built the website myself. I accepted the submissions, formatted them, and designed the zine. It took a really long time because it was just me doing it, but it was so worth it. I think it turned out beautifully.”

Now? Issue 3. The focus? Food and Climate. The previous issue, topping out at over 100 pages, had been a huge lift for Zach. But now he had help. “I have a big team behind me,” he tells us. “I’m really happy about that because it used to be just me for so long, and now I have a team of, I think, 12 people, which is crazy.”

With each issue, his mission is clear: to get people to talk about, to think about, and to get involved in climate action. He wants his zine to make it accessible. As for Zach? He’s excited to use what he learned in ASAP to take his advocacy to another level.

“Learning how to actually participate in civic conversations, how to, like, carry myself in those spaces, that was really new for me. As a kid, I always thought those were for adults, you know? ‘Oh, I can’t go to a town meeting,’ or ‘I can’t talk about environmental issues.’”

“But ASAP made that accessible. It made me feel like, ‘Oh, I can actually do that.’”

We’ll see you at City Hall, Zach. Fight on.

Zach hands out zines at a
youth climate conference 

***Volunteers Needed!***
(and get a $20 gift card as thanks.
Email:our volunteer coordinator to sign up)

We're Hiring! Development and Operations Associate 

Want to work with us? Our Development and Operations Associate supports Acterra’s programs, senior staff, and Board through administrative, HR, development, and special project assistance. Manages donor relations, data entry, scheduling, and meeting materials, while providing general operations, IT, and staff support to ensure smooth coordination across Acterra’s programs.

NEW: Heat Pump Access Program Saves You 20%

Summer is getting hotter. Winter is getting colder. If you're in San Mateo or Santa Clara County and your furnace or AC is in need of replacement, this program from our friends at Rewiring America can help you save 20% on both ducted and ductless heat pumps!

Through their Heat Pump Access Program, Santa Clara and San Mateo County homeowners who sign up before November 14, can stack that 20% discount with the federal Energy Efficient Home Improvement Tax Credit which slashes the cost of a new heat pump HVAC! 

Learn more on the Rewiring America site, or join us on the Green Home Tour: Peninsula and South Bay for more information. 

Bay Area Sun Shares Solar Program 

Richmond, El Cerrito and San Pablo - Electrify Your Block 

Woodside Electric Garden Voucher Program 

FREE Home Upgrade Program for Menlo Park Residents

California’s worst destructive wildfires were only three years ago and can quickly change due to new growth of vegetation that is fuel for wildfires. Stay prepared and ready to evacuate in the event of a wildfire or other disasters such as floods and earthquakes.


• Discuss with family on where to meet if cannot return home
• Prepare an emergency supply kit with essentials
• Familiarize yourself with Red Flag Warning and how to get weather reports
• Evacuate early when fire or disaster is present

Visit firefightersonyourside.org to build your 5-minute plan.