When Earth Ambassador Laylalanai Gocobachi returned from the UNITY Conference, she didn’t slow down—in fact, she sped up. Within days, she was developing workshops, meeting with local leaders, and hosting hands-on activities that wove together environmental education, cultural preservation, and youth leadership. Her July became a powerful example of how one committed leader can inspire entire communities.
In Middletown, Laylalanai began by preparing a traditional ecological knowledge workshop for a youth leadership event. She met with the town’s new ICWA director to explore ways the Boys and Girls Club could integrate environmental education into their programs. Soon after, she led an environmental workshop for Middletown Rancheria’s summer interns, guiding them through identifying environmental challenges and brainstorming actionable solutions.
Her internship with the Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals (ITEP) added another layer to her work. As part of her climate and natural resources needs assessment, she conducted interviews and one-on-one listening sessions to collect climate data from an Indigenous perspective. She also helped design stickers for the 22nd Annual Tule Boat Festival and contributed to a children’s coloring and activity book about the cultural importance of the tule plant.
At the Scotts Valley Tribal Youth Day, hosted at the Hopland Research and Recreation Center, Laylalanai led a workshop on the impacts of climate change on Indigenous communities. Youth participants discussed shared challenges and played interactive games such as Sweep the Teepee and Bear, Mosquito, Salmon. Her Wilderness First Responder training came into play when she helped a student experiencing a medical emergency until EMS arrived. She also met with Frank Oscar Weaver of Indigenous Earth to discuss bringing workshops to the Yaqui pueblo of Pótam in Mexico.
Her schedule didn’t stop there. She attended the California Tribal Energy Collective’s third board meeting of the year, gaining insight into the inner workings of intertribal operations that benefit the environment. She then hosted another environmental workshop for the Middletown Rancheria’s Tribal Youth Leadership program, using activities like the Web of Life game to illustrate how interconnected ecosystems are and to inspire participants to brainstorm solutions for environmental issues.
Cultural preservation was also at the forefront of her month. At the 22nd Annual Tule Boat Festival, she helped harvest traditional tule and assisted in creating tule boats, celebrating a tradition that continues to unite the community. She also hosted an embroidery workshop through Scotts Valley Tribal TANF, teaching youth the cultural significance of embroidery in Yaqui regalia—its role in storytelling, protection, and self-expression.
Reflecting on her work, Laylalanai summed up her summer with a simple truth: “Resilience truly is reflected in community.” Her July was not just a month of events—it was a tapestry of environmental stewardship, cultural teaching, and youth empowerment that strengthened the communities she serves.
The UNITY Earth Ambassador program empowers Native youth leaders from across the country to develop and lead environmental service projects rooted in both traditional ecological knowledge and modern sustainability practices. The 2025–2026 cohort, of which Laylalanai is a part, represents diverse Tribal Nations and regions, each working on unique initiatives ranging from water rights advocacy to food sovereignty and clean energy education. Together, they are building a collective movement of young Indigenous environmental leaders who are protecting the planet while strengthening their cultural connections for future generations.
