Cristobal Castañeda

Photo By: Anela Kopshever, NPS

Cristobal’s passion for engaging with nature stems from seeing vast natural lands while immigrating with his family from Guanajuato, Mexico, to California. While in high school, he joined a program that combined stewardship volunteering with classroom education, highlighting the value of making the opportunities in restoration and wildlife conservation efforts engaging for traditionally underrepresented communities. These programs led him to intern with the National Park Service at various sites in the San Francisco Bay Area, leading community-based volunteer stewardship. Cristobal also holds a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science and Management from UC Davis, with a minor in Geographic Information Systems.

A young elephant seal lying on a sandy beach looking at the camera, with rocks and the ocean in the background. Text reads "Support conservation, education, and community-building!" A button reads "Click here to make a gift today" and "All gifts made by Dec. 31, up to $100,000, will be doubled!"