Thurston Climate Action Teams Volunteer Spotlight this month goes to Alyssa Jones Wood. Marisa, TCAT’s Equity and Outreach Program Manager, sat down with Alyssa to get to know her a little better. 

Alyssa is the Sustainability Coordinator (Water Resources and Sustainability department) for the city of Tumwater. She is originally from Vero Beach, Florida and that is where she fell in love with environmental work and sustainability. She attributes her love for this work to her parents. Her mom did a lot of volunteer work for climate change and was an environmentalist. Alyssa’s father is a science teacher at the local school in Vero Beach. Alyssa started really getting into this work in high school where she and other students started a group called the Green Team. With this, they did a lot of sustainability work in their community. One such project was a recycling campaign for local businesses in the area. 

After high school, she obtained two degrees. Alyssa first wanted to go into fishery science but after earning her master’s degree in environmental studies, she wanted to then go into working with the public. Alyssa worked and lived in South Florida for four years doing most of the same work she does now for Tumwater. Alyssa ultimately left for the Pacific Northwest due the climate disparity that was felt in Florida. 

So how did she start volunteering with TCAT? Alyssa had been following us already on social media before she even moved here. She told Marisa that she researched all the great work we were doing in climate change and climate justice and knew this was a team she wanted to be a part of. She heard about our Transportation Action group and started to blossom her TCAT relationship from there. She also is in our Carbon Free Thurston group, Health and Equity group and recently joined our Tree group. You may have met Alyssa at our Harbor Days event where she showed her new Chevy Bolt. 

When Alyssa is not working or volunteering with us, she enjoys cooking and hiking. She also loves to spend time with her husband and her dog Banjo. Alyssa also loves music, and her favorite movie is Tank Girl.  She also is excited about a trip she is taking to New Orleans at the end of October to see one of her favorite bands King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard.

When asked what advice she would give to those who are volunteering in this work or just getting started, she said find a cause that brings you joy and love in the work that you are doing. Find a place that you can use your skills to do good in the world. 

We sure are glad that Alyssa has found joy in volunteering with us, and we can’t wait to see all the amazing things to come. Thank you, Alyssa, for being part of Thurston Climate Action Team! 

If you know someone who does amazing work for TCAT, and you would like to nominate them for our Volunteer Spotlight, click here.