Visible Leadership in Action: How Climate Ambassadors Are Making an Impact in 2026

Now that we’re nearly halfway through the year, it’s exciting to look back at the energy and momentum Climate Ambassadors have already brought into their communities. Over the past few months, people have continued finding meaningful ways to engage others and make climate action feel visible in everyday life.

Ambassadors are already organizing, already bringing others in, already creating spaces for conversation and action in 2026. Reading through these submissions felt exciting because every story carried a different kind of energy, shaped by the community around it.

Turning Familiar Spaces Into Places for Conversation

Invitation to Community Lutheran’s ‘Earth Sunday’ event on April 19 featuring a virtual presentation on energy and climate justice by Dustyn Thompson of the Sierra Club Delaware Chapter.

In Delaware, Climate Ambassador Larry Ryan found a way to continue the conversation after his church’s Earth Sunday service ended. He organized a Zoom discussion on energy and climate justice and invited a local Sierra Club leader to speak to community members.

Around 35 people joined and stayed engaged throughout the discussion. People were asking questions, making connections, and thinking through how these issues show up where they live.

The conversation grew out of a space where people already knew each other and already felt comfortable participating. That kind of setting makes it easier for people to stay curious and involved.

Making Community Action Feel Visible

In Kentucky, Climate Ambassador Nancy Kuppersmith focused on something people see all the time but might not often stop to think about: waste. During the holiday season, she organized a Styrofoam collection effort through Beargrass Christian Church, right at the time of year when extra packaging tends to pile up quickly.

She spread the word through the church newsletter and set up collection spots throughout the church so people could participate easily. By the end of the effort, the congregation had collected three SUV loads of Styrofoam and brought it all to a nearby recycling facility.

Bringing Joy Into Environmental Action

Volunteers work together in a community garden filled with flowers, shrubs, and trees.

In California, Climate Ambassador Lily Kelly helped organize an Earth Day gardening event connected to La Clinica that brought together staff, family members, and community participants for a day centered on care, connection, and environmental action.

The event included gardening, food, music, and an Indigenous-led ceremony that grounded the gathering in reflection and connection to the land. Even reading about it, you can feel how warm and welcoming the space must have been.

Building Momentum Around Advocacy

Screenshot of a virtual climate justice meeting featuring speakers, facilitators, and fellows from multiple environmental organizations.

In Maryland, Climate Ambassador Nicole Jackson organized and led advocacy trainings connected to the HBCU Legislative Summit, bringing together students and community members who wanted to better understand how to get involved.

Participants spent time learning how policy works and how to communicate with elected officials in ways that felt clear and approachable. She also led an environmental justice workshop with public school students, helping younger people see how these conversations connect to their own lives and communities.

Growing Climate Action Through Community Spaces

Community members gather outdoors to plant trees and participate in a local environmental stewardship activity.

Also in Maryland, Climate Ambassador Tarun Poudel focused on bringing people together through community gardens and climate-smart fruit orchards. Tarun’s work connected sustainability to spaces people interact with directly, making climate action feel immediate and tangible.

Projects like this have a way of pulling people in naturally. They create opportunities for conversation while also giving communities something lasting that they can continue building together.

Strengthening Youth Resilience Through Climate Leadership

Banner for the 2026 NAMI Conference in Atlanta, held May 28–30 at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis, with the theme ‘Advancing Connection, Community, and Caring.

In Georgia, Climate Ambassador Linda Jackson shared that ACESWorld was selected from more than 800 applicants to present a social impact session at NAMICon in Atlanta this May. The session will focus on Climate Change Makers, a youth- and family-centered climate leadership initiative that helps communities better understand climate impacts and prepare for extreme weather.

Join the Movement

These stories are only a glimpse into the work Climate Ambassadors are leading in communities across the country. Every action starts somewhere, and a lot of the most meaningful ones begin with someone deciding to bring people together around an issue they care about.

If you’re interested in bringing climate conversations into your own community, workplace, school, or place of worship, consider becoming a Climate Ambassador or inviting one to speak at your next event!

About the Author
Laura Gomez, Climate Ambassador Program Fellow at ecoAmerica, is passionate about building community-driven climate solutions through collaboration, policy, and public engagement.

About ecoAmerica
ecoAmerica is a nonprofit organization that moves society toward climate solutions by engaging and supporting trusted national institutions to inspire and empower their millions of members in local communities across America to visibly act and advocate for ambitious, just, climate mitigation, resilience, and restoration.