This is Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls.

Hi, Rebels.

This is Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls, the interview.

I'm your host, Ina, and today we're talking to the journalist and activist Lauren Markham.

Lauren wrote the story of Naili Kobo, so if you haven't listened to that yet, go check it out.

Hi, Lauren, we're so excited you're here. Can you start by telling us about who you are and what you do?

My name is Lauren Markham, and I'm an educator and a writer and a journalist, And I write a lot about immigration rights and about environmental issues in the United

States and throughout the world.

That's amazing.

Was there a moment growing up that made you want to protect the earth?

Yeah.

When I was 13 years old, I went to Joshua Tree National Park in Southern California, honestly, only a couple

hours from where Naili grew up. And it was the most magical thing. It was the first place

I ever slept outside. It was the first time I ever went backpacking. I went with a school trip.

And to this day, it remains one of my most favorite places. If you haven't seen a Joshua

tree before, try to go

see one in person or just look one up. They're totally magical. They look like alien creatures,

and they're incredibly expressive. And actually, because they're in the desert, they're pretty

imperiled. So it's a magical place and a place that I feel very serious about protecting.

I've been there too.

I love seeing all the wildlife there and climbing on the rocks.

How did you figure out that you could use your writing to help make a difference?

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