How to stand up (like a redwood)

Episode 5 of Season 1 — Hosted by Leslie Parra.

In the face of violence against Asian and Pacific Islander people over the last year, Rebecca Au was galvanized to work with her colleagues at the National Park Service to develop upstander training. Also known as bystander intervention, it teaches people how to practice allyship and intervene when others are being harassed, whether in parks and public lands or in everyday life. In this episode, Rebecca was courageous to share her own lived experience, as well as tips for how to be an upstander. She also geeks out on friendship bracelets and the mythical forests of Endor.

Follow Rebecca on Instagram @rebecca.ow

Rebecca Au

I’ll Go If You Go, a Save the Redwoods League podcast.

Through conversations with Black, Indigenous, and people of color who explore and work in the outdoors, we’re building community and illuminating how Californians from all walks of life think about and experience nature and conservation, in the redwoods and beyond.


About the host of Season 1

Leslie Parra Leslie Parra (she/her) connects diverse communities to redwood and sequoia forests. She has garnered significant recognition for her leadership in community civic action, STEM and environmental education, and diversity, equity, and inclusion work over the past 15 years. Her professional calling is to cultivate enrichment programs with multicultural and international perspectives, driven by and in collaboration with communities. During her free time, she loves to go hiking with her partner Eric and their dog Mishqui (which means “sweet” in Quichua, the native language of Ecuador—a place she calls home).


Check out more episodes

Be sure to follow our podcast in your preferred app to be notified when new episodes are posted!