ABOUT
DR. JESSICA HERNANDEZ
Dr. Jessica Hernandez is a globally recognized Indigenous scientist, author, and one of the leading voices working at the intersection of environmental science, Indigenous science, and climate justice. A Binnizá (Zapotec) and Maya Ch'orti' scholar raised between South Los Angeles and her maternal homelands in Oaxaca, Mexico, she draws upon both her scientific training and the teachings passed down through her grandmother. Her work challenges the false divide between Western science and Indigenous knowledge, demonstrating how these knowledge systems can work together to address today's environmental challenges.
Dr. Hernandez is the first graduate of Ánimo South Los Angeles Charter High School to earn a doctoral degree. She is the author of the bestselling and award-winning Fresh Banana Leaves: Healing Indigenous Landscapes through Indigenous Science, which helped bring Indigenous science into mainstream environmental conversations, and Growing Papaya Trees: Nurturing Indigenous Roots During Climate Displacement, which examines the colonial roots of climate migration and the resilience of Indigenous communities navigating displacement.
She is the founder and Director of Indigenous Science and Research of Earth Daughters, an Indigenous women-led nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing Indigenous science, environmental justice, youth leadership, mutual aid, and community-based research. Earth Daughters began in response to the 7.5 magnitude earthquake that struck Oaxaca, Mexico, in 2020. What started as an emergency relief effort that helped rebuild more than 200 homes has since grown into an international nonprofit supporting Indigenous communities through research, education, climate resilience, and community empowerment.
Every speaking engagement Dr. Hernandez accepts directly supports the mission of Earth Daughters. Honorariums are reinvested into programs that support Indigenous women, youth, and communities, ensuring that each engagement creates impact far beyond the stage.
In addition to her nonprofit leadership, Dr. Hernandez serves as Director of Indigenous Leadership for Women for Wolves, where she works to strengthen relationships between conservation organizations and Indigenous nations whose stewardship has sustained ecosystems for generations.
Whether speaking to universities, corporations, nonprofits, government agencies, or international audiences, Dr. Hernandez invites people to rethink their relationship with the natural world. Grounded in Indigenous science and community-centered solutions, her talks challenge audiences to move beyond awareness and toward meaningful action.
At the heart of her work is a teaching rooted in both Maya Ch'orti' and Zapotec worldviews: the Earth is not a resource to be managed but a relative to whom we have responsibilities. Audiences leave her presentations not only informed, but transformed in how they think about land, climate change, and our collective future.
Dr. Hernandez is the first graduate of Ánimo South Los Angeles Charter High School to earn a doctoral degree. She is the author of the bestselling and award-winning Fresh Banana Leaves: Healing Indigenous Landscapes through Indigenous Science, which helped bring Indigenous science into mainstream environmental conversations, and Growing Papaya Trees: Nurturing Indigenous Roots During Climate Displacement, which examines the colonial roots of climate migration and the resilience of Indigenous communities navigating displacement.
She is the founder and Director of Indigenous Science and Research of Earth Daughters, an Indigenous women-led nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing Indigenous science, environmental justice, youth leadership, mutual aid, and community-based research. Earth Daughters began in response to the 7.5 magnitude earthquake that struck Oaxaca, Mexico, in 2020. What started as an emergency relief effort that helped rebuild more than 200 homes has since grown into an international nonprofit supporting Indigenous communities through research, education, climate resilience, and community empowerment.
Every speaking engagement Dr. Hernandez accepts directly supports the mission of Earth Daughters. Honorariums are reinvested into programs that support Indigenous women, youth, and communities, ensuring that each engagement creates impact far beyond the stage.
In addition to her nonprofit leadership, Dr. Hernandez serves as Director of Indigenous Leadership for Women for Wolves, where she works to strengthen relationships between conservation organizations and Indigenous nations whose stewardship has sustained ecosystems for generations.
Whether speaking to universities, corporations, nonprofits, government agencies, or international audiences, Dr. Hernandez invites people to rethink their relationship with the natural world. Grounded in Indigenous science and community-centered solutions, her talks challenge audiences to move beyond awareness and toward meaningful action.
At the heart of her work is a teaching rooted in both Maya Ch'orti' and Zapotec worldviews: the Earth is not a resource to be managed but a relative to whom we have responsibilities. Audiences leave her presentations not only informed, but transformed in how they think about land, climate change, and our collective future.