Adria Arko from San Mateo Resource Conservation District Has Earned Greenbelt Alliance’s Hidden Hero of the Greenbelt Award

Introducing Hidden Hero of the Greenbelt: Adria Arko

Adria Arko is awarded Greenbelt Alliance’s Hidden Hero of the Greenbelt Award for fostering nature-based climate adaptation. Adria has been working to support and protect agricultural viability in a changing climate through her work with the San Mateo Resource Conservation District. She interfaces between local government staff and the county’s food producers, providing farmers and ranchers with technical assistance, connecting them to the resources, and empowering them to implement nature-based solutions to sequester carbon and adapt to climate change.

Watch a sneak peek of Adria Arko’s story

Among her many achievements, Adria has worked locally, regionally, and statewide to remove regulatory, funding, and technical barriers to increase adoption of carbon-sequestration practices at scale; influence policy for effective state investments in this work; and partner with San Mateo County to develop a new chapter in its Climate Action Plan that incorporates actions that can be taken on agricultural lands. Because of her work, agricultural producers have become directly engaged in climate action while building resilience on their local family farms, nourishing the lands and people of San Mateo and beyond.

“Carbon farming practices are not new. The innovation, now, is using programs that have incorporated the best available science to assess carbon sequestration potential. That makes agriculture part of the climate solution instead of just an emitter, which is what it’s been known for.”

Adria’s story will be featured in a short film and panel premiering at

Hidden Heroes of the Greenbelt

a benefit honoring bold leaders working to ensure greater climate resilience for Bay Area communities. The event will be hosted by Glynn Washington, from NPR’s Snap Judgment radio show. Join us on September 30, at 4 p.m.

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