Lydia Koltai

Lydia’s passion for rivers began in childhood, with adventures alongside her father and sister on the banks of the Mississippi River and its oxbow lakes. As a young adult deeply concerned about climate change, she studied permaculture and nature awareness at the Regenerative Design Institute and majored in Culture, Ecology, and Sustainable Communities at New College of California.

In recent years, Lydia has been dedicated to volunteering in her community, with a focus on racial justice and climate change action. She has also spent time working as a youth environmental educator and spearheading various community food sovereignty projects in her former community of Oxford, Mississippi. Inspired by Indigenous water protectors across the country, Lydia’s focus turned to protecting our precious watersheds. A couple of years in Phoenix, Arizona, gave her the opportunity to learn more about climate change and drought, Indigenous water rights, rainwater harvesting methods, and the management of the Colorado and Salt River watersheds.

As an Americorps member serving as part of the newly formed NC Climate Action Corps, Lydia is excited to work on stormwater management projects in Asheville and Buncombe county, supporting local communities in protecting the health of our French Broad watershed while building climate resilience.