At Tuolumne River Trust, I wrote and designed campaign collateral that encouraged audiences to join civic actions, sign petitions, and leave public comments at San Francisco Public Utility and State Water Board Meetings. My policy communications inspired audiences into action and boosted the organization’s reputation as a leading voice for water rights throughout the Tuolumne River watershed.
For Rally for the River, I wrote and edited all media kits and press packets. I conducted press outreach and disseminated a full press packet including a media advisory, press release, and backgrounder. Through collaboration with partner organizations and TRT Policy Director, Rally for the River received press coverage via an ABC 7 nightly news spot, the Modesto Bee, and Pacific Sun.
I wrote a River News article: Rally for the River Brings Tuolumne Advocates to SF City Hall. All press mentions and news features are included in the article linked below.
“A crowd of allies delivered public comments with a range of connected messages: “Former TRT intern Zarine Kakalia, eloquently shared that we have two possible futures ahead of us: by 2055 we could be on track to ensure that all California salmon are extinct or the opposite could be true.“
—from Rally for the River Brings Tuolumne Advocates to SF City Hall
In January 2025, presidential executive orders were released that put the Bay-Delta and its tributary rivers at great risk. I created a rapid response communications campaign that included social media explainers, calls to action, and a blog explainer about ongoing Bay-Delta diversions and the Bay-Delta Quality Control Plan.
I also produced email communications, managed workshop registration, and supported all things Zoom for a live Water Policy 101 Workshop led by Tuolumne River Trust’s Policy Director Peter Drekmeier. This workshop encouraged citizen participation at public comment sessions during upcoming Bay-Delta Quality Control Plan meetings. This timely offering yielded a high rate of new email subscriptions that came directly from organic social media marketing.
“To improve rearing habitat for baby fish, we need to restore the river’s floodplains. We also need to activate them with water, as dry floodplains do not serve an ecological function,” Drekmeier shared in a recent op-ed.
I wrote a long-form article to offer a free educational resource, display organizational expertise, and inspire community engagement.
