The Roots of the Ruckus

I grew up in Northeast Los Angeles where my mother would take me on walks in the neighborhood, collecting litter as we went. Sometimes we would return home and make an art project with the odds and ends we found. She was always fascinated by unique shapes and strange materials, and could see entire personalities in the curve of a bit of plastic, or a streak of patina on a piece of metal. My older sister began volunteering at the Los Angeles Zoo at 13, and later became a primatologist devoted to conservation. These two strong female role models helped me develop my passion for both art and our planet, and that’s how RuckusRoots began—as a passion project.

After college, I began volunteering with several environmental non profits, which usually required standing in a parking lot with a clip board, asking for signatures. The rejection and general “no” vibe I received during those experiences led me to think deeply about a better way to engage young people in the environmental movement. I came up with the name “RuckusRoots” because I envisioned a grassroots movement for our planet that was fun, engaging and life-affirming! Also, I was a writing major and absolutely adored alliteration… see?

I quit my job in Boulder, Colorado and moved back to Los Angeles in 2009. The financial crisis was in full swing, and I had no idea how to start a non profit. I bought the book Non Profits for Dummies and lived with my parents. Luckily I connected with an amazing group of local artists called the Ant Farm in Highland Park, Los Angeles. One night, its founder, Robin Banks and I discussed the idea of creating an interactive, transformative experience during which participants created large-scale art out of trash, in the process learning design, collaboration, construction and building skills. We called it TRASHformation.

My sister, Stephanie Spehar, was by this time in charge of sustainability efforts at the University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh, where she was also an Anthropology professor. She had the crazy idea of inviting us to her campus to pilot our very first TRASHformation over Earth Week, 2010. This became the model we now bring to underrepresented schools and communities in Los Angeles. Our programs and vision have expanded greatly over the years, but TRASHformation will always be our flagship offering, the thing that made our idea stick.

I eventually figured out how to found a non-profit organization, which RuckusRoots became in 2011. Knowing how to run one, however, is still a work in progress, and I’m grateful to every family member, friend, participant, board member, program partner and funder who has helped us along the way. And, I’m grateful for our planet, who continues to support us despite our humanness.

From our roots to the tips of our branches, thank you for joining and believing in the ruckus!

— Christine Spehar