Our Crew
Sofia Martinez, PH.D
Co-Coordinator, Dr. Martinez is a community-academic, writer, documentarian, activist organizer who has worked at the intersections of social justice, anti-racism and liberation work for over 40 years. Sofia is also a co-founder of Voces Feministas, a women of color radio collective covering politics, art, culture and news highlighting women of color. Originally from northern New Mexico where she is active with Concerned Citizens of Wagon Mound and Mora County.
Richard Moore
Co-Coordinator, Richard currently serves as the Co-Chair of the inaugural White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council (WHEJAC). Richard has also served on the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) National Environmental Justice Advisory Council (NEJAC), where in 1993 he was the first elected Chair. Richard is the Co-Coordinator for Los Jardines Institute in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and national Co-Coordinator of the Environmental Justice & Health Alliance for Chemical Policy Reform, advocating for stronger, safer, and just chemical policies. He is also Co-Founder and Board Member of Just Transition Alliance and a Board Member of Coming Clean, Inc.
Francine Bivens
Farm Manager, Francine is our Farm Manager. Francine began as a volunteer wanting to learn and contribute to the local food economy.
Cynthia Gomez
Cynthia provides administrative and program support for Los Jardines Institute. Cynthia has a life long commitment to family and community learning, education and resiliency. She is a storyteller through documentary film and photography and a host and producer for public radio.
Ennedith Lopez
Ennedith provides program and media support for Los Jardines Institute. Ennedith López is a Xicana born and raised in Albuquerque’s International District, which has empowered her passion for community-based work and advocacy. Throughout her youth, she has been involved in a series of community roles focusing on various social justice issues, ranging from Immigration Justice to Environmental and Climate Justice.
Ennedith graduated from the University of New Mexico in 2021 with a BA in International Studies and Spanish and a certificate in Race and Social Justice. In 2021-2022, she was the New Mexico Fellow at the Institute for Policy Studies (IPS). During her time at IPS, she has conducted research for the Mining, Trade, and Latin America project and the Climate Policy project in urging New Mexico to transition away from fossil fuels. In New Mexico, her work focused on youth leadership development and holding institutions, industries, and policymakers accountable in the fight for a Just & Equitable transition.
Now, she is excited to be at Los Jardines Institute to work in the fight for environmental justice, economic justice, and food sovereignty. Ennedith is motivated by public scholarship and determined to proactively work alongside communities to take action and address issues that impact them.
Beth Moore Love
Painter and avid DIYer, descendant of German/Irish settler farmers in Iowa -family moved to Albuquerque in 1969. Former volunteer, now LJI file clerk librarian.
Diana Padilla
Guardian of the Guardian / Farm Intern
Xavier Avila
Guardian of the Garden and Farmer
Xavier Barraza
Environmental and Economic Justice Coordinator, X works on LJIs local, regional and national EEJ organizing with EJHA, Just Transition Alliance, and Coming Clean. He grew up between a family ranch in southeast New Mexico and home in the South Valley.
Volunteer & Interns
Felix Lucero
In-house carpenter and artist. Felix supports causes that Los Jardines is involved in, with an emphasis on resisting artist driven gentrification in his South Valley neighborhood.
ANAS ABUAMAR
Summer 2025 Technology and Farm Intern
Kaya Purse
Summer 2025 farm intern.
South Valley prep Students
We want to recognize South Valley Preparatory leadership for our partnership each school year. This includes the hundreds of students and teachers who participate in our school year learning field trips. And the dozens of students who serve as Summer interns.
Jennifer MOnson and Alex Escalante with Interdisciplinary Laboratory for Art Nature and DancE (ILAND).
We want to recognize Jennifer and Alex with the Interdisciplinary Laboratory for Art Nature and Dance (iLand). For our continued collaboration during the Summer with the South Valley focused move thing project that follows the movements of toxicity and accessing the reparative possibilities of dance to heal, bring joy and liveliness through movement.
A Place for The People
Los Jardines Institute is about building the social, political, economic, cultural and spiritual power as a community. Our space is known for multigenerational and multicultural gatherings and movement making.