Hello my name is Robert Cota,I grew up in North Long Beach, I love hiking and was team manager of my school's boys cross country team. My love for the outdoors has lead me through quite the life journey and I love to help protect & preserve nature!My first introduction to social & environmental activism was through volunteering which led to my first summer job at 12-13yrs old over at Houghton Park community center in north long beach. At the age of (16) I began cultivating, consuming as well as advocating for legal safe access.When I was at the age of (19) I was hired as an assistant Horticultural specialist for an industrial grow operation for one of the largest, popular collectives at the time.Simultaneously I graduated in sustainable landscape design & principals at Long Beach City College, allowing me to put my newfound knowledge to use implementing technology and techniques that have now become modern cultivation industry standards.Along with being a part of the grow operation, I worked closely as a lead volunteer with TheLBCA [Long Beach Collective Association] from their Inception campaigning and advocating for policy reform and over the course of the last decade we have been able to make significant changes to cannabis laws within the City of Long Beach!Currently I am working with several nonprofit organizations to help better our local communities; organizations such as koegzist, TheLBCA, Remedium, Justenvironmentlb & Puente Latino Association.As well as I am involved in several other city-wide projects in collaboration with other local groups that include beach & neighborhood clean ups and most recently the designing & build out of a public community garden surrounded by native drought tolerant landscape.On top of studying as a garden docent at los cerritos historic garden in an effort to help preserve our native plants & wildlife along with this city's rich history.My mission is to help long beach and the rest of the world thrive by not only creating safe, clean & health conscious spaces for locals to stay active & fit; but as well as have free communal access to living essentials including cannabis.