OAKLAND, Calif., September 25, 2024 – Regardless of what happens in November, Kamala Harris’ environmental legacy will live on thanks to the efforts of Merritt College’s Natural History and Sustainability program, a training hub for green jobs.
Program Founder Dr. Brad Balukjian, an entomologist, has named one of 17 new species of Tahitian plant bugs he discovered in honor of Harris, Pseudoloxops kamalaharrisae. Plant bugs are a type of “true bug,” insects in the sub-order Heteroptera with a mouth like a straw designed to slurp plant and animal juices. Balukjian discovered P. kamalaharrisae and its relatives as part of his PhD research at UC Berkeley’s Environmental Science, Policy, and Management Department. Details regarding the discovery of the new species can be found in this Insect Systematics and Diversity research article, "Using Integrative Taxonomy to Delimit Species in the Plant Bug Genus Pseudoloxops (Hemiptera: miridae) in French Polynesia," published today by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Entomological Society of America.
Following his graduation from UC Berkeley, Balukjian built the Natural History and Sustainability (NHS) program at Merritt College to create a new training ground for Bay Area students interested in environmental work. Since its establishment in 2020, program graduates have secured jobs with East Bay Regional Park District, California State Parks, and environmental consulting firms such as ESA.
While NHS grew and thrived, the Harris/Biden administration set to work creating the American Climate Corps, with a goal of training 20,000 young Americans in sustainability and climate resilience. In June 2024, the first 9,000 Corps members were sworn in.
Given Harris’ connection to Oakland and dedication to bolstering the green workforce, Balukjian decided to honor her work with a new species. He is now turning his attention to extending his research in Tahiti, creating a new educational outreach program called The Manumanu Project (“manumanu” is Tahitian for insect) to train fifth-graders on insect identification and conservation.
