Meet Our Community: Karan Gathani

As part of our seasonal spotlight series, we’re celebrating our incredible employees, partners, and volunteers who help make the work of Keep Coyote Creek Beautiful (KCCB) possible. In our Earth Day Blog, we talk about the ‘Ripple Effect’ and how all it takes is one person to inspire many to make a change in their community. Today, we’re excited to introduce Karan, uncovering hidden wildlife to turn curiosity into community action. His journey shows how small, hands-on moments can spark lasting environmental change.

Role: BioBlitz and Cleanup Team Leader

With KCCB: Over 8 Years!

Fun Facts 🌟

• Happy place: Alum Rock Park 🏞️ 

• Unusual creek sightings: Snakes and Crawfish 🌱🌊

• Favorite hobbies: Cleanups, BioBlitzes, looking at things in nature 🥾🐦🪴

• Favorite place to eat: Bossman’s Pizza 😋

• Favorite color: Reds and Yellows 🌈

When asked about his favorite color, Karan expressed, “if you’re wearing your favorite color, you are going to get messy, and it’ll be brown in no time, so I don’t know if those are my favorites.”

How it All Started 🌱

Karan’s journey with KCCB began with a simple decision to show up, and it quickly grew into something much bigger. After attending cleanups and BioBlitz events, his consistency and enthusiasm stood out.

“I used to show up at every event… and they were like, ‘clearly you don’t have Netflix or friends, so why don’t we give you more responsibilities?’” he joked.

What started as volunteering soon turned into leadership. Karan stepped into roles as both a cleanup team leader and BioBlitz docent, where he not only helps restore the creek but also connects with people in meaningful ways.

“I think more than just getting the work done… you end up working with different people and really honing your people skills.”

Since then, Karan has continued to show up driven by a passion for community, education, and making a difference one event at a time.

Impact on the Community 🌎

For Karan, the impact of KCCB’s work goes far beyond removing trash, it’s about shifting awareness and helping people truly see the environment around them.

“I think more than just picking it up… It’s also the awareness,” he shares. “A lot of people… wouldn’t have even imagined the state of our creeks.” He mentioned he’s shared it with people back in India and asked them where they think he was. They often would guess a third-world country or a developing nation. 

Through cleanups, volunteers not only restore spaces but also prevent waste from traveling further downstream. He said that during cleanups, “the trash that you rescued from going down the creek is no longer there… just because some of the volunteers and you ended up spending that time.”

Equally powerful is the transformation that happens during BioBlitzes. By creating hands-on learning experiences, Karan sees people, especially kids, overcome fear and build curiosity about the natural world. During BioBlitzes, he noticed that “you could see the kids actually getting over their fear… and sometimes the parents would get excited and want to touch it as well.”

Moments like this create lasting change, turning awareness into action and curiosity into stewardship. Not just for our current generation, but for generations to come.

Looking Ahead: The Future of KCCB ☀️🌳

Karan sees the future of KCCB rooted in continued community-driven impact and grassroots change. He expressed, “If you want to see the change in the world, start locally… this is one of the ways you can actually make an impact.”

He emphasizes that meaningful progress doesn’t come from one individual, but from collective effort. Not to glamorize the experience, because it is hard work doing cleanups, but noticing that when people come together with a shared purpose, it does create change.

“Movies love to glamorize one person changing the world, but that’s not how it happens… it’s these grassroots movements that actually end up making that impact,” he said

Looking ahead, Karan is excited about the continued growth of education, engagement, and connection within the community. Through hands-on work and shared experiences, KCCB creates opportunities for people to feel empowered rather than helpless.

“I feel like if you want to see that change… There are venues where you can do your part.”

With more people getting involved, learning, and taking action, the future of KCCB is one where small, consistent efforts continue to build meaningful, lasting change. There are lots of activities where individuals can get involved and try something new; you may never know until you give it a chance.

Final Thoughts ✨

For Karan, volunteering is about more than just showing up; it’s about perspective, connection, and taking action. Through his work with KCCB, he’s found not only a way to make a tangible difference, but also a community of curious, like-minded people who continue to inspire him.

Karan said, “I never feel like I know everything… every time I meet people, I realize there’s so much more to learn.”

His message is clear: when people come together, stay curious, and take small steps toward change, the impact can be far greater than they ever imagined.