Mekdela Maskal was born by Ethiopian and Eritrean parents who met in Los Angeles, California. She’s grown in California, Ethiopia, and New York. She now lives in Grass Valley, California and enjoys repairing relationships through journalism, art, food and land work. Current work and study Engagement Director with Covering Climate Now Past work and study Loving Conflict with Coming Home Healing - 2024 Firecraft: Firefighter Type II & Elemental Movement Training - 2023 Natural Building with John Orcutt, Sasha Rabin, and Michael G Smith - 2022 was we’ nes, sculpture in group show “Perspectives on Erasure” at Uba’ Seo - 2022 Being with Pigments , With Tilke Elkins of Wild Pigment Project - 2021Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY, MA Engaged Journalism - 2019 Decolonizing Food Systems Immersion, Soul Fire Farm - 2019 Primary Paper - Kollobo: Mekdela Maskal in conversation with her father Daniel Maskal for Primary Paper Issue 3 - Environment - 2019Mushroom Family : A video made to culminate Herban Cura mushroom intensive class - 2019NYU Steinhardt, BS Media, Communications, and Culture - 2013 Awards and residencies Strange Foundation, Decelerator Residency Earth 1.0 - 2020 Community Engagement Fellow at THE CITY - 2019 Media Resident, Mama Hope - 2017 Inspired Action Award eBay - 2015 Secured U.S. Patent under eBay: US: 14/139,17 - 2013 Communications Residency at Ethiopian Commodity Exchange - 2011