Inspired by studies in Costa Rica, ELI student, Peyton Stoller, turned her vision of sharing the lessons she learned about sea turtles and the pure vida life into a children's book, La Luna's Gift: The Tale of Sofia and Ollie, to inspire stewardship in young learners.
A double major in Environmental Studies and Geography, Peyton Stoller has been a volunteer with UCSB’s Sprout Up, a local nonprofit organization that provides free environmental science curriculum to Title I schools nationwide, since her very first quarter at UCSB. Growing up with a mom who was an elementary school teacher, Peyton always loved being in a classroom. When she found Sprout Up—a program that blends environmental education, youth mentorship, and community outreach—she knew it was the perfect opportunity to get involved. It combined everything she cared about: kids, the environment, and giving back. Little did she know during that first yea, but Sprout Up would also provide the perfect opportunity and audience to support her involvement and mission as a student in UCSB’s Environmental Leadership Incubator (ELI).
Starting as a lead instructor during her freshman year, Peyton stepped into the role of co-chapter director for UCSB during her sophomore year. Around the same time, she was accepted into the ELI program and immediately knew she wanted to create something that would benefit the elementary schools served through Sprout Up and create a lasting and meaningful impact. With a thriving student Sprout Up chapter and a commitment to environmental education and leadership, the idea of Peyton’s illustrated children’s book, La Luna’s Gift: The Tale of Sofía and Ollie, was born.
The inspiration for Peyton’s story came from an unforgettable experience she had in Ostional, Costa Rica, where she spent three weeks living with a host family and interning with the BIOMA sea turtle conservation program. Each night, her team of 20 students would patrol the beach for hours, collecting data on olive ridley sea turtles—measuring carapaces, counting eggs, tagging individuals, and monitoring nesting behavior. While the science was incredible, what made the deepest impact on her wasn’t the data—it was the people. The community of Ostional works together to protect the turtles, from opening their homes to researchers to clearing debris from the beaches so the turtles can nest safely. She fell in love with the pura vida lifestyle, the culture, and the way environmental stewardship is simply a part of life there. Peyton share that she “likes to think of Costa Rica as the inspiration, the Environmental Leadership Incubator as the foundation, and Sprout Up as the future of La Luna’s Gift. I wanted to capture the essence of what I experienced in Ostional and share it in a way that second graders could understand—and connect with.”
Peyton teamed up with fellow UCSB student Iris Jenssen, an Environmental Studies and Art double major, who illustrated the entire book. Their creative circle stayed small and intentional—just the two of them, along with guidance from Peyton’s ELI mentor, Dr. Chenoweth; professor, Erika Zollett; and a professor from the art department.
This past spring, Peyton and Iris celebrated the publishing of their illustrated book, and Peyton had the opportunity to read La Luna’s Gift aloud to a 2nd grade class at a Title I elementary school in Santa Barbara, as part of a Sprout Up lesson on the '4 R’s in Science.' After reading, the students created their own reusable tote bags. Many of them decorated their bags with drawings of sea turtles and slogans like “Save the Turtles!” Peyton says that while she was nervous to share her book with students, “the response was unforgettable—one student even said he rated it one million out of ten!” This journey began as a way to give back to the organization that had given Peyton so much. However, she never imagined that a year later, she’d be publishing her own children’s book, collaborating with professors and artists, and sharing it with young readers in her own community.
Peyton hopes that La Luna’s Gift encourages young students to see that science and storytelling can go hand in hand. That you don’t have to choose between STEM and creativity. That environmentalism can look like data collection on a beach, but it can also look like crafting a story, painting a picture, or planting seeds of curiosity in the classroom. Peyton says “To every little Sprout Up student I’ve worked with—and to all the young stewards out there who care deeply about this Earth—this story is for you.”
Interested in reading La Luna’s Gift?
The book officially launched for global distribution on May 30th through IngramSpark!
You can also find it on Amazon and Barnes & Noble online.
