Environmental Scholar
Albany High School
School Contact Information
Clara M., Albany High School, Albany
Through my A.P. environmental science class at school, I am participating in a program called Environmental Design, Science, Engineering, and Technology (EDSET), which allows me to intern at non-profit environmental organizations.
Your Environmental Story
Share an experience you've had as a child or young adult that shaped your environmental values or behaviors (time in nature, play, a school project, a teacher, a mentor?) What inspired you to care?
When I was in 8th grade, my family and I visited the Grand Canyon, and I was instantly captivated by its beauty and grandeur. After visiting the Grand Canyon and going on a field trip with my school to Marin Headlands in 4th grade, I realized the importance of conserving the environment so that future generations can experience the wonders of nature as I have.
How do you make an environmental difference at your school or in your community? What motivated you to take action or change your behaviors?
Now that I am older and more aware of environmental issues, I understand that every citizen is responsible for preserving and improving the environment. Through various field trips and outdoor activities, I have learned how valuable nature is and how vital it is to our well-being. This has motivated me to reduce my carbon footprint and persuade my family, friends, and peers to take action.
Did any experiences or teachers at school influence your environmental values or behaviors? If Yes, what & why? If No, what and why not?
In 7th grade, my class went on a week-long field trip to Catalina Island in Southern California. There, my class participated in a challenge in which we had to strive to produce zero waste each meal. The challenge made me realize the extent to which humans take natural resources for granted and use them without thinking about the environmental impact. Overall, the trip influenced me to be aware of the environmental implications of the resources I use.
Now I am in an AP environmental science class, where we are learning about current environmental issues. Every week, my class reads an article about a particular environmental issue and discusses how humans impact that specific problem as well as how we, as individuals, can change our habits in order to prevent further environmental degradation. One article, in particular, stood out to me. The article discussed the impact humans have on mineral depletion through the purchasing of certain products. After reading that article, I learned how lifestyle choices directly and indirectly affect environmental degradation.
Moving Forward
What would you most like to share with other students?
It is important to conserve places, like the Grand Canyon, and natural resources, like minerals, so that future generations can enjoy them as well.
What do you hope to do next? How do you stay inspired?
Next, I hope to implement what I have learned in my environmental science class and at my internship to my own school.