Earthsaver of the Month
What’s your SCA story?
My first SCA service event was at Great Kills Park in Staten Island in October 2013. At that time, I had recently become the service coordinator for the Earth Club at St. John’s University, and my mission was to get as many students out to volunteer as possible. We are a school dedicated to service, and since I was an environmental studies major, I thought, What better way to embody this commitment to service and protecting the environment than by performing environmental stewardship work? Since then, I have personally tried to attend every single SCA event in my home city, and I can honestly say that volunteering is one of my favorite hobbies.
Why do you serve the planet?
I serve the planet because I believe all living and nonliving beings have intrinsic value and that there is an ineffable beauty in the existence of the natural world. Nobody can deny the injustices done to the natural world, and I wish to prevent further injustices by doing service to inspire others to take action and educating the public and future generations on the importance of protecting our home planet.
Tell us about one of your favorite service moments.
One of my favorite service moments was at an SCA service event at Pelham Bay Park in the Bronx. We were removing invasive species within a small forested area, and for a moment there, I felt as if I were far away from civilization and in the wilderness. One lady made the remark, “We’re getting work done here!” and a few others chimed in for a conversation and there was laughter, warm and hearty. For that brief time, I witnessed and experienced a utopian community: people of all ages, ethnicities, backgrounds, and beliefs working together, getting down and dirty to help the planet.
How do you serve the planet outside of SCA?
I serve the planet by encouraging my family and friends to go out and volunteer at events, by educating them on the importance of recycling and sustainability, by signing and following up on petitions, and by working on my own school-based recycling project that can potentially raise awareness about waste and consumption and provide recycled notebooks to low-income schools.
What’s your next earthsaving goal?
My next goal is to become an environmental educator so that I can teach and prepare the next generation of earthsavers. I wish to ensure a sustainable future for the generations to come, and continue the environmental conservation effort that our predecessors worked hard for and make it a dream come true for them and for myself as well. This is my way of taking “the road less taken” in hopes of making it the road that will always be taken.