My Sustainability Journey Through Photos
From interning at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, helping preserve at-risk marine habitats in Mexico, and supporting sustainability efforts at The Lawrenceville School, my passion for sustainability, marine conservation, and AI has flourished. Below are a few photos that capture my journey and helped inspire me to make a difference by educating and inspiring others to help drive positive and lasting change for sustainability
Shedd Aquarium
During the summer of 2021, I interned at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago working with the sustainability action team. As an intern, I witnessed the implementation of different sustainability initiatives in rescuing and maintaining animals’ well-being and preserving marine habitats. For example, we planted and maintained plants surrounding the aquarium. These plants are used in the aquarium cafeteria as well as to feed the animals.
Shedd Aquarium - 12 Street Beach Cleanup
Additionally, in one of the Shedd's sustainability activities, I helped organize and participated in two beach cleanups, including the 12th Street Beach. I really enjoyed the beach cleanup as over 30 people assisted in this conservation activity. Our focus was to collect nurdles, pearl-shaped plastic bits that many birds and marine life mistakenly eat. These efforts helped preserve the environment, specifically Lake Michigan.
Sea of Cortez, Mexico
During the summer of 2021, I went on a sustainability expedition to the Sea of Cortez in Mexico, where I learned about and helped preserve at-risk marine and water habitats. I studied marine life and assisted in conservation efforts taken by the locals to preserve this once polluted body of water. I became immersed in the local fishing culture and learned how climate change affected water temperature, pollution, fishing populations, and ocean habitats.
I shadowed scientists who were collecting and analyzing data to better understand the implications of climate change on the local community. During this expedition, I also helped make recycling bins and plant trees at an underprivileged elementary school (background of the photo) to educate, inspire, and promote sustainability and marine conservation efforts.
Sea of Cortez - Preserving at-risk habitats
During my expedition through Mexico, I also went hiking through the mountains. During the hike, we learned about the mountain’s various animals and vegetation. In particular, we learned how the locals preserve these habitats for the next generation. To do our part, we picked up trash left behind on the beach and mountains.
The Lawrenceville School
The Lawrenceville School takes a holistic approach to campus sustainability by focusing on land and water conservation and reducing energy use. The school is surrounded by hundreds of acres of School-owned forests, wetlands, and farmland where it employs several ecological principles such as sustainable farming practices for soil and water conservation, and new measures to improve and protect campus waterways.
A few specific examples of the School’s effort include (i) the Big Red Farm that uses organic methods to produce a variety of crops and meat for the School dining hall, (ii) reducing runoff into campus waterways and improve the quality of drinking water, (iii) the solar panel system which consists of nearly 25,000 solar panels, (iv) green building techniques to improve energy efficiency where the school has five LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) buildings, and (v) the Sustainability Council which works to reduce waste, increase awareness, and improve sustainability overall at Lawrenceville.
The Lawrenceville School: The Big Red Farm
A big part of The Lawrenceville School’s sustainability practice stems from the Big Red Farm. The Farm is housed near campus and grows many crops used in the School’s cafeteria. The Farm houses nearly 25,000 solar panels that power the campus. The solar panels offsets over 4,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide annually, the equivalent of taking 850 cars off the road each year. The Farm has three greenhouses, various farm animals, and vegetation. It is the heart of where educational research is conducted by teachers, farmers, and students.
Ready to make a difference?
Get my FREE Sustainability Solutions Toolkit that I built! It's full of some of my favorite ideas, tips, and projects for students, individuals, families, and organizations looking to care for our planet by making small, but impactful changes in their lives that will leave a long-term impact on our planet for good.
