Unwrapped Earth

designing a sustainable future

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just a boy with a passion

    • growth

      The last couple of weeks have been a blur, and to be completely honest, I can’t believe how much I have learned and accomplished in this time. It feels like everything I have been working towards, both in Project Green and beyond, is starting to build into something much bigger. I have taken a leap into different responsibilities and participated in events at which entirely changed my perspective on everything. This has been one of the most exciting seasons yet. Sometimes it is a little overwhelming, but more than anything it is honestly super inspiring to see everything coming together and realizing I am another positive change-maker in my community.

      One of the coolest updates is that I was elected Treasurer of Project Green! I feel like this is a significant upgrade for me and am excited to embrace the new challenge. As Treasurer, I will be responsible for all the finances for the club, something I’ve never done before but I am excited to learn. I already have some ideas about how we can fund our club’s compostable cup initiative. This is one of the major undertakings we have been working on as a club, which is to replace plastic water bottles with compostable cups. Now I get to be a part of the process to administer the funding behind the initiative. I think it’s going to work out well, and I will be able to learn how to manage a budget and develop ideas on how we will fund projects like these.

      And in regard to that compostable cup program, it’s been going quite well! Recently, our club went to a school board meeting where data was shared regarding the success of our initiative and the outcome reports were very promising. The report showed that we had actually been able to reduce plastic water bottle sales at our school. It is really gratifying to see positive impact from an effort we started. The evidence we are going to show how seemingly insignificant adjustments to the way we do things can influence behavior change, including providing just another option rather than plastic. This gives me more energy to continue onward and look at ways to cut back, and get more of the community engaged in being mindful in reducing waste.

      This past Tuesday, April 22 was Earth Day, and it felt like a big milestone for me. As part of Project Green, we were at an Earth Day Expo at our local library and it was one of those days where everything just fell into place. We had a booth and presented our compostable cup project, showcased what we’ve done, and taught folks about how composting can be a very effective, low-barrier waste diversion option. It felt really powerful to see people get excited about what we’re doing and it was exciting to realize that there is a lot of momentum behind something that seems like one of many components to big solutions. And then the best part was interacting with other local organizations who were there! I learned about all kinds of different sustainability projects, from sustainable transportation solutions to ideas for making gardening more sustainable. I even met a guy who runs a nonprofit which supports sustainable gardening practices and he is looking for volunteers this summer – I am strongly considering signing up! It is all about expanding my knowledge and skills and it was very inspiring to meet people doing such amazing work.

      To make things just a little bit more exciting, New York Congressman George Latimer and our Mayor were both at the expo too! It was actually pretty surreal to be part of an event where local leaders were showing up to support sustainability, and it again reinforced my sense that the work we’re doing with Project Green is well within a more significant movement. Their participation in the event reinforced the significance of this kind of work and the ability of grassroots efforts to be impactful if we’re supported by our local leaders.

      In addition to hosting the expo we also had a children’s Earth Day reading event at the library where we read books like The Lorax and had a discussion with the kids about why it is important to be kind to the environment. What I loved about this event was how we made sustainability something that was fun, realistic, and approachable to the kids. We weren’t just giving them information but were using storytelling to excite their imaginations and get them to think about how they could make a difference in their daily lives. To be honest, it was pretty refreshing to work with the kids. They were so curious and many of the questions they asked are ones I had not even thought of! The parents were really happy about what we were doing, and some said they wanted to attend more events in the future. We are even considering creating a website, if not a email list for Project Green, so that families can sign up if they want to be updated on all of our future projects. So this is something we will definitely be working on in the not too distant future.

      Looking ahead, we have another nature center event in a week, and I am very thrilled about it! The event will be a kids’ workshop, where the kids will make their own compostable plant cups. The kids will have an engaging tactile experience, and be able to get their little fingers dirty, while learning about the value of composting and sustainability at a younger age. I am excited to do this because they express a lot of joy and I trust that this will be very special for everyone involved. Once the event happens, I will update the blog on how it went and what we accomplished, but at this moment, I am simply eager to share an opportunity to engage younger kids towards protecting the environment!

      As a personal interest, I recently became a volunteer at our local environmental center a few times a month. My primary responsibility is to take pictures of the different flora and fauna on the center grounds and do slightly more research on what I’m taking pictures of. It really has been so rewarding to be outside exploring the natural environment and learning more about the species that inhabit it. After taking my pictures I simply send them along with research notes, and they’re published on the center’s website. It is honestly such a straightforward and fulfilling contribution, and I’m learning so much about local ecosystems. The volunteering has also provided me with an appreciation for how important it is to save the natural areas right in our own backyard.

      I have also started doing research, in conjunction with the TOPS SCHOOL Open Science Team. I have joined a Working Group for Disaster Damage Assessment related to the Maui flood disaster from January 2021. This group has been tasked with taking the satellite and drone images from this event and compiling in a lesson format that is useful for others to use and uploaded to the TOPS website for others. The focus is to quantify the damage from the disaster and then visualizing and presenting the data, using maps and graphs, so the general public can understand the impacts of this disaster. I am learning a considerable amount about how data science can be used concerning environmental issues and how technology can be utilized to build understanding around catastrophic events. This is a whole new world for me and I am excited to see how this project develops.

      With Project Green, volunteering, and working on research with TOPS, I feel like I’m keeping a lot of balls in the air related to sustainability. Nonetheless, it is all very satisfying. I am learning that sustainability is not just one thing; it is community action, education of others, and using technology to produce even greater impacts. It is a broad field with lots of opportunities, and I am excited to see where I go from here. There is one big lesson I have learned recently, however, and that is that little actions matter, and when we come together, we can create big changes.

    • ecoExplorations

      If there’s one thing I’ve taken away from my experience with Project Green, it’s that just knowing what’s going on in the world isn’t enough – and it’s time to find solutions and start implementing change. I’ve spent the last few months as an engaging new member of my school’s environmental club, eager to start new initiatives to reduce waste, raise awareness in our community, and forge sustainable connections with others who appreciate our planet. I’ve also realized that little changes go a long way with community efforts.

      One of the current projects that my school’s Project Green is working on is reducing plastic waste. Plastic bottles are everywhere – from vending machines, to the cafeteria, to students who forget their reusable bottles on any given day. One of our projects to combat this unavoidable plastic addition is to spread the wealth of compostable cups around school so that students have quick and easy access to a sustainable solution if they’re without a reusable bottle. It made me realize how much sustainability is about accessibility; it can’t be expected that people change their ways – they need to be offered improved and more accessible opportunities to do so. If we’re ever to reduce their convenience for plastic consumption, we need to give people solutions that work for them.

      Aside from school, we have been exploring ways to increase our impact into the larger community. Part of that was the opportunity to attend a sustainability expo at our local library. That event will give us a chance to meet other environmental organizations in our community and learn about what they have been doing. Up until now, the majority of my environmental work has revolved around school-based initiatives, so I am looking forward to learning from others about community-based sustainability efforts. Who knows – we may meet people who are implementing projects we haven’t even thought of, or perhaps, ways that we can collaborate! This event will also be an opportunity for us to share what we have done with Project Green – work to reduce waste, educate students, and clean up around the local area. Even as a high school group, we have real work projects that could help inspire other community members to do some work, too.

      Education has been yet another area of emphasis for us, and we are currently coordinating an environmental book-reading event at the library. The aim of this particular endeavor is to expose younger kids to sustainability issues in a engaging and fun way. Most kids like nature, but they don’t know how much of it is threatened because of pollution, climate change, and destruction of habitats. Our goal is to get kids thinking about the environment by reading them books that address these issues in an age-appropriate way. Maybe one of them will grow up to be an environmental scientist, a conservationist, or merely someone who makes sustainable choices in their daily lives. This has gotten me thinking a lot about education and sustainability – so much of what people do (or don’t do) for the environment has to do with their knowledge. If they don’t know the problem exists, how can they care about finding a solution? This is why I love that Project Green is not only about action but about raising awareness as well.

      We are also planning a river cleanup close to our school, which I think is going to end up being one of the most impactful projects. Hearing about pollution is one thing, but physically removing trash from a natural space and observing first-hand the extent of human waste’s effect on the environment is another. It will be a shocking experience for not just us from Project Green, but everyone involved. There is something about being in nature and seeing the damage done, that makes these problems feel much more real than hearing about it. I hope this sense of responsibility extends beyond simply being a good citizen of the earth, and stays with people long after spending a day collecting litter from the river.

      In addition to all of this hands-on work, I have also been investigating a very different side of environmental science via NASA’s Transform to Open Science (TOPS) SCHOOL Project. During my first meeting, I was introduced to the world of open science, data sharing, and coding tools for studying environmental issues. I learned how to use GitHub and Visual Studio Code, which scientists use for collaboration on projects and data analysis. I saw how Jupyter Notebooks and Quarto are platforms that scientists use to write and execute codes that visualize environmental trends. What struck me the most, however, was the significance of open data. Much of NASA’s research – on everything from tracking climate change, monitoring water resources, or predicting natural disasters – are public data so that the data can be utilized by a wider audience. Seeing what scientists can do with technology to study and address environmental issues has made me realize that sustainability is not just action at the grassroots level; it is also figuring out data and innovative ways to solve for larger scale problems.

      Through Project Green and the TOPS SCHOOL Project, I have experienced two different, but both extremely valuable, approaches to sustainability. In one case, I saw how small-scale, local activities – such as decreasing waste, cleaning up rivers, and teaching people – can have an impact in a community. In the other case, I learned about the role of technology and data science in addressing global environmental issues. This has made me understand that environmental science is not just one type of discipline. Environmental science is a combination of so many different types of disciplines, whether they be conservation, coding, or policy-making.

      In the future, I want to continue to look at the crossroads of sustainability and technology and what that means to harness data towards more sustainable decisions, but also, it means leveraging creative platforms to reach individuals with education around these important issues. I know there’s still so much to learn. For now, I’m excited to continue to forge through Project Green to learn from TOPS SCHOOL to explore my next path. If you are passionate about sustainability, I encourage you to get involved in someway – whether it be through a school club, community project, or even through small actions in your own life. Every little action matters, and we can make a difference together.

    • my journey

      The more I explore the broad topic of sustainability, I’ve realized that it’s not just about projects and studies – it’s about learning, discovering what I’m actually passionate about, and learning how I can contribute. When I first became interested in sustainability, I was mostly worried about the environment. I wanted to know how we can reduce pollution, reduce carbon footprint, and protect ecosystems, the far-fetched problems. But as I’ve gained more experience through volunteering, research, and my internship, I’ve started to see sustainability in so many different ways – and my interest for it keeps growing.

      Working with Project Green really showed me how powerful education is when it comes to making change. Teaching people about sustainable habits – like reducing waste, composting, and supporting eco-friendly products – taught me how just spreading awareness can spark action. At first, I thought that sustainability was about what we do individually, but later I realized it’s also about enabling others to do the same. Working on local projects and creating resources so people can have an understanding of sustainability helped me realize how much of a strong community can be built when everybody is involved. It made me realize that sometimes sustainability isn’t something that we can accomplish ourselves alone – more so, how all of these little things are contributing to something bigger.

      Experiencing the internship at The Spaceship Academy made me see how innovation and sustainability go together. I worked on a project where we helped others track their transportation carbon emissions and reduce them, and it really enlightened me on how technology can actually solve real-world problems. I learned that there is no single solution to sustainability – they need to be innovative and pragmatic. And through this project and my internship, I learned about The Earth Prize competition too, and I saw how other projects had come so far and that inspired my partner and I to restructure our project. We had been trying to tackle the problem of carbon emissions from too many aspects, but through reading former competition winners’ project proposals we realized it is always good to work on just one, specific thing – for example, transportation – and focus intensely on that. This helped me grow as a problem solver and learn the importance of balancing innovation with pragmatism.

      I’ve also recently reached out to the Weinberg Nature Center to volunteer there, which is a place that is very meaningful to me. I used to visit there as a kid, whether it was for fun or for a school trip. It was here where I was introduced and fully emersed in the environment and nature – we learned about the environment and the creatures and plants that lived in them while taking walks through the nature center’s trails. . I’m excited to go back and help them with their educational programs or in any other way. It feels like a full-circle moment, and I’m looking forward to contributing to the center’s work in teaching others about sustainability and conservation. It’s made me realize that sustainability isn’t just about reducing waste or carbon emissions – it’s about helping people connect with nature in a deeper way. I think this is especially important to the younger generations because when you embrace this, you’ll be held more accountable to take care of the planet.

      Although I have not been doing research professionally yet, I have begun reaching out to researchers and learning about how I can dig deeper. In the meantime, I’ve been reading a lot myself. One of the articles I read through during my studies was a discussion about new and emerging technologies that would be beneficial in dealing with climate change and environmental matters. It really inspired me for my internship at The Spaceship Academy, where I’ve been working on a project related to transportation emissions. After going through some of these technologies, I developed a new idea that blends technology and sustainability in a way that never crossed my partner and I’s minds. It’s exciting to feel how learning about these new innovations can push me to think outside the box and offer out-of-the-box ideas to the projects that I take on.

      Reflecting on all that I have learned, I can see how far my understanding of sustainability has evolved. It’s not something – it’s an attitude that can be applied to innumerable areas of life, from global warming to public health. I’m excited to keep learning, questioning, and finding out where my green journey will take me. There is still so much to learn, and I am looking forward to seeing what the future holds.

    • sustainable curiosity

      Science has been a subject that has piqued my interest since childhood. In Earth Science as an 8th grader, I was amazed by the universe’s vastness and how small we are within it, being on a small planet in an endless universe. In contrast, when I took Biology in 9th grade, I discovered the other end of the scale – how communities of microbes inhabit our bodies, each tiny but vital to life. I enjoyed the way science could step back and consider the universe or step forward and discover tiny worlds within us. It revealed that science is very wide-ranging, with infinite directions to follow.

      My broader interest in science motivated me to learn about sustainability. I discovered and attended the ‘Future Leaders of AI’ program, where I designed a chatbot to raise awareness about rising sea levels in New York City. This taught me that there are many areas of sustainability – from technological innovation to community-driven solutions.

      My interest in sustainability allowed me to look for different clubs, organizations, internships, and research opportunities in my area. I’ve witnessed different forms of environmental sustainability through the Project Green club at my school and my internship at The Spaceship Academy. In Project Green, I help teach my community about sustainable actions, including the conservation of energy , waste reduction, composting, through visits to the library and workshops. We have also hosted various hands-on activities that are targeted at a younger audience to educate and encourage them to pay more attention to their environment. While interning at The Spaceship Academy, I am targeting solutions for quick impact such as developing a program to help people monitor and reduce their transportation carbon footprint. Although this project in the making, together, these experiences have showed me that sustainability can be reached through many different ways, whether it is through education or through action.

      I have recently been very interested in the connection between environmental sustainability and human health. Searching for researchers who conduct research on environmental sustainability, I explored NYU research programs. As NYU is both a medical center and university, I was surprised to discover that there were so many professors, even many with PhDs, doing research not just on environmental science but also on the impact of the environment on human health. One of their studies that I immediately took notice of was on environmental factors affecting pregnant women, how air pollution affects maternal and infant health. Unfortunately, this researcher is not accepting any highschoolers, but I was struck with how environmental issues aren’t entirely about the planet – they have concrete effects on humans’ lives and health status.

      This gave me the incentive to look deeper into healthcare’s role in sustainability. I learned that while hospitals are necessary for saving lives, they are also polluters through energy consumption, single-use plastics, and medical waste. I learned examples of solar panels being used by hospitals as an energy source and the use of biodegradable material to reduce single-use plastics. I also learned that efficient disposal of medical waste prevents hazardous chemicals from causing environmental pollution, protecting ecosystems as well as human health. This intersection of healthcare and sustainability is compelling because it addresses two major issues at once – protecting both the Earth and its people.

      Sustainability is such a broad topic, and the more I read about it, the more questions arise. I would like to continue to explore such areas as sustainable agriculture, green technology, and how industries can work together and solve environmental issues. I hope to remain connected with experts, push myself through new ventures, and share the knowledge that I acquire through this blog.

      Science doesn’t just give answers – it allows us to solve the world’s biggest problems. My journey has only just begun, and I look forward to seeing what my sustainable curiosity brings.