The Problem

Our Generation Z is having its future stolen: Rising sea levels, natural disasters, ocean acidification, forest fires, extinction, all from climate change - a catch-all environmental villain we feel helpless to stop. All of this fear over the future of our planet, over OUR future, leads to widespread climate anxiety. According to nature.com, a study of thousands of youth worldwide found that 65% are extremely worried about climate change. When describing how they feel about climate change, they used the words "angry," "powerless," "anxious," "afraid," and "sad." In addition, 45% of youth stated their fears surrounding climate change negatively impacted their daily lives and functioning. We must empower our youth by showing them that they can make a difference in the fight against climate change and encourage them to use environmental activism as an outlet for their growing climate anxiety. By showing youth that their voice matters and that they can make a real difference in the fight against climate change, we can activate the next generation to be environmental changemakers, relieving climate anxiety and changing the future of our planet for the better.

Your Solution

I hail from Illinois - lovingly named "The Prarie State". Unfortunately, what used to be an apt description of my home state, a state filled with beautiful luscious prairies, is now an erroneous misnomer. Prairies, a refuge for pollinators and essential native plants, are rapidly stamped out by "development." As our last safe havens for native species are destroyed, we lose essential biodiversity, and our environment suffers. Across the nation, native plants are disappearing, causing unforeseen environmental degradation and accelerating climate change. We must work to reinstate these essential plants. In order to do this, my solution Seeds of Hope, fosters individual environmental activism by placing seeds in the hands of students and other community members. Seeds of Hope works to establish seed libraries where people can take seeds for free to plant. What makes Seeds of Hope so unique is that our seed libraries are located in high school libraries as well as public libraries and provide native plant seeds for free to the public. My goal is to inspire others to help improve the environment and educate them on how to do so. Instead of a one-time project like many cleanup and planting events, my organization plants the "Seeds" of environmental activism in youth, allowing them to continue their own environmental activism and exponentially increasing our impact.

Founding Story

My "Aha" moment was seeing the fields of prairie plants that I used to frolic in as a child get bulldozed and replaced by the stereotypical turf grass that signifies suburbia. Usually, through their xylems and long root systems, native plants filter water and help it infiltrate into the soil. As my community lost more of its native prairie plants, the frequency and intensity of floods began to increase, allowing pesticides and industrial chemicals to enter local waterways, harming water quality and aquatic life. Seeing the importance of native plants to my community inspired me to take action.

Your Impact

Within just 3 months, I have already implemented five seed libraries in three local high schools and two public libraries and given 8,340 native plant seeds to students and community members. It has been so exciting to see students and teachers alike eagerly share photos of their native gardens with me. The greatest benefit to my project is the community support I have received. So many people have volunteered their time to create the inaugural seed libraries, and more and more students are taking native seeds to plant. I have already worked with over 50 students to create and sort the seeds for our three initial seed libraries. As more people hear about Seeds of Hope, high schools and public libraries are contacting me asking how they can receive a Seed Library. As of now, I am leading a group of students in my local community in sorting seeds to restock and create new seed libraries every weekend. However, to continue to expand beyond my local community, I am working to form a network of different groups to distribute seed libraries to their areas. I will support these groups by sending them instructions and resources, such as the native plant seeds and containers needed to create additional seed libraries. Through this network, groups can use a localized approach to further spread seed libraries and foster youth activism within their communities.

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