Abstract: This was the first essay I wrote for this class. The eco-literacy narrative essay aims to help me understand my relationship with the environment and reflect on the experiences that made me interested in this topic. This paper talks about how joining the environmental club in high school led me to volunteer at park cleanups which helped me find my interest in the importance of preserving the environment. The main idea of this paper is to help us have a deeper understanding of how we are already connected to the topics of this class before taking this class.

Draft

Planting My Way to a Greener World

Mei Yu Huang

FQWIS 10108

Professor Leslie Carpenter

15 September 2024

   Joining the environmental club in high school aroused my passion for gardening. Before joining the Environmental Club in my sophomore year of high school, I had truly little knowledge of the concept of eco-literacy and its significance in our world. This club was the starting point for my interest in environmental issues and the preservation of our earth. The hands-on experiences and learnings that I had experienced in this club still follow me to this day guiding me through life by helping me make the right choices to be more eco-friendly. Joining the Environmental Club was a life-changing decision because it not only educated me about the importance of taking care of the environment but also introduced me to a group of people who are enthusiastic about making a difference in the environment.

    When I was choosing clubs for my sophomore year, I wasn’t planning on joining the Environmental club but I had to join a club for extracurricular and club points, there weren’t that many clubs that caught my attention I chose to join the Environmental club because my friend suggested me to join this club even though I had no genuine interest in ecological issues or sustainability. Initially, I found the club meetings tedious. However, my perspective changed after volunteering in a few events for club points, including park cleanups, designing recycling awareness posters, making paper out of recycled paper, and planting plants. After participating in the first two activities, I started to look forward to these activities and I was not just doing it for the points alone but also for my enjoyment. Cleaning up parks and planting plants made me feel more connected with nature. Because of this, I discovered a genuine joy in planting plants, leading me to enthusiastically participate in every planting event. As my interest in gardening grew, I wanted to expand my knowledge about plants so I researched and watched educational videos about their role in the ecosystem one interesting thing I found was that plants are an important part of the ecosystem because, through photosynthesis, they do not only provide us with the oxygen we breathe but also serves as a food source for many animal species. This discovery made me realize that most living things are dependent on plants for example, if one species were to disappear, it could cause other species to go extinct, which could potentially disrupt the food chain and biodiversity. The knowledge that I gained made me feel a sense of environmental responsibility to be caring for our ecosystem. So, I began to make conscious choices to help clean the environment, such as avoiding littering, reusing grocery bags, reducing my plastic consumption, and volunteering at gardens. By practicing these actions, it helped me grow a deeper understanding of how my choices can impact our broader ecosystem.

        I apply the knowledge and lessons I have gained from this club to continue promoting cleaner air quality and building a healthier relationship with the environment through gardening. I am also extremely grateful for the people and experiences that have shaped my eco-literacy journey.

Revised Version

Planting My Way to a Greener World

Growing up I never really liked going outside that much so it was not until I started high school that I formed a relationship with nature. Before joining the Environmental Club in my sophomore year of high school the concept of eco-literacy and its significance in our world was unknown to me. This club was the starting point for my interest in environmental issues and the preservation of our earth. The hands-on experiences and learnings that I had experienced in this club still follow me to this day guiding me through life by helping me make the right choices to be more eco-friendly. Joining the Environmental Club was a life-changing decision because it not only educated me about the importance of taking care of the environment but also introduced me to a group of people who are enthusiastic about making a difference in the environment.

          When I was choosing clubs for my sophomore year, I wasn’t planning on joining the Environmental club, but I had to join a club for extracurricular and club points, there weren’t that many clubs that caught my attention I chose to join the Environmental club because my friend suggested me to join this club even though I had no genuine interest in ecological issues or sustainability. Initially, I found the club meetings tedious. However, my perspective changed after volunteering in a few events for club points, including park cleanups, designing recycling awareness posters, making paper out of recycled paper, and planting plants. After participating in the first two activities, I started to look forward to these activities and I was not just doing it for the points alone but also for my enjoyment. Cleaning up parks and planting plants made me feel more connected with nature. Because of this, I discovered a genuine joy in planting plants, leading me to enthusiastically participate in every planting event. As my interest in gardening grew, I wanted to expand my knowledge about planting by volunteering at the Queens Botanical Garden and Trees New York. Through these experiences, I learned a lot about planting, mulching, and pruning and the vital role they play in the environment. Moreover, I met others who also care about trees and flowers as much as I do, and they also supported creating a sustainable environment. Being exposed to all these activities made me realize the importance of plants and trees on earth; without them, we would not be able to survive as they provide us with oxygen. I also developed an appreciation for flowers. Whenever my gaze fell upon them a feeling of calmness and joy washed over me making me forget all my troubles. To show my love for flowers I began to make conscious choices to help create better air quality and a cleaner environment, such as avoiding littering, reusing grocery bags, reducing my plastic consumption, and volunteering for gardening opportunities in my free time. Practicing these actions helped me grow a deeper understanding of the environmental issues and the harm they pose to all living things and the whole ecosystem.

        As I reflect on my eco-literacy journey I am extremely grateful for the knowledge and lessons I have gained from volunteering and the people that I met along the way who helped me discover my love for gardening to continue promoting cleaner air quality and building a healthier relationship with the environment through gardening.