Liz's Voice
Why SES?
I first discovered the School of Environmental Studies as a young child just wanting to be involved with some zoo summer camps to further my experience for a zoo career. After recognizing the missions of this school, and connecting them to the ways I wish to go through life, it was a no brainer that this was where I needed to be.
What has been the most impactful learning experience?
The impactful learning experiences that I have had at this school could fill whole bookshelves; SES as a whole has been the most impactful to me. The tight knit and compassionate community at SES provides an opportunity to nurture and support you as you learn. The curriculum includes incredible hands-on and real life experiences that broaden your skills and education to a higher degree than offered elsewhere. The experiences that have been most meaningful to me include: attending Dakota County's Lebanon Hills Connector Trail Meetings, attending the USGBC Live Conference, conducting a Waste Audit at Oak Ridge Elementary, winning second place in the Minnesota Zoo Enrichment Project competition, and winning first place in the Show Us Your Mussels Challenge also put on by the Minnesota Zoo.
What are some projects that you worked on at SES?
I am involved in quite a few projects including writing grant applications for both SES (Solar on Schools program) and the Lake Superior Zoo. At the Lake Superior Zoo I am also creating and improving enrichment and interpretation carts, while at the MN Rehabilitation Center I am volunteering to work with waterfowl and squirrels. At the Minnesota Zoo I am helping with both their LEED and SITES efforts and I continue to lead the Minnesota Mussel Movement group on Instagram. I am also involved in my community by volunteering to stencil storm drains to support pond maintenance and through a variety of Citizen Science projects including: iNaturalist, Zooniverse, Bumblebee Watch and more.
How do you practice sustainability?
I find the key to sustainable living is education and resilience; I am always looking for more opportunities to educate myself and others. As individuals, we don’t have control over the actions of others, but we do have control over our own actions. With that knowledge I control my own education regarding the issues of the world including: light/energy use in my household, my water use, my purchasing habits, and picking up litter in my community. Within these actions lies the resilience needed to go against the "normal” ways of living, making changes one person at a time, one sustainable footstep at a time.
Why come here?
As stated before, SES brings a wide variety of real world experiences that are not available anywhere else. The connections you build out in the wilderness and in the classroom are both rewarding and lifesaving, and give us a huge leg up on life before even reaching college/adult life. We learn through the eyes of those around us, humans, animals, and plants alike, no matter the background, broadening our views and visions. You are guaranteed to leave SES as an open minded, environmentally connected, unique individual, ready to begin the next chapter of your life.
