For my environmental practicum, I joined the Students for Environmental Awareness and Justice club that met once a week for about an hour. Being a commuter with a part- time job, it was quite difficult to attend all meetings. However, being a New York City resident, I am constantly surrounded by NYC Parks that often host environmental volunteering events. With NYC Parks, I have had the opportunity to participate in events such as the Edenwald Green Neighborhood – Forest Restoration and Astoria – Street Tree Care. Through these volunteering opportunities, such as the Forest Restoration event, we were exposed to different kinds of invasive plants. This particular event took place in Seton Falls Park in the Bronx. Afterwards, we were taught how to easily identify them, and safely remove them from the environment. Through class discussions, we learned the detrimental effects invasive species have on the environment, and in this particular case, I was able to practice this form of direct action. Besides the forest restoration event, I also attended the Astoria- Street Tree Care, which aimed to teach the volunteers how to identify certain trees in NYC and how they are vital aspects of the NYC environment. Also, during the volunteering event, I was granted the opportunity to garden/ plant trees in the surrounding area of Astoria, Queens. These volunteering events usually started early in the mornings and ended by noon. The events roughly took two to three hours on Saturday’s.
Also, because I do live off of Campus in Queens, I have chosen more sustainable methods of transportation through mass public transportation. Lastly, with the help of many of the class readings and documentaries, I have altered some habits that lean towards more sustainable methods of living. For example, I eliminated meat and most dairy products from my diet, and I have resorted to homemade food in order to reduce my food packaging waste.
Liz's Blog 