ENR Scholars Reflection

                                                                                                

For the first two academic years of my college career, I was fortunate enough to have been involved in the scholars program at OSU. If I am being honest, my original plan was to be an honors student, but being accepted into scholars rather than honors was a blessing in disguise. My scholars program gave me a sense of community and brought me together with friends I would not have made outside of the program. I was nervous about making friends coming to college because I hadn’t had to make new friends for a long time. Coming out of my second year, I have made more friendships than I could have imagined making. The second photo shows the girls that I lived with over the past two years that I have become very close with.

In addition to friendships, I learned a great deal about sustainability and the environment. I chose Environment and Natural Resource scholars because of my appreciation for the outdoors, but I knew very little about being sustainable and environmentally friendly. Now, I find myself checking products I buy to see how sustainable of a purchase it would be. I have learned more about waste and knowing what I can and cannot recycle. I also learned that sustainable is looking at the environment as well as people involved and finances. I really enjoyed doing environmentally involved service projects as well, like planting trees in the first photo.

For my second year in ENR, I got involved in a project that reflected the service goal of the honors and scholars program at OSU. I was especially excited because I was able to incorporate another interest of mine which is medicine and health. As a premed student, I decided to volunteer at a Pregnancy Decision Health Center, located just off of campus, as a greeter for clients. I enjoyed this because it wasn’t just another health center. The services provided to pregnant women were entirely free, and the nurses and consultants at the center really pour into the clients. They make and effort to make sure they are connected to the right resources to fit their needs and desires whether they have been expecting this baby-to-be or not. I enjoy being a part of this organization. It has shown me the kind of environment I want to work in and what it looks like to really care for clients and patients.

After my scholars experience, I would recommend it to any incoming student at OSU. I would advise them to really take advantage of all of the opportunities the programs have to offer. Even if a program doesn’t have specifically what you may be looking for, they can definitely point you in the right direction. I am not an environmental student at all but the community, service opportunities and connections I gained in the past two will definitely be memorable for me. I enjoyed the experience the past two years, and I cannot wait to see what my next two years hold.

Second Year Project Proposal

For my second year project, I would love to work with children in nature under Dr. Lekies. Even though aspects of this project are still being developed, I think it would be a memorable experience for me to help direct these projects and enhance young students appreciation for the environment. Whichever direction this project takes, my interest is to work closely with children.

I have always had a passion for working with kids. In high school I was a babysitter for kids anywhere from infant to 11 years old. I have volunteered in the children’s service at my church since I was in high school as well. This still-developing passion for kids is leading me to look for careers that work closely with them. Although I am not pursuing an environmental career, I have learned the importance of sustainability since I have joined ENR scholars. I would love to pass my new appreciation on to the generation behind me.

In the most obvious sense, the kids I would be working with would benefit from this project. I know that since I have become more environmentally conscious, I have found new activities I enjoy such as gardening. Through these projects, kids can become more environmentally conscious and develop new interests too. Teaching this generation early can also help the environment in the future. As they become old enough, their appreciation for the environment can be put into action.

As for myself, I am hoping that this project takes my appreciation for the environment even further. I learned a lot last year, but there is always more to learn. I want to learn more about projects that people are taking part in currently that make our world a more sustainable place. Also, on a more personal tangent from learning about sustainability, I have always found that kids can make my day better. Connecting that with my second year project would make it that much more enjoyable.

Year in Review

I knew coming into college, it was going to be very different from what I had in high school and what I grew up with. I wasn’t sure what to expect. I didn’t know much about thee environment, and I was joining a scholars group with that main focus. I had grown up in a small school with little diversity and I was now going to be attending a college that was just the opposite. Contrary to my concerns before starting college, I enjoyed my first year. I learned as much outside of the classroom as I did in the classroom.

 

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Growing up, I had a lot of wide open spaces and I ran cross country at the local metro park. I was really concerned how I was going to do in a high population density college. After moving in, my scholars mentor told me about the Olentangy trail that I have pictured above. I spent many days this past school year running on the trail. It ran right by the river and sometimes it is hard to tell that the city is just behind a line of trees. I learned that even in a big city there are peaceful escapes.

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This year I was inducted into Alpha Lambda Delta freshman honorary society. When I got to college I had to change the way I study. In high school, I never took advantage of extra help outside of the classroom. I learned in class then studied at home and was at the top of my class. In college, I quickly understood that I needed to make use of office hours, extra online resources and study groups. Even with all of this extra work, in certain classes I was still barely above average and some of my test scores were significantly lower than I had expected. I learned that as long as I was giving my best, that was all I could do. All my hard work paid off first semester as I was inducted into the honor society. Next year I would like to continue to make my study habits better as I begin to take upper level course work.

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I was not sure what to expect when I joined the Environment and Natural Resources scholars. I had never been very worried about sustainability but I have always liked the outdoors. I quickly learned a lot about the three aspects of sustainability and how it can apply to more than just environmental majors. In the picture above, Some of my suitemates and I are planting trees in honor of earth month. Also during earth month, I learned about waste and toxicity. I switched to environmentally friendly detergents and soaps and made sure to use reusable bottles and thermoses. All of these things were small changes but I knew they could add up over time to make a difference. These were easy changes that I know I can keep up with in my life. I also planted small plants and herbs for my dorm and now I’m inspired to plant more at my home this summer. I came into my scholars group with no knowledge of what being environmentally friendly was, and now it has become a growing interest of mine.

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The photo above is of my suitemates and I going out for dinner on our last day of classes. I had gone to the same school from kindergarten to twelfth grade. I hadn’t had to make new friends in a while. College taught me how to become more social and talk to a stranger who is sitting next to me in class. These girls and I became such close friends that all but one of us are moving back in together next year. I learned that even though people have different backgrounds from you, that doesn’t mean you can’t become close friends.

Earth Month Week 4

For the past four weeks, I have been working on decreasing the waste and toxicity in my life. I followed through on all of the goals I set out for the past four weeks. On week one I began buying items in bulk supply to reduce packaging waste. On week two I brought a reusable thermos and water bottle with me instead of plastic or paper cups. For week three I started using non toxic laundry detergent and dryer sheets. For week four I used non toxic dish soap. Overall I became more aware of how many routine decisions I make can affect the environment over time. Closely related to that, I also realized how many small changes can be made in my life to decrease the negative impact I have on the environment. The four changes I made were simple, but over time they can show a difference in my life. I definitely think I will keep up with the new challenges until they become routine for me.

As I was studying the reduction of waste I decided to learn more about recycling also. I knew I was constantly asking if something was recyclable and recycling can be a main way to reduce waste in the landfill. The most important thing I learned about recycling is that if a batch is very contaminated with non-recyclables then it may not be sorted through to save what little is recyclable. Instead it will all go to the landfill. At this I searched to fully know what was recyclable in Columbus and what was not. Even though recycling was not a part of my challenge for the month, it is definitely something that became better over the span of this month.

After realizing how easy it was to make these changes in my life, I began reading the posters of the other girls in my room with their challenges. Many of those challenges were easy changes that I could make as well. I am definitely interested in changing other aspects of my life to further decrease my carbon footprint. For example, this weekend I bought organic fruit instead of store brand. It was a little ore expensive but I know that it has less chemicals and is more natural for me. I have also become more aware of my water use. Do my showers need to be as long as they are now? Am I turning off the sink in between dish washes or do I let it run? Even though I came into this semester with little knowledge of my impact on the environment, my knowledge of my impact and my desire to change it has increased.

Columbus To-Do List Part 2

As stated in a previous post, I explored a few parks in and around Columbus this academic semester. I was drawn to parks because I love to spend time outdoors, and in a big city like Columbus sometimes it’s nice to get away from the high population density and enjoy nature.

The Olentangy Trail

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The Olentangy is very convenient since I live in Morrill Tower. I frequently run the trails which are paved closely follow the direction of the river. After a few runs I discovered a side trail that also leads to Ohio State’s wetland project. On foot, I have yet to find the end of the trail going north or south, but I hope to explore on bike in the future.

Goodale Park

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I wrote about Goodale park in my first post about my to-do list. It is located in the short north which makes it a short bus ride from campus. This park is located in a more residential area but is right off of high street as well. My favorite spot was the one captured in this photo. People were sitting on benches around the pond and a fountain with elephants was in the middle.

The Scioto Mile

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The Scioto Mile might have been my favorite on the list but it is very difficult to choose. I love how close it was to downtown yet it was very open with lots of natural aspects to the trail. One of my biggest fears coming to campus was being in such a high population density area. When I was at the Scioto Mile, there were people around but it was not overly crowded because the area was spacious and the whole thing was very peaceful. I loved being able to see the skyline of Columbus, the river and natural open space in one view.

Columbus Commons

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I had been to the Columbus Commons once in the fall to watch a play for a class I was taking. I did not know at the time, but the entire space is laid out on top of a parking garage. I thought this was an excellent use of space in the city. There was a merry-go-round at one end of the park and many flowers planted around it. There was also an interactive space for kids (and adults) to play games. Jeni’s ice cream and Tortilla also had locations in the Commons.

Battelle Darby

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Battelle Darby is actually not in Columbus but it is just outside in Galloway. I grew up in Grove City which is very close. Battelle Darby is most well known for their bison. The fence shown in the picture is part of the enclosure. Unfortunately the bison were not out when I was there last. The Darby Creek runs through the park as well and the park includes woods, prairie and wetlands. It is definitely a trip that requires a car if the route started from campus like I did, but it is well worth the commute.

I would highly recommend any of the spots on my to-do list. If I have learned anything from this experience it is that even the big cities have a little bit of nature escape if you look for them. I would love to take more time to explore the different parks around Columbus over the summer and throughout my college experience here.

Earth Month Week 3

For Earth Month week three I switched to an environmentally friendly laundry detergent and fabric softener sheets. This week’s plan had to be changed slightly, however. My original intention was to make my own detergent with a recipe I had found earlier in the semester. I struggled to find one of the ingredients at the  regular stores I shop at though. Because of this, I bought from a brand called The Honest Co. Their products are plant based, free of chemicals and biodegradable. They are also free of many harsh fragrances and dyes. I was curious as to how effective they would be if they are so different from other detergents that I would usually use. I can’t say that I am very observant of how well my laundry is washed, but nonetheless I was satisfied with the outcome that the products had on my clothes. I also kept up on my weeks one and two actions which were buying bulk products and using reusable bottles and thermoses.

While shopping for these products I realized how many environmentally friendly cleaning brands there actually are. They are still out numbered by the large name brand cleaners but I was still surprised at how many brands were lower in toxicity. I noticed products other than laundry detergents and softeners also: all purpose cleaners, glass cleaners, dish soap, hand soap, candles. All of these products would be an easy switch to reduce the toxicity in my life.

For the final week, I am switching to environmentally friendly dish soap. Again, I had planned to make my own but this proved to be more difficult than I expected. I bought The Honest Co. dish soap this weekend which I will use for the rest of the month.

Earth Month Week 2

For week two of Earth month I eliminated plastic bottles or paper cups from my daily use. I took a reusable water bottle with me around campus and used a reusable thermos at coffee shops. I was successful in not using either of these waste products although I came close to falling short. I had just left to go get coffee when I realized I had forgotten a thermos. This forgetfulness was something I had predicted would be a struggle. Luckily, I was not too far when I realized I had forgotten and I went back to grab my thermos. Week one technically carried over to week two as well; however I only purchased laundry detergent this week because all of my other usual products were still in supply from my first grocery trip last week. This seems to tell me that I have not only reduced my overall waste but as saved a little bit by buying in bulk.

For this upcoming week, I had originally planned to make my own laundry detergent that had no toxins. Unfortunately I could not find all the ingredients I needed for this recipe so I could not follow through. Instead, I am going to switch to an environmentally friendly detergent and fabric softener sheets by The Honest Company. These products promise to be free of harsh chemicals that negatively affect skin, clothes and the environment. I have already used them once over the past weekend and I was satisfied with the outcome of my clothes. I expect that this will be another successful contribution to reducing my carbon foot print.

Earth Month Week 1

For the first week of earth month, I bought all my groceries in bulk to reduce the waste of packaging. This was slightly tricky because I did not want to buy a large amount of something that would expire before I could use it all. I bought granola bars, chips, coffee Keurig cups and sugar in bulk at the store this week. However, I did not buy a large amount of milk or fruit because I was afraid they would go bad before I completely used them. If I am being honest, it is hard after one week for me to see the effectiveness of this change. The dollar per amount of food is less in bulk packaging but it is too soon to see how much profit increased. I can say that after the first week of buying in bulk I did not have to run to a store before the beginning of this next week as I still have plenty of supplies. I am hopeful I begin to see a bigger decrease in my waste on a weekly basis.

I did not write about this in my Earth Month Preview post, but I also brought reusable bags to the grocery store. This was an easy task to reduce the waste of plastic bags, and I can do this every time I shop. From all of this, I learned how a small change that doesn’t have an apparent, initial impact will over time become a bigger impact in my own reduction of waste.

For the second week, I will be bringing a reusable water bottle and thermos around campus with me. I think that the water bottle will be an easy task since water is always something I drink throughout the day. However, I need to plan ahead when I will want to buy a cup of coffee so I remember to bring my own thermos. In the past I have tried to start this habit, but I don’t have a thermos on me when I buy coffee. I hope to avoid this during the second week to reduce plastic bottle and paper cup waste.

Earth Month Challenge Proposal

For Earth month I plan on working in the area of waste and toxicity. My challenge will be cumulative, where I add a new challenge each week for the next month. This week, I bought things in bulk supply. This produces less packaging per amount of product and therefore less waste. This will be difficult to make sure that I do not buy too much product that I cannot use it and therefore it becomes waste. Next week, I will take a reusable thermos to coffee shops. I believe the hardest part of this task will be knowing when I will stop for coffee to know when to bring a thermos. For the third week, I plan to use non-toxic laundry detergent. The fourth week I will make my own non-toxic dish soap. I believe the most difficult part about these two will be finding/making soap that will effectively clean and be non-toxic. Although some challenges may have difficulties, I am confident that I can follow through and decrease waste and toxicity in my life.

Columbus To Do List Part 1

For this semester, I decided to visit parks and outdoor recreation centers in the Columbus area. I am looking forward to having an excuse to get off of campus and enjoy nature a little more. Even if the park is still in the city, it will be nice to get away from the hustle of everything. I hope to gain something simple from this and that is more peaceful time to just enjoy the outdoors. In high school I spent a lot of time running and hanging out at local metro parks. It was always a good stress reliever and the outdoors are always so beautiful. I hope I can get back to spending time outside through this assignment.

To start, I went to Goodale Park in the Short North. It’s about a twenty minute bus ride from campus which makes it easily accessible. The park is located in Victorian village which is filled with beautiful homes and buildings. The park had small playgrounds for kids and also tennis courts for community use. Different locations within the park had beautiful views of the Columbus skyline. My favorite part however was the pond and gazebo. Even when spring isn’t quite here the scenery was beautiful and peaceful. The pond had a fountain and it was a popular place for people to sit around and mingle. Goodale park also offers free WiFi to guests. I plan to come back to the park as it gets warmer, and bring friends to watch Netflix on my laptop in the park! Goodale park was a gorgeous location and was easily accessible. I would highly recommend it to anyone. I am excited to visit the rest of the outdoor locations on my list.