So, Psych like is like this just, you know, like to check, you know my
like, like I'm like my me reporting but I guess like the like the camp held in June right so so that's why the summer camp right yeah we have summer camp every year. Yeah annual Okay, gotcha.
It is every year and it's a little different. This is one of the self guided groups right here. It's a little different then then like, it's not like I'm like, the kids wouldn't come for six weeks. You know, it's they can they can sign up for multiple weeks, but they're like weak base summer camps. Yeah. So there's like six different themes. They come for a week. And then some of them we see every year. Some of them we just see one year we have a lot of returners. Yeah, every year, June and July. Okay. And it's been going on for many years. Like, before I was here. Yeah. Like, you know, like back to, like, 2000. Yeah. Oh, yeah.
Okay. And then, I wanted to ask, so, again, no, and like, and like, right, like our, like, first. Like, sit down, right. You were, you're, like, explaining, you know, like, like, how you might go, like a teach, right, you know, like, kids, right? You know, the, the about, like, about the, like, the environment. But I wanted like to, like, ask, and, you know, like, we like went through, like a brief. Was it? Like, we touched on? Like this. climate anxiety too. So I want to ask, right, what, how do you weave in?
Like how would How would like, like, worse and like? Or like, like, I'm like, how would you? Like within? Like, those concerns? Like what comes to you know, like, harming the
environment. And, you know, I like the equation, you know, or like to help solve those issues.
So, also, is this too loud for your tickets should be fun. ambiance you know? Yeah, exactly.
I'm sure that it probably won't even, you know, yeah, pick it up.
Um, so, I can give an example for our stream ecology field trip, we talked about watersheds, which is the area where water will drain to a central point. So if you think of like mountains, it drains down to like a lake or a river or whatever, have you. And so one of the first activities we do is we do what's called an empire escape. So it's like an example of a landscape. And we'll take things like spices, like cumin and chili peppers and stuff. And they'll represent like, we'll talk to the kids. Well, here's a farm, what do you think we would put on the land of the farm? pesticides or herbicides or manure? We'll put some, like paper towels is like, oh, there's some litter over here. And then we'll pour water on it, and it will all go down to like the little lake area. And so that's how we talk about anywhere you are, you're in a watershed, and anything you do in that watershed is going to end up in the water system. And so that we do that before we hiked down to our stream and check out the health industry and based on what invertebrates we find because some are more sensitive to pollution and others. So if we find sensitive species, we know that we have a pretty healthy ecosystem. Spoiler alert, we do have pretty good one here. And so that is just one way we kind of talk about how their actions directly affect the health of the world around them. And so does that answer your question like, well, totally, a lot of times we'll talk about, we're talking about the environment, we're talking about nature, and we'll talk about how we as humans are a part of that, and not outside of it.
And accurate. And then And then, and then a minute, we talked about, Well,
you said that, like, around you, like when, you know, like, students are down. Like, like, like, in, like, their teenage years, right, you know, like you like to like to, like start, like, have, you know, like, this is sort of like, not like, you know, like, like a dread of like, about, you know, like, our climate and all that, but, like, more so, like, what they're starting to, you know, like to like to think about it that way. And you know, like, versus I have is, just, do you think that, that recycling, like, like fear of climate change? is, I guess, does it is it is it like from like, a lack of a lack of like?
Understanding, like, is, like a different, like, reason, like you
think that, you know, people have been aware, to some extent that we impact the environment for a long time, especially, I think, in the 90s, it was becoming more of a thing to think about, obviously, like, in the 60s and the 70s. But I think just like everything else, with like, increased technology and the ability to spread information, I think there's actually more understanding of it. And that's probably what leads the anxiety is, we're now more aware of how humans as in general, are affecting the world. And I think that it's, it's, you know, it's a blessing and a curse, because I think young people are able to see past their own generation in a way that maybe we don't expect them to, you know, a lot of times people are just thinking about their life, and then maybe their children's lives have lives. But I think, yeah, I wouldn't say it's lack of understanding that makes them anxious. I think. It's because it's kind of like, if you didn't know that it was happening, why would you be worried? Right? Once your eyes are open to it? Maybe it's the sudden realization of like, how serious it could be, that makes people anxious, especially because at that time, when you're so young, and you're becoming an adult, but you're not quite an adult, you're kind of that veneer of everything being easy and happy is kind of going away, like Santa Claus is going away, the real world is coming out. It's sad to realize that like, humans can be doing bad things, even without trying to. I think maybe that's what it is. And then just also realizing that not all everyone has the best interests of the environment, at on the forefront of their mind. You know, when you hear about corporations and things that get around laws and things to save money, but that detrimentally nerve causes a detriment to the environment. I mean, it's sad when you realize that you don't really think about that when you're young. So I would almost say it's the opposite. It's the understanding of what's happening that causes the anxiety but I also think understanding can also be the solution to the anxiety so learning more you know, now that you know, all the bad things that are happening as you can put your focus to learning about what you can do to fix that and change that
it's like man you like like, like the bad things like that are like that are you know, that are that are better but are like, like our, like helping contribute to climate change.
I think. I mean, we're always hearing about You know, more and more things that are negatively affecting the environment, I think my biggest thing that I think about is waste in terms of, you know, single use plastics and all the food that gets I think I heard that. You know, we work with the Office of service learning, and we talked about food insecurity. And I think it's estimated that like stead segment Coliseum, no. Stadium, stadium, oh, my goodness, I promise I'm a sports fan. I just don't know that much. That amount of food goes to waste every single day, I think is like this. And so and then you will see estimates are full college stadium. Yeah, please fact check that but that is what I have been told. That amount of food waste goes every single day. And you know, the production that goes into making that food, and then to just know that it's not even going to us. And then there's people in other parts of the world that don't have access to food. That's going off on a tangent, but I think wastefulness the amount of trash that ends up in the oceans. Obviously, not responsible using our resources, and keeping track of emissions. I think that one thing I always talk to students about when I'm talking about land use in particular is, I'm not saying pesticides are a bad thing, you know, we need crops to grow. We need crops to feed animals that we eat, we need crops to eat, you know, as humans, like, it's okay that we're using the world around us we're supposed to, but we are smart enough, that we should be able to figure out how to do it responsibly. And I think just not thinking enough long term as the biggest problem and just thinking about how can we get what we need now? How can we make the money we want now, instead of how can we do this in a way that we can do this for as long as possible and prolong our resources and preserve the environment we have for our future generations, I have a son. And so I think about that, you know, he's only four months old, but I want him to grow up in a world where he is concerned about things like that and makes the right choices, but doesn't have to worry about it because of the choices of people beforehand. You know, that was kind of convoluted answer, but
Well, I want to ask, How does
food waste, you know, can contribute to climate change?
I guess it doesn't, I think I was just going on another issue that I have to think about. I mean, I'm sure it does in terms of, like I said, what it takes to make all the food because like, it takes machinery to, to, to grow crops or in a large scale operation and things like that. So like the emissions that go from there. I was just going off on like other like issues that I've been thinking about lately. But yeah, I guess that's a whole different thing. Whole different problem we have to tackle. Yeah.
Right. Doesn't look like that, because I live in like a multi faceted problem. Yes. So I know that you've said that. It's that you know, this, like fear stems from just like, having like a broader, you know, like sense of like I mean, like, what's, you know?
happening, right, like in, you know, in environment and like, as you're writing, you're writing that's like, you're really like to take in do you know, like, like, like, what you're like any steps like, like a teenager writing like, right or like it could take to like, like, help you know, like, Okay, this is writing like a lot to process. How would you like, like a shift that sort of like, you know, that shift that shift the mind like, the positive, you know, thinking or like just saying,
Well, I will say like, I think as bad as it is that we have to worry about this thing we were talking about this last time. is, I think it's a good thing that so many more people are worried about it, because that means that they'll take the steps individually, to lessen their impact their negative impacts. So like, using less single use plastics and recycling as much as they can, and not littering, which I don't think I don't know if anyone does that anymore. But you know, there was a time when people, most people didn't care about that kind of thing. Like several highway, yeah, just, I remember, I had a friend who did that all time. And I would just look at her like, I don't, I cannot comprehend why you would do that. But I think realizing that it's like we talked about this, like, it's a good thing to be worried about something because that means you care. And I think the lack of care of the environment is what causes people to make the bad choices, and the people in power of things like corporations and like oil companies that have the ability to make a way bigger impacts than us individually. You know, if more of our population does care, and then as seniors grow up, and they take over, you know, the business world and these jobs that are currently held by people who maybe didn't grow up with that fear and didn't grow up thinking about the long term impacts of human choices on the environment, then we're in for a better future. If, you know, those are the people that are that are going to take over from us. And not to say that they need to clean up our messes, but in some cases, maybe they can, ya know?
Yeah. And like and like, like you said, you know, I ate it's, it's like, right, like driving force also. Like, you know, like a fear is just good. Yeah, like that. You might get driving force that helps.
Oh, and then just, you know, like, like, last year, like factoring in that you're one of your, like, teen leaders, right. I'm Mackenzie Leatherman. So I used to know, great you like wanting to like to clarify. She was she was one of like, like, the camp one of the camp leaders, and right, like, like, then, you and Shawn a approached her and said You okay, why would you join us, as, you know, like a team. Like on education,
she was a camp counselor. And we, Shawn and I both had our previous LBL teams, only my leading teams, and we decided to make a combined team because we both do education, what he does the adult education, I do the youth education, but we thought it'd be neat for students to not have to choose between the two and get experiencing both sides of that, like how I facilitate and coordinate and how he does because very different. I mean, not very different, but it's different. And so we needed a new team leader, and she expressed interest on staying on during the school year as a field trip educator. And so we were like, you know, she's still students who were like, Would you be interested in being our first team leader. And she was really excited about it, because she definitely She's pursuing environmental education as a career. Or one of her career options. And so
let's just she was, like the first like a team leader like in, in your environmental education
for our combined team. We've had, he's had team leaders for just the adult education and I've had team leaders for just the youth education. I've had two different team leaders since I've been here. But she was the first for our combined
team. Okay, yeah. Gotcha. Then I think that's it for follow up and thank you again.
Yeah. Thank you. And is there anything else I mean, it you meant
