Did your family recycle when you were a kid? Does your family recycle now?
For me, the first answer is no. When I was younger, my family did not recycle. We lived in a suburb of a big city and it cost more to buy that little green tub with the arrows on the side. I never understood why, but no matter how much I begged – we couldn’t recycle. I even offered to use my allowance to help pay for it. The answer was either it was not convenient, or I did not need to spend my money on that.
I eventually gave up and came to terms with the fact that we just were not going to be a part of trying to make the planet a better place by recycling but that I could maybe do other things. No, it was not the end of the world, and yes, I still loved my family, but thinking back on it now, it sparked my interest in trying to make a change.
Conservation and being environmentally conscious has always been a large part of my life. I studied environmental education in college and have made a career out of bringing the younger generations closer to nature. I hope that when students come to El Tesoro for outdoor education or maybe to summer camp for a week, they are learning to respect and understand nature a little more than before they crossed the swinging bridge. I hope that they go home with a newfound love of hiking, bird watching, or canoeing. I encourage them when they say they want to help clean up a neighborhood park, or maybe just the backyard. Reducing our trash, recycling, or using less water are all easy ways that a family can come together to try and make a small difference in their community.
Social media connects everyone these days and children are even more exposed to the problems we are facing as a planet. However, one of the biggest problems that I have encountered is parents are not willing to make a change. Like my experience as a child, ways to conserve in the household are seen as an inconvenience and not a way to be a part of something bigger. Are you feeling a bit guilty right now moms and dads? That isn’t my intent. Instead, I encourage you to take action. Parents need to take the initiative and have the conservation conversation with our children. They are the future; they will be responsible for what happens to the environment as the years progress.
So get outside with your kids! Take a trash bag on a family hike though the park, or limit shower times to five minutes. Children will feel empowered that they are helping make a difference. We want the natural places we all adore to be available for others in the future.
Brooke Guess serves as the council’s Texas Outdoor Education Center Coordinator. She has worked in children for more than eight years, and brings diverse background experience to her role. Brooke received a Bachelor of Science from Western Kentucky University in biology and outdoor leadership and a Master of Science in natural resources and certificate in environmental education from the University of Idaho. She is a Leave No Trace Master Educator as well as a canoe and archery instructor, and is also Wilderness First Aid Certified.
