BLOG
Not All Peer Pressure is Negative
Since I started working with the Youth Tree Team over the summer, I have seen the benefits not only to the city, but the impact it has had on the students who spend their Summer and Saturdays working.
On top of watering and planting trees, the Youth Tree Team puts a large emphasis on nature and "being green."
During the summer, our group talked a lot about ways to improve our impact on the environment. I learned and am working on new ways that I can take action and this fall I am seeing that the youth are also following through with some of the things we talked about.
For our mid-day break in the summer, we often stopped at a gas station. The youth would grab snacks and drinks and we talked about not getting plastic bags, instead, just carrying their snacks in their hands. It caught on and eventually -not- getting a bag, became habit.
Last weekend, we stopped at a gas station to fill-up for the first time in quite a while. As the youth went inside, I heard them remind each other not to get bags. It was great to hear that they, not only remember not to get bags, but that they are reminding each other. A positive peer pressure!
Another big focus on nature for the YTT is picking up litter throughout the day. At our parks, there is a never ending supply of trash strewn across the playgrounds and lawns. We fill up countless buckets and bring it back to the warehouse where we sort out what can be recycled.
I know the youth are big on picking up as much trash as they can when we are working, but a couple weeks ago, one student told me she is trying to spread the message when she is at home.
She told me it really bothers her when her friends just drop trash on the ground, asks them not to do it and usually ends up picking it up. I was so grateful to her, because she cares enough to stand up to her friends and spread a message that will hopefully rub-off on them.
Even though it can't be measured like watering and planting trees, I think the youth passing along their knowledge and concern for the environment will have its own impact on the area.
