Nicodemus Wilderness Project -- Global Registry of Apprentice Ecologists

60,000 people, the people of my town, have always struggled to embrace sustainable practices. I watched for over a decade as recycling centers gradually disappeared, horrified by our unwillingness to protect the environment. I witnessed trash collectors dump clearly marked recycling bins directly into the garbage, and was angered by the thousands of Styrofoam trays thrown away at my own school each year. Only one year ago, the availability of the only remaining recycling center was reduced to 3 hours on every second Saturday morning (beginning at 7AM; ridiculous, right?). This was the last straw; when my own family became unable to recycle, I was forced to take a stand.
The Environmental Sustainability Club, borne from the indignation of four high school students, quickly transformed from my half-hearted idea into a vigilante organization of over 45 members. While many people resented our efforts and flippantly disregarded our ambitions, others joined the fight and worked to help us. Dissatisfied teachers scrambled for the chance to sponsor my club; the Mylan Leadership Grant ecstatically awarded my application over $400. Many months of coaxing empathetic business managers yielded hundreds of dollars of sponsorships. It was as if the entire city had conspired to support us. Seemingly every Morgantown citizen wished for sustainability, but few were willing to act alone. The repeated offenses against the environment had created the tinder; all it needed was a spark.
Finally, the recycling program became a reality. My efforts, fueled by the encouragement of dozens of people, at last paid off. The program, completely run by student volunteers, now deploys more than 20 recycling bins around my high school and services over 1,300 students and faculty. This beacon of sustainability draws bottles and paper from homes across the community, and is only a taste of what may come. From this experience, I have learned not only the power of being the first to stand alone, but also the influence of a group created and unified by a shared ideal. Community is what made humanity great; it is also the only thing that can save it.