Nicodemus Wilderness Project -- Global Registry of Apprentice Ecologists

It started with a gift card. Before that, my passion for nature was a only developing interest. Since birth, I have been seeking out nature's wonders, whether on stroller walks, trips to my grandparents' place, or on explorations of my backyard. However, my familiarity with nature grew into a passion after my brother and I received a gift card to buy bird feeders. Once they were installed, it was a matter of weeks until my brother could identify our backyard birds and I joined him on walks to find birds in our neighborhood. On one walk, we entered a birdlife jubilation. Through the fresh chlorophyll canopy, birds defied what I thought possible; hundreds of warblers sung their melodies, combining into an non-stop glorious racket. It drowned out all other noises and filled my ears with wonder. My eyes were awed too; along an eroded streamside, a feathery tapestry of living color bathed, drank, and preened. As the day of wonders came to a close, my chest had risen to accompany the new, vital organ it now nurtures: a deep connection with and within nature.
That connection grew into action to care for the earth. This is where the COVID-19 pandemic comes in. While a true tragedy for the human race and a personal grievance for many, the pandemic gave me the opportunity to discover myself as a steward of earth. After mid March, 2020 my time requirement for school fell from nine hours a day to a mere two. Naturally, my time spent outdoors rose from near-zero to at least 5 hours a day, everyday. While immersing myself in spring migration, I met people who opened up opportunities for me. I have used those opportunities to attend and lead weekly "Remove Invasive Plants" events, steward a neighborhood Natural Resource Conservation Area, participate in Arlington County Summer Park Corps, become a full time member of my parish's Integrity of Creation Committee, raise over $3,000 for the Northern Virginia Audubon Society's conservation efforts, volunteer weekly at Arlington's native plant nursery, and intern with the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center by aiding with urban bird research and their Bird Friendly Coffee program. Despite all that, the most important fruit of this newly-forged network was reading a book that turned my passion into action: Bringing Nature Home by Doug Tallamay.
By absorbing the knowledge within Bringing Nature Home, I came to understand human's vital connection to all biota, the current threat native biodiversity, and viable ways to combat that threat. By learning why invasive plants are detrimental to ecosystems while native plants are beneficial, I was primed to take action. I did not hesitate. I catapulted into discovering and evaluating the native plants optimized for our yard while advocating for a native plant garden within my home. Once the family agreed on a planting plan, I ordered the plants and, as a family, we planted them. Since then, I have witnessed the rewards; elegant sphinx moth caterpillars feed on our oaks, shrews scurry under abundant leaf cover, and birds delight over the ripe Viburnum berries. In addition to the wildlife benefits, our neighbors have become aware of the benefits of and planted native shrubs. The native plant garden I started has combated the threat to native biodiversity and inspired others to do the same.
With a successful garden going, I wondered where I could sow native seed next. What about my school? For my Apprentice Ecologist Initiative project, I brought that same spirit to my school, Arlington Career Center. Located along South Walter Reed Drive in Arlington, my school is in an urban area surrounded by little greenspace, yet it has two small barren patches perfect for a native plant garden. Native plant gardens on those sites could support native biodiversity, reduce urban heat islands caused by the extensive blacktop, and provide a community space that connects students to nature. I approached the principal and my environmental sciences teacher about the idea, and they provided support. The principal funded the project through funds set aside for ecological endeavors and the teacher helped me test the soil and vouched for the environmental club's support. While creating a thoughtful plan, I included Ms. Degracias the school's janitor that cares for the school's plants and her visions became part of the plan. Once the principal approved the plan, I was ready for spring planting.
In the spring of 2022, I purchased the plants from Earth Sangha, a native plant nursery dedicated to improving ecology, collected a few plants from a generous donation, borrowed tools from a fellow leader of "Remove Invasive Plants" events, and hosted a planting session at the school garden sites. In that five hour session, eight people ages eight to eighteen planted 151 native plants, composed of 21 species. Since then, I have been engaged in the environmental club, setting up easy long term management of the garden. For the future of this project, I am working towards interactive community engagement that shines a light on the loss of biodiversity and the solution.
I hope that beyond aiding biodiversity and shrinking urban heat islands, the native plant garden at my school will be another's gift card. Just as my journey started with a simple action and brought me joy, meaning, and action, I hope I can start other's journeys by filling them with wonder and providing an avenue to a deep, fruitful connection with nature.