The Problem
In order to protect nature, children need to be in nature. They need to engage deeply in gardens and green spaces, taking it in with all their senses. And that's hard to do on the South Side of Chicago, where buildings elbow out nature. As an author for children who is invited to speak at well-funded suburban schools, I want to work with students in underserved, low-income schools in my community to develop as writers and make observations about insects, animals, and plant life around us so that these students are future stewards as much as suburban kids.