young voices
The Shape of Things to Come
Spoiler : This interview will give you hope
interview by caroline taylor
After a chance uplifting encounter with a budding local ecologist and his mom I asked the folks at PLENTY if they would like me to submit an interview with him for this issue . No arm twisting was necessary and chatting with 7th grader Ciarán Moroney and his mom Jennifer Moroney was joyful .
PLENTY : What are your favorite things to do outside and in the Agricultural Reserve ? Ciarán : My favorite things in the Reserve are to walk , bike , and pick up trash floating around that people leave behind .
P : What types of things would you like to do to help the environment ? C : I want to stop the annexing ( removal ) of land from the Reserve and I want to stop pollution in areas protected by the Reserve .
P : Why is it important to protect the environment ? C : If we choose to not protect the environment , then all animal life , plant life , and human life will die out . The ozone layer will quickly disappear , leaving our planet an easy target to the sun ’ s rays and waves . And , ruining theReserve will have devastating effects on the economy .
P : Do you think they teach you enough about conservation and environment in school ? C : I just completed my weekly summer school class for “ specials ” ( electives ), and the main focus was on the environment . I am a bit skeptical about why it is a “ special ” and not a actual required class . It doesn ’ t have to be like math or science , but it needs to be at least a required course for all students . Only about 1 / 4 of all MCPS students participate in summer school , and the specials course only lasts for a week . Only about 1 / 8 of all kids who take specials select the environmental class . I hope that maybe my principal or another MCPS principal will read or at least see this .
P : What ’ s your favorite animal or insect ? Why ? C : My favorite animal is probably the black bear . The reason I love bears so much is because they play a critical role is in the environment . They are scavengers , which means they scavenge dead animals and break them down so that the fungi can use the waste to replenish the soil and create plants and trees .
P : Favorite tree ? C : My favorite tree is not native to this continent . My favorite tree is the Gum , found in Australia . I lived there with my family for four years and grew to love and adore them . They lose their bark every year and not their leaves .
26 plenty I autumn harvest 2021