To the Department of Conservation & Recreation,

As a university student studying the environmental sciences, I have seen first hand how adults and children alike lack the education to truly understand what is happening to the environment around them. I am a major advocate of improving environmental education, as I hope that more educated children will lead to more aware adults who advocate for their futures. However, with how polarized and politicized the topic of environmental issues has become in recent years, I do hope that this education is conducted in an objective manner. At the very least, make these students aware of the impacts they can have on their homes and their state. 

In schools, we are taught many basic concepts of environmental science, but I truly believe that it can be linked back to almost any topic. Environmental Science is inherently a social science with how collaborative the work is. Encouraging young students to work together to solve problems may help improve many literacy and social skills that are apparently lacking in current students. In addition to this, it is also a very creative science. Yes- there are many objective facts of this subject, but with how far technology has come and changed our planet, we need creative thinkers to come up with creative and innovative solutions to longstanding issues. A large issue standing in front of the general public is the lack of availability of information, and what is available may not be comprehensive to the average student or person. By strengthening their undstandings, a more knowledgeable generation of students can be brought about. The more that young people are able to understand, the more they are able to form their own opinions and advocate for change they may want to see.

I truly believe that enhacing students literacy and understanding in environmental science is a crucial step to bettering our future.