Mariah Waters, 10

“Honestly when I’m active and outdoors, I just feel better mentally and I just feel lighter and happier. I like to explore the outdoors because it connects me with the Earth and makes me more grounded with nature. Especially since the pandemic, I was inside and it got me very depressed and thinking like ‘What is the point of life if I’m just going to be sitting here on my screen indoors? I just feel so enclosed, I feel like I’m not in touch with anything. What is there to live for and see?’ But when I go outside, I just feel like ‘Yes I’m supposed to be on this Earth because I’m supposed to explore this Earth, impact the environment, and just teach people about the environment too.’ We have one Earth and it’s going to be our home for the rest of our lives. If you want to have a long life, and you want your kids and their kids to be able to experience all the beautiful things that nature provides, then I think that we should protect it so we can keep it here as long as possible. I encourage everyone to get off their devices, go outside, and figure out ways [to] be more sustainable. Like recycling, using less plastic, maybe even starting to have more of a plant-based diet, and conserving water.”