Gold Girl Spotlight: How Isaree P. Went From Green Thumb to Gold Award

Natural Choice

I have always loved nature and the outdoors, and I still remember the day I received my first flower press at Learning Express – one of the prized possessions of my childhood. Another striking memory from my elementary school days is a school assembly where we were taught the power of recycling, and I remember feeling amazed that I, too had a part to play in environmental conservation. I hoped to recreate this wonder for nature, awareness of the environment and empowering sense of duty in others by holding a flower press workshop – teaching others how to construct their own reusable wooden flower press, and discussing environmental concerns and practices. I also hoped to provide an opportunity for others to enjoy the outdoors by building an arbor bench at the Adelphi Acre Community Garden.

 Building Skills 
Before starting my project, I had a shaky understanding of the woodworking, creating a curriculum, advertising, and using a website. However, with the help of a construction adviser, a teacher, IT technician, and many others guiding me through the learning process, I was able to gain the knowledge and skills I needed to complete my project.

Before

Lessons Learned

The most important thing I learned was to never be ashamed to reach out to others and ask for help, whether for guidance or for gathering a team of helpers, as I did when constructing the arbor bench. And with a team of helpers, the best thing that can happen is when my team sees my goal as their own, so that we’re all on the same page trying to reach the same goal. That’s when things happen.

After

-Isaree