A flock of chickens stroll in the sunshine on the sunny beachfront of Fredericksburg, west of St. Croix, the southernmost island of the U.S. Virgin Islands. Walton, an environmental educator from this historic town.
On the same beachfront, she loved snorkeling with her mother as a child. Now working for the St. Croix Environmental Association (known locally as SEA), an NGO focused on environmental conservation, stewardship and education, she takes students to places that deepened her love of the island.
Return to China once
When asked how he does this, the 33-year-old environmental educator said: “I'm very proud of the work I've done so far, and I feel more connected to home than ever. “That's what happened since she moved back to her hometown of St. Croix.
Like many residents of our Caribbean island, Walton left to pursue opportunity and earned a degree in natural resources from Cornell University and a master's degree in environmental science from the University of New Haven. Although she spent most of her adult life in the continental United States, her desire to return home never faded.
“It was definitely a harder transition than I thought. [to return home]. I felt…a culture shock at home, having to slow down and not have as many resources as you might be used to,” she said. “But then I really settled down and figured out how to navigate the field in terms of what I did and wanted to do as an adult… Coming here as an adult was a learning process, but it was It's a beautiful process.
Another adjustment she had to make: The places she loved as a child were no longer the same. She has seen the damage climate change is causing in the Caribbean, including coral bleaching, droughts and stronger hurricanes.
“It's hard, it does bring up difficult emotions,” she said. “When I work with students, I want to take a positive approach, so I do say things have changed dramatically, but I also say they can do something about it.”
SEA is committed to protecting and conserving the environment of St. Croix through programs and programs that support the social well-being of islanders. The organization promotes free snorkeling clinics and other activities that support community building and resource sharing, such as environmental advocacy, capacity-building training and education programs around pollution reduction and mitigation. Those programs include free summer camps for children and teens, including one led by Walton.
She said it's important for students to build relationships, not just among themselves, but to develop a sense of connection with their surroundings to foster environmental care and stewardship.
“I firmly believe that in order to protect the future of our environment, we must teach our children to love the earth,” she said.
The weather is getting hotter
Hot and acidic ocean surface waters are damaging coral reefs in the U.S. Virgin Islands and throughout the Caribbean. Today, St. Croix is hotter than when Walton was a child, and forecasts show average temperatures will continue to rise.
Days before our interview, Hurricane Beryl wreaked havoc on the west and south of the Caribbean island, worrying many residents still recovering from the effects of 2017's hurricanes Irma and Maria. The island, and others in the region, exacerbate existing disaster challenges, such as the absence of reliable energy supplies and power grids.
These shocks exacerbate and exacerbate the vulnerabilities of people in a region of the United States that is dependent on imports and faces structural and political inequalities. This did not go unnoticed in the summer planning.
“I talk to my students about eco-anxiety and climate grief and how to manage them,” Walton said. “We also run a campaign where we put them in different positions, whether they agree with various actions or not, and we discuss whether they feel responsible for climate change and potential solutions at different levels.”
Walton said students' reactions have been mixed: “Many feel they are not responsible for what has happened, but some feel responsible for moving forward for what will happen in the future. Some of them now feel I'm not responsible for this and I can totally understand, it's very frustrating.
This is an important discussion given that the Caribbean’s long history of colonialism, systemic inequality and racism has left the region at a disadvantage in facing the impacts of climate change.
Research shows that young people around the world are worried and anxious about climate change.
“I totally understand their frustration,” Walton said. “Even people who are very passionate about it struggle because it puts a lot of pressure on them.”
Walton hopes they will focus on the physical effects of climate change as much as they focus on its mental health and emotional effects: “I do see a shift throughout the show to make them more aware of the situation but also to feel more agency. “
“Basically, they take action on environmental issues that they are interested in or passionate about,” she added. “I like to encourage them to think outside the box.”
Students participate in educational activities, community outreach and science communication programs. One year, children launched a campaign to repurpose a popular song to share an environmental message.
“[The students] took a hot topic about tire shops and they turned it around to the same tune, but they talked about leaving tires on the side of the road, about pollution, the harm it does to the environment, you know, it could be ocean debris “Also There are breeding grounds for mosquitoes and the impact of leaving tires on the side of the road instead of disposing of them properly,” she recalled, her face lighting up.
She also takes students to visit and participate in ongoing climate mitigation and adaptation efforts on St. Croix, such as coral restoration projects, environmental stewardship activities, local food production, etc., allowing them to understand the possibilities and changes they can lead or be a part of part of.
Her work paid off: Walton was recognized by the North American Association for Environmental Education in the 30 Under 30 class, which highlights the contributions educators make to a sustainable future.
It's not just about the kids
As well as having a positive impact on the wider community, students have also touched their own families.
“I’m getting parents to show up at events and get more involved in the environmental area because their kids are showing interest in it,” Walton said. “The most common thing is that they're happy that their child actually did something that they're proud of.”
At an open house for the Walton program, students took family and friends to kayak on the preserve. One student brought their entire family, she said. Another component of the program is for students to strengthen and expand connections with their communities to better understand their surroundings and work with their families to assess climate risks and vulnerabilities.
Walton stressed that mutual aid and community connections are important to building resilience in the Caribbean – through shared resources to cope with the impacts of climate change and to better anticipate and prepare for these impacts.
That's part of the program, too: it expands community connections and friendships.
“I have faith and trust in my community and I know I'm going to be OK and no matter what happens, we're going to come together,” Walton said. “My neighbors aren't going to go hungry, and I'm not going to go hungry. We're going to make sure that a small percentage of our community has what we need.
Editor's note: This interview was conducted in July before Tropical Storm Ernesto impacted the U.S. Virgin Islands.
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