Youth Partner Plans for Earth Day!

India and the Middle East’s #1 leading channel’s first episode of a series kicked off with awesome youth partners. They share their ambitious plans for #EarthDay! Check it out! (Stay tuned for the big episode that will air after we plant the trees. Everybody else on the scene will be mentioned, too!)

OEI has been lucky to partner with a great group of local youth dedicated to environmental issues in their community. Together, trees will be planted at Maxwell Park this Saturday, April 22, 2023 in honor of Earth Day.

Hear from Nandika Rajaram, who is leading the Earth Day initiative with fellow youth:

“My full name is Nandika Rajaram, I am a ninth grader studying at Liverpool High School. Our group is called the “Four Coconuts” as a way to honor our roots. (We are all Malayalees and Kerala literally means the Land of Coconuts!) In that group is: Myself, Anika Gopal (Eagle Hill Middle School, Manlius), Amanda Joju Panayil (Chestnut Hill Middle School), and Rehaan Rakhesh (Jamesville-DeWitt High School). We as a group have been trying our best to give back to society since 2020: We started by giving Christmas gifts to a Nursing Home and Rehabilitation Center, then we found [OEI] through our fundraising with the sustainably sourced handmade cards and gifts that we sold. Last year, we raised money for Launch CNY, a local organization that works with kids and adults who have learning disabilities through a raffle. The others who are involved in this specific project are: Ashan Varghese (Eagle Hill Middle School), Miriam R Johnson (she just came here from India. St. Thomas School, Trivandrum), Sera Subinse (Pine Grove Middle School), and Ryan Subinse (Woodland Elementary School).”

LoveLey Creek

This is part of a larger restoration effort throughout the Ley Creek watershed. The effort will reduce polluted urban runoff, while enhancing climate resiliency. Trees will restore a native, urban canopy, while revitalizing green space. We’ll build capacity for long-term stewardship and maintenance, engaging families and youth in ecologically meaningful and community-driven ways. This will also foster a sense of place in a disconnected and overlooked watershed. Ecologically, efforts will contribute to the estimated capture of 147,000 gallons of runoff each year. Plus,  canopy will increase >25%, with a target minimum canopy coverage of 75% in project areas.

Please check back soon for more on youth partner plans for Earth Day!