Page 61 - Brookfield Zoo Chicago Annual_Report_2024

Chicago Sun-Times Letter I am worried about many species, Hope was all around as I learned how I have learned a lot about climate
to the Editor: My Generation such as migratory birds that are every week groups of young people change, both through the King
affected by changing weather like myself come on these trips to Scholars program and through taking
is Anxious About Climate
patterns. I worry that our air won’t not only help the wildlife but to also AP Environmental Science, but there
Change — But We’re Ready
be clean, it will be too hot or too cold learn about the overall human impact is still so much for me to learn. I feel
to Fight for Our Future
to go outside, and much of nature, on the environment and then take inspired to take action and help
By Charlie DeCraene, King especially rainforests and coral reefs, what they learned back into their all of the wildlife affected by this,
Conservation Science Scholar won’t be around much longer unless own community. but I’m calling on others, no matter
we do something. your age, to join me.
November 5, 2024 I’m also part of the King Conservation
Climate change is something that Science Scholars program If more people realized that even
Earlier this month, a new study
every young person is going to have at Brookfield Zoo Chicago, where the little things make a difference,
published, highlighting how people
to take into consideration when I’ve been learning about the effects such as recycling, eating less meat,
my age—fellow teenagers around the
choosing where to live and start of climate change on our local and cutting down on fuel consump-
ages of 16 to 25—are feeling anxious
a family later in life. It’s a shame ecosystems. I was able to spend tion by finding greener means of
and distressed about the state of our
that our children will grow up only a week with the Zoo’s Sarasota transportation, then we would be
climate. It showed an overwhelming
knowing the summer to be a period Dolphin Research Project team, well on our way to a healthier climate.
majority of people in this age range
of extreme heat and constantly where I learned about how climate If people were exposed to more
across the country share this feeling.
hearing about the next hurricane change has enhanced the strength opportunities where they could learn
As a young person from Western on the nightly news. and duration of red tide in the to love animals and the natural world,
Springs, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, Gulf of Mexico and how that in turn then perhaps our future on this
Nonetheless, I’ve found
this study made me feel seen. has negatively impacted species planet might not feel so bleak.
I’ve witnessed countless examples hope in meeting young like bottlenose dolphins. During a
of climate change, such as the people out there who are period of red tide, the researchers As the study shows, it’s clear
extreme heatwaves, and the state have to perform substantially more that the majority of us care
striving to make a change
of the environment around where rescues on dolphins and manatees about climate change.
in the climate crisis. than they would during any other
I live has been massively impacted
There is hope all around,
by urbanization. Creeks that were part of the year, and that’s due to the
For example, I’ve been able to help
once flourishing with wildlife are red tide slowing the animal’s activity but we need to act now.
my own school start a native plant
now virtually dead, such as the level down and making them more It’s going to take all of us
garden in our courtyard and create
one in my own backyard, thanks vulnerable to being hit by a boat.
interpretive signage about conserv- working together.
to runoff from people’s lawn
ing native wildlife. Outside of the
fertilizer and other trash that
classroom, I had the opportunity
is littered.
to go on a trip with Ecology Project
International to Costa Rica to help
do censuses on the leatherback
sea turtle population.

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