Last summer, we had a young and passionate employee at our Save The Bay office: Shreyes, a 13-year-old intern who volunteered with our Marketing and Communications department. Shreyes was homeschooled and began his academic adventures at the age of five. He excelled, and when he was 9-years-old, he enrolled in an Environmental Studies class at Foothill College. This class changed his life forever. He discovered a passion for conservation that eventually led him to Save The Bay. After taking the course, Shreyes realized how important it is that we care for the environment. He writes in his blog:

“If we don’t clean up our act, and fast, Homo sapiens will soon cease to exist. That’s why we have to save the environment.”

And, continues…

“Every single one of us has to pitch in to ensure our species’ survival. Yes, even me. So I did. The summer after taking that environmental science course, I replaced 90 percent of all incandescent light bulbs in our house with LEDs or CFLs. I turned off our sprinkler system. I reduced our A/C consumption. Our house’s energy usage was halved, and our water bill reduced by about 20 percent. I even convinced my family to install rooftop solar. But there was only so much I could do at home. One house cannot solve climate change. So I got involved in causes and decided to take action.”

Lucky for us, Shreyes decided to contact Save The Bay and we welcomed him as one of our Communications Fellows. Your back to school gift to Save The Bay can inspire students like Shreyes. Your donation will support programs like SEED (Students Engaging in Ecological Design), which engages middle and high school students in the complete cycle of tidal marsh restoration from seeds to ecosystems. Your contribution will also support all the education, restoration, and advocacy efforts that teach and inspire students in the Bay Area and beyond. Shreyes is a truly gifted young man, and his amazing story shows how environmental education can inspire students to protect and preserve the planet. Shreyes had to make an impact…

“Like many, I want to make a difference in my community and the world. Here at Save The Bay, I get the chance to do so.”

Providing immersive, hands-on education to students is vital to protecting the fragile ecosystems of the Bay Area. Our award-winning restoration education programs reach more than 2,000 kids each year – just $10 makes a difference providing essential tools for service learning on the shoreline. DONATE today!   Our programs provide students with an opportunity to positively interact with and protect our beautiful Bay. After all, these young minds will be responsible for the Bay in the future — and our actions today will influence how they treat our environment tomorrow and for years to come. Thank you, Shreyes, for your drive and desire to do good in the world! And, to all of our youth and student supporters, we wish you a successful school year ahead. Sincerely, David Lewis Executive Director, Save The Bay P.S. If you’ve got five minutes today, read Shreyes’ wonderful blog here and remember, when you donate $10 or more you will also receive our new 2018 Save The Bay Calendar.