Today I learned how easy it is to help protect the environment no matter how old you are. I interviewed Imelia Grace, a first grader from Tennessee. She told me one of her favorite places to play is a nature path near her house. She has fun experiencing the outdoors by taking her puppy Rogy along with her to explore. Imelia Grace was a previous winner of the U.S. EPA’s Team ENERGY STAR contest where she placed sticky notes on appliances that said “Unplug Me” reminding her to turn off appliances and light switches when they weren’t in use. Her family also uses an outdoor clothes line to dry clothes instead of using an energy intensive dryer. Even as a graduate student, I have learned from Imelia Grace how making small changes at home can make a big difference!
Shelby Egan is a student volunteer in the EPA’s Air and Radiation Division in Region 5, and is currently obtaining her Master’s degree in Urban Planning and Policy at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She has a passion for protecting natural resources, cities she’s never been to and cooking any recipe by The Pioneer Woman.