When I was originally given the opportunity to lead this project, we were planning to launch in October 2020. The, as it was named then, Environmental Leaders of Color project centered heavily around youth participation, empowering them each to discover, explore, and showcase historically overlooked environmentalists.

Group leaders, teachers, and students alike were finding distance learning in this extraordinary school year difficult to adapt to, and so initially participation was- somewhat expectedly low. We shifted the timeline hoping to give them sufficient time to find the leader who spoke to their hearts, and then we shifted the timeline again to better develop the project ourselves.

It is July 31st 2021, and the Inspiring Environmental Leaders are finally up on display at the Garden. It's a proud moment for me, as project lead, knowing everything we were up against throughout the year. To see how beautifully we brought it to life is truly remarkable, and I am grateful for everyone who held space and love for this project. 

{Image Description: A long wooden boardwalk in a garden, a child runs ahead, and another younger child stands near an abutting fence. On the fence, many large colorful banners are visible, each banner prominently features a colorized portrait of an environmental leader, and a short bio.}