Full Transcript for From Ardsley to Uganda: Sonya Duggal on EcoVoices

Instagram has played a vital role in the growth of this organization. 00:04:13.120 --> 00:04:29.920 I reached out to hundreds of youth clubs and organizations all over the world, schools and libraries, asking to spread the word of anybody who might be interested in being a global ambassador, which is how um I recruited this network of 20 ambassadors. 00:04:30.800 --> 00:04:31.680 That's incredible. 00:04:31.839 --> 00:04:35.519 Um, walk me through one of your workshops. 00:04:35.680 --> 00:04:37.120 What does that look like? 00:04:37.279 --> 00:04:41.519 And, you know, uh what is it from the first five minutes to the last? 00:04:42.319 --> 00:04:42.639 Okay. 00:04:43.199 --> 00:04:47.839 So the workshop will still I'll have a presentation prepared before every single workshop. 00:04:48.000 --> 00:04:50.480 And every workshop will come with a sort of activity. 00:04:50.560 --> 00:04:52.720 It'll be like a work, it'll be a worksheet. 00:04:52.959 --> 00:04:57.360 And I'll just start by introducing the topic, like this is what we're talking about today. 00:04:57.439 --> 00:05:01.519 Um, let everybody get settled in just to know like what to expect. 00:05:01.759 --> 00:05:08.079 I'll usually say, like, okay, at the end of this, there'll be a worksheet, so just be prepared to interact with that as well. 00:05:08.319 --> 00:05:15.120 So we've done workshop workshops on topics including wetlands, forests, and the importance, the basics of climate change. 00:05:15.360 --> 00:05:19.360 And I'll start off by doing that and then I'll go into the slideshow. 00:05:19.519 --> 00:05:31.839 And I what I really like to focus on is yes, there's a lot of visuals, but the visuals aren't gonna be these diagrams with like all of these a million terms and all these processes that nobody can take the time to absorb. 00:05:32.000 --> 00:05:33.680 It'll really just be simple things. 00:05:33.759 --> 00:05:43.920 So, like, for example, in one of the workshops, I was like important of trees and what are like what are trees, how do they live, how do they interact with each other in the environment. 00:05:44.000 --> 00:05:49.920 And so I'll just have like a simple tree diagram, like five labels max, because these can be really young kids. 00:05:50.160 --> 00:05:59.279 And when they look at uh a really wordy diagram with all of these different parts and all that, they're not gonna understand it, they're not gonna absorb any of that information. 00:05:59.519 --> 00:06:05.759 So I like to make it as accessible as possible so that they can actually understand it and interact with the content. 00:06:06.000 --> 00:06:17.519 So I will, at some point after I review all the knowledge that is being taught in that workshop, there'll be like a slide saying that this is the worksheet, this is what you're going to do on it, and I'll walk through them through like the activities. 00:06:17.759 --> 00:06:21.920 So often the worksheets will have like, okay, so draw a healthy forest. 00:06:22.160 --> 00:06:27.199 So that way they're not just like, I'm not telling them write backs or fill out these multiple choice questions. 00:06:27.360 --> 00:06:29.680 Nobody really, how many kids really want to do that? 00:06:29.839 --> 00:06:39.839 It's more like draw, and then I have I'll often have like um a section at the bottom that'll be like make a promise to the earth about one way you're going to help, you know, preserve trees or wildlands. 00:06:40.240 --> 00:06:41.600 So just make a promise. 00:06:41.759 --> 00:06:46.480 And that allows them to also feel like they're really helping out the earth and will motivate them to continue. 00:06:46.879 --> 00:06:51.759 And after one of the workshops, uh you had Uganda students planting trees. 00:06:51.920 --> 00:06:58.959 Um what did that teach you about the gap between learning something and actually doing something? 00:06:59.279 --> 00:07:03.199 So I think oftentimes people will think like awareness and action are the same thing. 00:07:03.360 --> 00:07:05.680 But I'd like to think that one leads to the other. 00:07:05.920 --> 00:07:16.079 So that's after they they the tree planting activity was all planned and it was executed, that would that happen because of the work in the workshops that I was doing. 00:07:16.240 --> 00:07:22.480 I told them that planting trees was one of the best ways that you could honestly help the earth, especially as a younger child. 00:07:22.720 --> 00:07:28.000 And that led them to be more motivated, like, oh wow, I can do something and help the planet. 00:07:28.160 --> 00:07:33.439 It makes them also feel like they're doing something and have a role in the planet and saving the planet. 00:07:33.680 --> 00:07:51.759 So that just before that, they weren't really being taught about climate, how to say like help the planet, but by bridging that gap between like the knowledge and the action, by allowing them to have that knowledge to feel empowered, that they can actually do something to help the planet, that directly did lead to the action. 00:07:51.839 --> 00:07:53.759 So that led to the trees being planted. 00:07:53.920 --> 00:08:09.040 And that I think that just really shows that if you can interact with any topic, like this goes beyond climate change, like just interacting and teaching about any topic and making it actually interesting and making people want to know more, motivating them, that can lead to direct action. 00:08:09.120 --> 00:08:14.160 And I think it's really like people underestimate the power of knowledge and awareness. 00:08:14.959 --> 00:08:18.319 And and tell me about Beautiful Feet Ministries. 00:08:19.360 --> 00:08:20.639 So just like the partnership? 00:08:20.879 --> 00:08:21.199 Yeah. 00:08:21.759 --> 00:08:24.639 So that started out about a month ago now. 00:08:24.800 --> 00:08:35.440 Uh they emailed uh me first, just asking the EcoVasis team to perhaps collaborate to bring EcoVasis to Beautiful Feet Nursery in Uganda, which is a

school for students there. 00:08:35.679 --> 00:08:43.120 They have students who are there as um, they have students who are there like they live there, like as a boarding school, but they also have like daytime students. 00:08:43.279 --> 00:08:51.120 Most of the workshops are done for the boarding school students because they're done on weekends since the time zones and with school, it can just be really hard to coordinate. 00:08:51.360 --> 00:08:52.879 Um, so that started through that. 00:08:53.120 --> 00:09:03.360 I began by sending them worksheets in the EcoVases pamphlets for them to distribute to their students just as a way to get the partnership um on its feet. 00:09:03.600 --> 00:09:06.159 And then we eventually led into the workshops. 00:09:06.240 --> 00:09:08.240 So far, we've done four workshops. 00:09:08.480 --> 00:09:15.039 The first one was on climate change, second one was on trees, then at fours, and our latest one was literally just last Sunday. 00:09:15.120 --> 00:09:16.320 It was on wetlands. 00:09:16.480 --> 00:09:22.080 Every single one of them has come with up with a worksheet for the students to interact with the information afterwards. 00:09:22.240 --> 00:09:27.840 And I include a QA section at the end of every single workshop so that students can have their questions answered. 00:09:27.919 --> 00:09:34.480 And I mean, you'd be surprised just by when you're exposing people to a topic, you'll be surprised just by how curious they can get. 00:09:34.559 --> 00:09:37.200 Like we'll spend half an hour just on questions. 00:09:37.600 --> 00:09:45.440 And it's been really an amazing experience so far to be able to bring um climate knowledge to students in Uganda, like all across the world. 00:09:45.919 --> 00:09:50.879 So you started out eighth grade, you you you had an idea, you had a thesis. 00:09:51.039 --> 00:09:56.000 What are some of the more surprising things you've learned since then? 00:09:57.120 --> 00:10:02.399 Um, one of the more surprising things I've learned is really just the power of outreach. 00:10:02.559 --> 00:10:06.159 Like you would be surprised just how far sending an email can get you. 00:10:06.399 --> 00:10:11.759 That's honestly how I built like some, like this entire organization has just been built based off of outreach. 00:10:11.919 --> 00:10:15.919 I think a lot of times people will be scared and think, like, oh, I don't have enough money to start this. 00:10:16.080 --> 00:10:18.320 Oh, you know, I don't have connection in the right places. 00:10:18.480 --> 00:10:19.840 You can build those connections. 00:10:19.919 --> 00:10:26.159 And I really didn't realize just how not easy, but like kind of simple it was to do that. 00:10:26.320 --> 00:10:33.759 To just email somebody, say, this is my idea, this is what I've done so far, this is what I want to do, and that can get you so far. 00:10:33.840 --> 00:10:39.120 And I've just I've learned, I really have like that's been one of the most valuable takeaways

from this project so far. 00:10:39.519 --> 00:10:50.080 I'm gonna I'm gonna say one of the things that impressed me in full disclosure, you emailed me, and as I as I read it, I was like, I I'm impressed. 00:10:50.320 --> 00:10:56.720 And the to have no no fear of the no, that's gonna take you a long way in life. 00:10:57.039 --> 00:11:00.879 So uh, you know, it was oh uh when I got your email, I was like, I have to say yes. 00:11:01.039 --> 00:11:03.759 Uh I think this is uh impressive. 00:11:04.159 --> 00:11:12.960 Um so in terms of like lessons learned, uh you know, obviously uh here in Westchester, we all know about rain and flooding. 00:11:13.120 --> 00:11:18.559 Um what what else have you learned uh about climate issues uh in other climates? 00:11:19.759 --> 00:11:30.799 So one thing I've learned, this is really through the workshops with beautiful feed ministries, that the students have like brought to me personally asking about their own communities, which that's taught me a lot. 00:11:31.039 --> 00:11:47.440 Just um one thing I've really learned is that so wetlands and forests in Uganda, I didn't realize how different the govern like government approaches are across the world, which was something that I hadn't even thought about to like thought about before, just the way the government interacts with the environment. 00:11:47.679 --> 00:11:53.039 That the laws in Uganda versus the laws here in the United States are just so different. 00:11:53.360 --> 00:12:04.639 That the students in the students in Uganda, and they they were really young too, like ages six to about probably like 14-ish, that they knew the steps that their government was taking. 00:12:04.799 --> 00:12:18.480 So one thing I didn't even know was really going on before this was that during our workshop with wetlands last week, they told me about how the government has outlawed planting crops and doing agriculture in wetlands. 00:12:18.720 --> 00:12:27.600 And they told me about that, and that's something I hadn't I didn't know before, and it was just so fascinating to learn about like climate issues is just such a broad term. 00:12:27.759 --> 00:12:32.879 And then to learn about the specific ones depending on where you are, because we don't up like we don't really know about that. 00:12:32.960 --> 00:12:36.159 How many wetlands have you heard of in Westchester that have banned farming? 00:12:36.320 --> 00:12:38.240 I could imagine not many. 00:12:38.480 --> 00:12:49.120 And just to find out what's relevant in other countries, because things in the United States, if like a climate, if it's any topic is being talked about so often, we think that's all that's being talked about in the world. 00:12:49.200 --> 00:12:50.720 Like that's the only important topic. 00:12:50.879 --> 00:12:59.039 But when you go and like experience and interact with others throughout the world, like what's irrelevant in their communities is just so different and it's so interesting to find. 00:12:59.600

--> 00:13:02.240 Have you been to Uganda, Nepal? 00:13:03.039 --> 00:13:06.399 Is it is it on is it on the on uh on the roadmap for you? 00:13:06.799 --> 00:13:09.360 It is now, hopefully one day. 00:13:09.600 --> 00:13:12.720 But before this, uh I mean before this, no. 00:13:13.200 --> 00:13:14.799 But now, definitely. 00:13:15.679 --> 00:13:21.679 So, what is something that didn't work or or something that you changed along the way? 00:13:22.559 --> 00:13:23.360 That's a great question. 00:13:23.519 --> 00:13:32.559 So uh one thing that has been like a challenge, like I said, like that outreach was a huge lesson for me, is that you also learned that can be a challenge sometimes. 00:13:32.799 --> 00:13:39.679 I don't even want to know how many emails I have sent in the past, like almost like a year and a half now that EcoWasis has been running. 00:13:39.919 --> 00:13:45.360 Um I honestly could might even be in the thousands at this point, the amount of messages that have been sent. 00:13:45.519 --> 00:13:48.159 And you you're not gonna get replies from most people. 00:13:48.320 --> 00:13:52.639 Like over 90% of those people that you reach out to, they're not gonna reply to you. 00:13:52.799 --> 00:13:59.279 And just learning that you can't get discouraged to just keep trying, because one yes can take you a very long way. 00:13:59.600 --> 00:14:14.320 And to learn that sometimes people are gonna start reaching out to you, like with Beautiful Feet Ministries, that was something I could have never anticipated when I first started that some organization in Uganda would be reaching out to me to help bring climate education to their students. 00:14:14.559 --> 00:14:20.639 But I've that's something I've definitely changed along the way is at first this is only gonna be a magazine. 00:14:20.799 --> 00:14:21.200 That's it. 00:14:21.360 --> 00:14:26.000 It was just gonna be um like two-ish, two volumes per year, and that was it. 00:14:26.240 --> 00:14:28.159 But then I don't know, honestly. 00:14:28.240 --> 00:14:35.120 I think I made the Instagram account, and that you would meet so many other youth-led organizations and other youth founders. 00:14:35.360 --> 00:14:47.440 And it just honestly, it just became it just went so far through that when you're social media is really like I I know there's so many negatives to it, but you can build so many connections and you can really make such an impact with it as well. 00:14:47.679 --> 00:14:50.399 And that's definitely something Eco Voices has taught me. 00:14:50.559 --> 00:14:57.200 Uh, it was just supposed to be like a local thing that was, you know, have copies of the magazines and like libraries here in Westchester. 00:14:57.360 --> 00:15:00.879 And now it's global and it's reached over to like 20 countries. 00:15:01.039 --> 00:15:03.039 And it's just really surreal to see. 00:15:03.200 --> 00:15:13.360 But that's yeah, it was definitely went from, you know, just a little local magazine project to a global climate literacy organization with workshops and ambassadors and pamphlets. 00:15:13.919 --> 00:15:17.919 And any lessons that you've taken to other subjects, right? 00:15:18.080 --> 00:15:22.559 So climate literacy, you weren't get getting what you needed in school. 00:15:22.720 --> 00:15:26.799 You know, how was that translated to math, social studies? 00:15:28.320 --> 00:15:34.080 Um so, like, how have I like taken like applied lessons from eco-voices to other subjects? 00:15:34.480 --> 00:15:39.759 So definitely something that has taught me is just not getting discouraged as a whole. 00:15:40.000 --> 00:15:44.159 Like one bad grade isn't gonna knock you down forever. 00:15:44.320 --> 00:15:52.320 Like, just the same way that one no or one like just being ignored by somebody that you reach out to for eco-voices isn't gonna knock down the whole organization. 00:15:52.399 --> 00:15:53.519 Like it's still there. 00:15:53.679 --> 00:15:56.240 And you can just come back from anything and everything. 00:15:56.480 --> 00:15:59.279 And just the importance of getting help outside of school. 00:15:59.440 --> 00:16:01.840 So, just this is like a personal like tangent. 00:16:01.919 --> 00:16:05.519 I guess math has been um a bit of like a struggle. 00:16:05.600 --> 00:16:18.799 Um, and like just this year and even last year, but I got a tutor this year, and just to not be like afraid of asking for help or like needing help for anything, it's like it's not shameful, it's not embarrassing, and it can be really helpful. 00:16:18.879 --> 00:16:29.279 So, like with Eco Voices to go and get help from other people to get guidance, like especially my mom has been like probably my biggest supporter, and she's just been there and guiding me every single step of the way. 00:16:29.440 --> 00:16:33.519 So, just not being afraid to ask for help that doesn't make you weak. 00:16:33.679 --> 00:16:39.440 It actually, I think it makes you stronger to be able to admit, okay, I'm struggling with this, I need help here. 00:16:39.840 --> 00:16:44.320 And just never getting giving up and never getting discouraged, no matter what happens. 00:16:44.720 --> 00:16:51.200 I agree with you, and and I'll be honest with you, sometimes it's not until you're 30 or 40 that you figure that out. 00:16:51.360 --> 00:16:53.519 But I that's that that is awesome. 00:16:53.759 --> 00:16:58.320 Um obviously the vision was two magazines a year. 00:16:58.559 --> 00:17:01.360 Now you're in all these countries. 00:17:02.000 --> 00:17:06.799 If your imagination runs wild, where where where is this when you're a senior? 00:17:07.119 --> 00:17:08.640 I honestly I have no idea. 00:17:08.799 --> 00:17:16.160 I wish I could answer that, but part of me is glad that I can't answer that because to just be surprised along the way, it's been such an experience. 00:17:16.319 --> 00:17:18.319 Like I have no idea where this could be. 00:17:18.559 --> 00:17:21.200 Even six months from now, I have no idea

where this could be. 00:17:21.279 --> 00:17:24.640 Like a month ago, I wasn't doing workshops with students in Uganda. 00:17:24.960 --> 00:17:26.079 Now here I am. 00:17:26.240 --> 00:17:29.039 You just you never know where anything could take you. 00:17:29.200 --> 00:17:34.160 Just starting out with one idea and not being afraid to send that first email can take you so far. 00:17:34.559 --> 00:17:38.160 And and short term then, let's let's say I have short term. 00:17:38.319 --> 00:17:51.039 More ambassadors, uh, more participants, um, you know, what what is your success criteria, you know, in terms of affecting change six months from now? 00:17:51.519 --> 00:17:51.839 Okay. 00:17:52.319 --> 00:17:56.799 So one thing that I'm really focused on is distributing educational materials. 00:17:57.119 --> 00:18:11.839 So our global pamphlet series, which currently has four issues published, um, three main um eco basis issues and one special edition, which was in collaboration with the Laura Eco Foundation, um another youth-led climate organization in Nepal. 00:18:12.480 --> 00:18:18.400 And so, like six months from now, I would love to have reached like a thousand materials distributed. 00:18:18.480 --> 00:18:24.640 That's one goal of mine, is to reach like, and that's not just the pamphlets, by the way, that's like the worksheets as well. 00:18:24.880 --> 00:18:30.480 I would love to have a thousand distributed um just in like schools, libraries, all across the world. 00:18:30.559 --> 00:18:31.839 So not just out in New York. 00:18:32.000 --> 00:18:33.599 I think you know that fine asset. 00:18:34.079 --> 00:18:38.240 Uh, another thing that I really want to do is reach more students through workshops. 00:18:38.400 --> 00:18:46.079 So we actually have an ambassador that's doing a workshop in her own like town uh at a library, and that's gonna be on November 5th. 00:18:46.160 --> 00:18:48.559 So that's just next week, it's less than a week away. 00:18:48.799 --> 00:18:51.200 And I'm really excited to see how the impact of that turns out. 00:18:51.279 --> 00:18:54.559 I've been helping her plan it, creating feedback forms. 00:18:55.039 --> 00:18:58.400 And I would say I want to reach 30 ambassadors. 00:18:58.559 --> 00:18:59.759 We're currently at 20. 00:18:59.920 --> 00:19:01.039 I would love to reach 30. 00:19:01.119 --> 00:19:03.839 And I would love to get in more countries in Europe. 00:19:04.160 --> 00:19:10.480 I would say that I have um a lot of ambassadors concentrated in like the US, Africa, and Asia. 00:19:10.640 --> 00:19:13.359 I think one place that has been harder to reach has been Europe. 00:19:13.519 --> 00:19:18.240 I'm not sure why that is, but it's just how it's been, with that reach and all that, and getting replies. 00:19:18.400 --> 00:19:21.359 And I would really love to expand the eco-bases reach there. 00:19:22.160 --> 00:19:31.279 What is one thing locally here in Westchester in terms of an environmental issue that you wish more

people here understood? 00:19:32.319 --> 00:19:34.960 Um, that's could be so many things. 00:19:35.200 --> 00:19:38.720 But I think one thing that I see a lot is deforestation. 00:19:38.960 --> 00:19:44.079 So even just neighbors that I have, like they cut down trees like every single year. 00:19:44.240 --> 00:19:49.359 I think that's like my mom, like, whenever they do it, she's always like, I can't believe that they're doing this again. 00:19:49.599 --> 00:19:58.079 And deforestation is something that you hear about so often, but I don't think anybody understands it or understands just how dangerous it can actually be. 00:19:58.319 --> 00:20:05.039 Like, when you're cutting down trees, that's not like maybe it's more convenient for you to have like three less trees in your backyard. 00:20:05.279 --> 00:20:09.680 But that is like impacting the climate in the planet as a whole. 00:20:09.920 --> 00:20:12.160 Like, I don't I don't, I'm sure people have heard of it. 00:20:12.240 --> 00:20:14.559 I don't know how many people understand the greenhouse effect. 00:20:14.799 --> 00:20:24.640 But when you're cutting down those trees, those trees they absorb um these greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide that are causing climate change or accelerating it so much. 00:20:24.880 --> 00:20:28.160 And when you're cutting down those trees, you're really reducing that mitigator. 00:20:28.319 --> 00:20:31.920 And nobody's like helping out trying to replant more trees. 00:20:32.000 --> 00:20:35.039 And I wish that's something that could be done in Westchester more. 00:20:35.119 --> 00:20:39.839 It's just more tree planting initiatives and less deforestation as a whole. 00:20:40.480 --> 00:20:44.880 What do your teachers say about these this initiative you're running? 00:20:45.039 --> 00:20:48.160 I mean, obviously it it it's it's impressive. 00:20:48.240 --> 00:20:52.559 I'm sure your color college resume is gonna be uh perfect. 00:20:52.799 --> 00:20:57.279 Um, you know, what's what's been the reaction uh from the school? 00:20:57.920 --> 00:20:59.920 So actually, it's funny that you asked that. 00:21:00.079 --> 00:21:04.240 I actually um reached out to a club at the middle school in my district. 00:21:04.559 --> 00:21:11.279 It's like the Animal Lovers Club, and they actually approved EcoVoices to do a workshop with their students in about two weeks. 00:21:11.519 --> 00:21:12.480 So that's really exciting. 00:21:12.559 --> 00:21:16.400 That's something that's coming up just really locally, like five minutes from my house. 00:21:16.640 --> 00:21:21.759 Um they've been really uh the teachers haven't been as um involved as you might think, honestly. 00:21:21.920 --> 00:21:25.200 My middle school, art science teacher, and she was a big part of it. 00:21:25.359 --> 00:21:31.359 She really helped out just by um advertising submission calls for like our magazines earlier on. 00:21:31.680 --> 00:21:37.680 And they've just been, I'm they've really just been um amazed by like the impact that Eco Voices has made. 00:21:37.759 --> 00:21:44.240 Because you wouldn't really expect to have like some climate organization just based here, like one of your students running it in all these countries. 00:21:44.559 --> 00:21:55.440 So, yeah, that's honestly like they're obviously they've been impressed, and they haven't been as like uh involved as you might think, but my middle school teachers have been super involved. 00:21:56.160 --> 00:21:59.119 And final question, excuse me. 00:21:59.279 --> 00:22:05.920 What can a Westchester student or parent or teacher do to be involved with eco-voices today? 00:22:06.319 --> 00:22:08.880 So that's there are so many options there. 00:22:09.279 --> 00:22:14.799 Um so one thing if you're like a student, you know, you're just a younger person, you can become an ambassador. 00:22:14.960 --> 00:22:16.960 Uh you can be anybody can be an ambassador. 00:22:17.119 --> 00:22:20.640 It doesn't matter how older you are, how old you are, your resources, anybody. 00:22:20.799 --> 00:22:24.960 And that's the whole point of Eco Voices, is to make that climate education more accessible. 00:22:25.200 --> 00:22:27.200 So that's definitely one thing that you can do. 00:22:27.359 --> 00:22:30.480 And when you're an ambassador, there are so many more opportunities. 00:22:30.720 --> 00:22:39.200 Like you can, like within that ambassador role, you can host events, you can make and write, um, you can make art or write for pamphlets. 00:22:39.519 --> 00:22:45.759 You could um distribute copies of EcoVoic's materials locally, share worksheets with your schools. 00:22:46.000 --> 00:22:47.279 There's just so many things you can do. 00:22:47.359 --> 00:22:49.920 And I'm always open to new ideas from ambassadors. 00:22:50.079 --> 00:22:55.759 So if like they have they come to me with a new idea, like I'm always going to be open to it, and I would love to make anything a reality. 00:22:55.920 --> 00:23:00.559 Because if any is any if like this project has taught me anything, is that really anything can be a reality? 00:23:00.720 --> 00:23:02.079 Nothing is that out of reach. 00:23:02.240 --> 00:23:04.240 It's just what you believe you can do. 00:23:04.480 --> 00:23:28.240 Um, as for parents and other like adults, they can help by just bringing, they can encourage their own children, if they have, to get involved with Eco Voices through making art or writing for our pamphlets by just interacting with our materials, our worksheets, which I'm going to hopefully get on the website soon, just so the worksheets are available to anybody and everybody who would like to use them. 00:23:28.720 --> 00:23:33.039 They can distribute copies of our pamphlets because they're not just for kids. 00:23:33.200 --> 00:23:37.039 Like adults can definitely read them and still benefit from them. 00:23:37.119 --> 00:23:44.799 Because I think people think that materials for kids and adults have to be so different that the adult ones have to be so much more complicated and in depth. 00:23:45.200 --> 00:23:50.319 But think about it, at the end of the day, adults still go to the same schools that the kids are going to. 00:23:50.480 --> 00:23:53.920 They probably have the same amount of knowledge and the same level of understanding. 00:23:54.160 --> 00:23:58.319 And anybody can benefit from something that's easy to understand and that's accessible enough. 00:23:58.480 --> 00:24:00.079 So that's another thing. 00:24:00.400 --> 00:24:04.319 Um, I'm like so open to adults hosting an Eco Voices event. 00:24:04.559 --> 00:24:10.960 Like, that's I haven't done that yet, but I think that's something that could happen if anybody was ever interested. 00:24:11.359 --> 00:24:12.400 Well, I'll I'll tell you this. 00:24:12.559 --> 00:24:17.200 When I when I was uh when I was your age, climate literacy wasn't even a thing. 00:24:17.440 --> 00:24:21.039 So um I, you know, Sonia, I want to thank you. 00:24:21.119 --> 00:24:25.599 And all the information about Eco Voices will be in the show notes uh and on social. 00:24:25.920 --> 00:24:31.119 Uh so if you do want to get involved and get in contact with Sonia, all that information will be right there. 00:24:31.200 --> 00:24:39.119 Uh Sonia, you are an impressive young woman, and congratulations on your success. 00:24:39.279 --> 00:24:42.319 And I hope this goes as far as your dreams. 00:24:42.880 --> 00:24:43.599 Take it. 00:24:44.000 --> 00:24:44.799 Thank you so much. 00:24:44.880 --> 00:24:46.400 I really appreciate that.