Mila is a Taiwanese-American student at San Luis Obispo High School with a dream of becoming a plant and soil scientist. Inspired by a science and gardening teacher, she learned the importance of respecting nature from an early age. During the pandemic, Mila discovered how natural solutions like fungi and plants can replace synthetic chemicals, sparking her passion for sustainable practices. Influenced by the book The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben, she believes that nature holds solutions to many environmental challenges.
What are five words that describe your PGC experience?
Empowering, Enlightening, Enriching, Eye-opening, and Motivational.
What was the most memorable aspect of PGC 2024 for you?
The most memorable part of Project Green Challenge has been learning SO MUCH more about environmental issues and their sustainable solutions. It has been amazing to wake up everyday with a new theme to learn about, realizing that our actions spark a chain reaction that can significantly impact environments, for better or worse. I was stunned to discover the trillions of tons of plastic and food wasted each year, and how our daily habits can be changed to become WAYYYY more sustainable and environmentally friendly.
CAP Project : A Fruitful Future
Mila’s CAP aims to bring awareness to the San Luis Obispo community and beyond about urban food forests’ potential to solve a plethora of issues facing metropolitan areas, including air quality, the urban heat island effect, water scarcity, biodiversity, and food insecurity. Work includes in-depth research, outreach to local businesses and organizations, and educating students about the potential of systemic change in how people think about their relationship with water, the environment, and urban spaces as a whole. The results have already been seen in connecting with and encouraging SLO residents to begin converting lawns into food forests.
Full CAP Summary here
