As a leader for a shared planet, I have decided that I will reduce how much trash I consume on a daily basis. For example, I will use canvas bags instead of plastic bags when I go to the grocery store so that I won't use as much plastic. I learned while I was at the waste management plant that plastic bags weren't recyclable and they have a very limited amount of alternative uses. Another example of how I will be a leader for a shared planet is that I will start growing and cooking my own foods because that also uses very little waste. I figured out that eating microwavable products produces lots of waste because the food is wrapped in unrecyclable plastics and most of the time, the container isn't recyclable either. I will also compost more. I realized that I throw away fruits and veggies that I could've thrown in a compost pile to use as fertalizer later. Finally, I learned that the less trash I produce, the smaller amount of damage I'll do to the environment. For example, if I don't use plastic bags, I might've just saved the life of a turtle that normally would think the plastic bag was a squid or fish. This picture is an example of what I want to prevent.

We had tons of fun during our 10-day experience at High School Earth Camp. Although we weren't able to have showers everyday, we still had fun hanging with each other. We played games to get to know each other's names and each other in general. We got to camp in a variety of places, including a desert, a dorm, a beach, a condo, and in a research facility. We got to know each other really well, really fast. We also learned a lot from the various speakers that we saw and from our counselors. We learned things from the climate of earth in the past to how to harvest cactus fruit to learning how to make rope and necklaces from natural resources. We also visited many places, including a museum, a biosphere, shrimp farm, food bank, land fill, and much much more!!! We learned a ton at each place, and we also had lots of fun.

The place that I enjoyed the most was when we went to El Penasco Ranch. I finally got a taste of real Mexican food, and I loved it!!! I probably ate more there then any other time in my life. I also tasted horchata (the "h" is silent) and I'm probably now addicted to it. I loved it so much. I also met so really nice dogs, and learned how to harvest Organ Pipe Cactus, which was sweeter than Sahuaro cactus fruit. Jesus taught us how to harvest the fruit and how to make rope and necklaces.

We also went to a shrimp farm and learned how shrimp was raised and harvested. It was fun to watch how everybody did everything at the farm. The most fun part, though, was what happened when my hat blew into the mud and I was stuck with the decision of whether to get it or not. Here's what happened (video here). -->

One of the most influential experiences I had during Earth Camp was when Jesus was teaching us how to make rope and necklaces with natural resources. He really taught me how much you can use the simplest of materials to make something cool. He taught us how to make rope, and he told us we could make it from fibers to toilet paper. And they were strong too. I knew I could tear the rope made with toilet paper, but it was stronger then I thought. Jesus also taught us how to make necklaces out of Limber Bush limbs. It was surprisingly easy and they look really cool. Here's Alex's necklace for an example or what we made.

If you read this and are thinking of coming to Earth Camp, you definitely should consider coming. It's loads of fun and there's no way you could come home without saying you had an awesome time. The food, the places, the people, all are awesome to see and get to know. Some places are better then others, but they're all great and fun. You also learn a ton about the environment and how various things affect it on a daily basis, mainly recycling, composting, and waste. Trust me, it's something you'll never regret doing.