When you go to sleep at night, are you thinking about the 3,600 billion gallons of water used in America today? Do you think about 123 you used today? Most don’t. After going to Earth Camp I will always be thinking of these things. My name is Rowan this is what I will do to become a better leader for a shared planet.

I go to a very energy and water inefficient school in my hometown of Muskego, Wisconsin. Back in Muskego people don’t think about conserving water because were surrounded by lakes, but it’s a big issue. 71% of The world is covered in water, 97% of it is salt water so 3% of it is fresh, of that 3%, 80% of it is frozen in the icecaps, and only .6% of it is fresh water, but we can’t access it because we can’t “dig” deep enough to reach it in the aquifers, and because the lakes and ponds are polluted and un-drinkable. That means that only .003% of the water on the planet is potable. The average person uses 123 gallons of water a day and it could be reduced greatly. I will to make my school a more water efficient place by putting aerators on the sinks, putting bins for collecting rainwater outside to mop the floors, and to improve the amount of water used when washing lunch trays. My school also isn’t a very recycling conscious place. I will get recycling bins put in our cafeteria for water bottles, plastic sporks, and paper lunch bags to be recycled. It would also be nice to start using biodegradable products in my school for those people who are too lazy to make a difference and recycle. My school isn’t energy efficient either and I will make sure that all of the lights and computers are being turned off at night, as well as the hallway lights during class periods, especially because we have lots of windows to let natural light inside.

I think that if I help my small school in Wisconsin to become a better place, then I can help my school district, and then the county, and then everywhere in Wisconsin! I hope I really truly make a difference.

I thought that when I  came to this camp I would be feeling very lonely and shy because I didn't know anyone but I settled in quickly and I made alot of friends like Lily, Nastasha, Esme, Rodrigo, Alana, Brandon, and Tyler. Some of my favorite expiriences with these friends was when I "Walked Brandon into a cactus" even though he just walked backward into it. Another good time was when Lily, Esme, and I started singing songs when hiking at Mt. Lemmon which was really fun. My absolute favorite was driving to Mount Lemmon and singing songs from mix CD's and making dance routines to them.

 Here at Earth Camp I have learned many new amazing things. I want to make sure that I thank all of the councilors for helping me learn, and the Desert museum and UA for giving us a place to learn. I really appreciate it. Earth Camp has really helped me grow.