Miami – A South Florida girl scout’s love for the planet inspired her to tackle the global marine debris crisis and inspire other young people to do the same.
Amelia McKay, 17, is on a mission to save the environment one plastic step at a time.
“I’m really proud of the project. It’s one of the coolest things I’ve done,” he said.
McKay is referring to a project he created called “plastic smART,” which aims to raise awareness about the environment and the sea. debris washing up on our beaches.
“A key part of the project was the educational curriculum that I developed,” he said. “Eco Adventures is helping me run it here at the (Biscayne) Nature Center as a field trip option. It is designed for K through 12 students. They come here to learn about the plastic problem, to clean up the beach.”
For her dedication and love for the Earth, McKay, who has been a Girl Scout since the age of 5, was awarded the Gold Award. This is the highest award a Girl Scout can receive.
“I really felt on top of the world, especially with where I was, I was with inspiring women, some girls from my scout group, friends, my mom was there, the executive director of the Girl Scouts was there. Also, it was a great moment and a great feeling,” McKay said.
Over the winter holidays, he created an art installation using everything he collected on the beach, from bottle caps and boxes to buoys – a creative way to reuse the waste found on our shores.
“As the Sea Turtle Conservation Coordinator, Amelia is the next generation of park rangers in Miami-Dade County. Most importantly, she connects us and cares for the Earth, from ventriloquists to blueways, Amelia, we are so proud of you,” said Miami. – Dede Parks and Recreation Fan Navarro.
“Change can happen if we work towards it, just starting small can add up to big changes,” McKay said.
He said he wants to expand his project. The second phase will be to create a small library at the Biscayne Nature Center so that they can read to young children and children with special needs.
