Thought Question: What is something you care about that you would like to help change or improve in the world? Young people often tell researchers that they are deeply concerned about climate change and the future of our planet. Some even note that it creates stress and anxiety in their daily lives. Another issue for them: They feel like they can't do anything about it. In Minnesota, dozens of teens decided that they were going to do their part to help conserve nature and fight the ill effects of humans on nature. They formed a group called the Green Crew. It's a network of about 50 students from several high schools that has drawn hundreds of other teens to their cause. The Green Crew has taken on many tasks. They've monitored water quality. They've restored habitats for native flowers that are disappearing. And they've planted new trees in low-income areas where invasive beetles have infested and killed trees. The idea for the Green Crew started with Hannah Barisonzi in 2021. She was just 13 at the time. Hannah talked to her father, Joseph, about her frustrations with the swift pace of climate change and lagging efforts to slow it. She said young people wanted to do their part but didn’t have the power to take action. So the father and daughter came up with a plan to organize teens. They did so through a program sponsored by the Minnesota Valley Chapter of the Izaak Walton League of America. It's one of the country’s oldest conservation groups. Joseph Barisonzi agreed to serve as an adult adviser to the teens. Being part of the Green Crew has made many of the Minnesota teens feel better about the environment. And they say they feel better about themselves too! Some told The New York Times that it’s helped to combat anxiety about climate change. “It feels like I’m not just sitting around and doing nothing,” Hannah told the Times. “It gives me hope.” Gif of wildflowers from GIPHY.
