Environmental Advocacy: Making Waves


This week's guest blogger, Kierstyn Oshita, comes to PULSE from Anahola, Kaua'i, Hawai'i. She graduated from Chaminade University of Honolulu in 2017 with a Bachelors of Science in Biochemistry.

Hau’oli Makahiki Hou! (Happy New Year!)
It’s crazy to think that we are at the halfway mark of our year of service and that it has been 6 months since I last saw my island home. (The longest I have ever been away, mind you!) When we first started formation as a community, we were told that our community life would take shape in stages something like this: forming, storming, norming, then transforming. At this point, I would say we are well into the “norming” phase. Now, it’s a new year, and we are looking forward to the “transforming” phase of our community. 

What do I really want to take away from this experience? What resolutions can I make to better serve this community through my placement? In all honesty, these questions have been ringing in my head ever since I first received a PULSE application.



I serve in the Rivers Institute and the Fitz Center for Leadership in Community as the RiverMobile Coordinator. I get to take a 53’ mobile classroom around and beyond Dayton to educate students on protecting our water resources. For those of you who know me well, you know I’m living the dream! I love talking about environmental advocacy, especially about water resource management. As of this blog post, 1175 people have been through the RiverMobile since I started in PULSE. It’s humbling to know that the RiverMobile offers such a unique learning experience to our students. I have the honor of bringing the five rivers and our aquifer to life! 

Besides hosting tours and coordinating the RiverMobile, another role I play in the Rivers Institute include supporting our River Stewards. These students are some of the most driven, hard-working people I have come to know. They have helped to expand my own perception of the impact I can have through my work. Seeing their hard work and ambition  motivates me to do my best every day.

Through the RiverMobile, I have been able to work with numerous community partners. One of my favorite experiences so far has involved a river cleanup with Living Lands & Waters. LL&W is an organization that features a fleet of barges that clean up the riverbanks of our nation's rivers. Their team hosted us during a stop in Rabbit Hash, Kentucky, during an Ohio River cleanup. It was truly a trip to remember—I couldn’t stop talking about it. We spent the night on a barge with the LL&W team and had a great time of fellowship and team bonding. The next day, we cleaned up about a mile of the Ohio Riverbank! I will never forget the LL&W team’s incredible, positive energy that radiated throughout the project. There was never a time when someone was frustrated or frowning. Even though there were definitely moments where we had reasons to be grouchy (like when I got stuck a foot deep in the mud) the LL&W team transformed that energy and made the entire day fun and positive. Everyone had a great time while serving an impactful purpose. As a result, we had an amazing experience and came away energized.


The joy on everyone’s faces during those two short days is what I reflect on whenever I go out with the RiverMobile. Some days may get repetitive with giving the same tours over and over, but what students will remember most is “The Hawaiian lady with the RiverMobile” and my enthusiasm for environmental advocacy. Now that I think about it, the tours I give are just part of a small ripple that could lead to a big wave in Dayton’s perception of our water resources. I take great pride in this work and look forward to what 2018 has in store for me!

Please keep me in your prayers as I hope to continue making my friends, community, family and the Marianists proud of the work that I do. Know of my prayers for you as well during this new year!

For more information: 

Living Land and Water


UD Rivers Institute


Comments

Popular Posts