Growing up in the Erie area, Abigail Nguyen has long had a passion for both conservation and art. As part of her summer internship, she brought those passions to children in her community.
Nguyen, a Slippery Rock University junior biology major from Harborcreek (Harbor Creek HS), designed and led a free community event on July 29 centered on environmental awareness and hands-on learning for children through an internship with the Erie County Conservation District.
“I got to work with so many kids of so many different backgrounds, lots of inner-city kids who didn’t have experience with nature,” Nguyen said. “Seeing some of these kids who didn’t have this experience and being the one to be able to introduce them was really rewarding.”
Nguyen’s event, Eco Art in the Park, was hosted at the Headwaters Nature Center in Erie and encouraged children to explore the outdoors and think creatively about conservation and recycling. The workshop asked for donations of commonly recycled items, which participants repurposed into arts and crafts projects for different age levels. Children were also invited to tour the nature center and observe the wildlife in the park.
“Not everyone comes from the same background, and as an educator, that’s the beauty of the job,” she said. “It’s your duty to let them learn and be curious at the same time.”
Through her internship with the Erie County Conservation District, Nguyen was required to come up with one project before the internship’s conclusion at the end of the summer. The arts and crafts idea for the project grew from Nguyen’s hobbies.
“I’m always at home creating stuff and thrifting in my free time,” Nguyen said. “I thought this would be a really cool event that I am passionate about and the rest of the community could be too.”
By blending art, recycling and environmental education, Nguyen created an engaging experience that introduced many young participants to nature for the first time. It also reinforced her own career aspirations to be an environmental educator.
“It’s about sparking curiosity,” she said. “If even one child leaves inspired or more passionate about nature, it’s worth it.”
More information about the biology program at SRU is available on the department’s webpage.
