I really enjoy being outdoors and experiencing the wonders of nature. My school has a 160-acre farm in Wisconsin, and I love going there to plant, harvest, take care of the animals, and take pictures.

In fifth grade, I did a research project on the ocean’s garbage patches and especially on the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. It was a really interesting project, and it opened my eyes to understanding that our natural resources are slowly (or quickly) diminishing because of our actions. 

I began thinking a lot about how my actions affected our environment, and I asked my parents to reduce our use of plastic. I know that reducing one family’s plastic usage only has a small impact, so I started educating my friends and family. As I thought about a service project for my Bar Mitzvah, I decided to focus on this issue. 

Plastic is one part of the larger climate crisis. I am very concerned about saving our natural resources and our planet. Many amazing organizations are working on this. If you would like to make a donation in honor of my Bar Mitzvah, please consider donating to earthjustice.org or oceanconservancy.org.

(Note: Earth Justice allows a donation in someone’s honor, but the Ocean Conservancy does not. If you donate to the Ocean Conservancy, please let us know so we can acknowledge your gift.)