Luis Angel Cruz, Senior, GreenSchools! Co-op Green
Ambassador Captain and Curriculum Lead - The Green Institute- Furr High School;
(Serves 5 schools and a community center)
Hello everybody, my name is Luis Angel Cruz. I was super
excited to present in the 2015 National Environmental Justice Conference to
share my story and passion for conservation education and
awareness. I serve as a Co-Op Green Ambassador which is an
initiative in which is connected through the Green Institute at Furr School’s
Career and Technical Education program. The ideal goal is to give students
industry experience in which they have a passion for through internships and
fieldwork. In this case, U.S. Forest Service, Project Learning Tree
GreenSchools! and Friends of the National Forests and Grasslands in Texas
-Latino Legacy are the primary agencies of support. We are also Project
Learning Tree certified and implement PLT and GreenSchools! activities and
curriculum.
About a couple of months ago… I came across an article
online that caught my attention like nothing has ever done. This article had
mentioned a global warning message about the possibility of pollinators going
extinct... I was astonished!!! I was just shocked!! That exact day, I went to
the library and picked up several books about bees and many other pollinators…
and I couldn't believe what I was reading…it never crossed my mind that this wide
extinction was happening! :(
I came across more research and I was literally falling in
love with what I was reading… these were some of the smallest and hard working
engineers of the world… and they were dying...disappearing.
The Green Ambassadors of the Houston East End Greenbelt
decided to be positive and I would like to introduce you to one of the current
projects of the Houston East End Greenbelt. “Project Don’t Mess With A
Pollinator,” was created to spread the proactive message concerning
pollinators. The message buzzes throughout the community through various forms
such as; workshops in Spanish and English for parents and for youth by creating
activities that are tied down to STEAM. Which stands for: Science, Technology, Engineering,
Arts and Mathematics, the “A” is also interchangeable with Arts and
Agriculture! The project’s curriculum allows Green Ambassadors of the Houston
East End Greenbelt to implement a strong conservation effort with hands on
activities. We introduce all types of pollinator friends suchs as moths, bats,
hummingbirds and butterflies.
Not only did we
create something that could be used in a classroom, but we were motivated and
inspired by students through peer-to-peer teaching and service learning
projects. We have planted a hundred plus
fruit trees with the Fruit Tree Planting Foundation, and recently established a
nature transit pollinator garden with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. We empower the community by presenting
pollinator workshops and training, creating “seed bombs,” and teaching others
how to create your own nature gardens for the preservation of our busy friends.
The goal and mission to is create a pollinator sanctuary throughout the East
End of Houston Texas.
It was a wonderful empowering experience to
share our story at the 2015 Environmental Justice Conference and share our
mission and goal for pollinators! Thanks to these partnerships, the Houston
East End Greenbelt has been successful in spreading the message to students,
schools and the community. By increasing the support of these agencies and
possible collaborators, we hope to expand this effort. We strongly believe with
uniting forces we can create change and make a direct impact in our community.
Thanks to the Forest Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Fruit
Tree Planting Foundation, we are able to have green sustainable spaces which
thousands of people and pollinators are able to enjoy and indulge. We have met
many leaders who wish to engage and continue the mission! The team is excited
and can’t wait for what is to come next! 
A few Houston East End Greenbelt Green Ambassadors in front of the U.S. Forest Service Building March 2015.
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