Projects
Primitive Skills
At my elementary and middle school a requirement for graduating was completing an 8th grade project, for mine I decided to study Primitive Skills, you could also call them Wilderness Survival, or Off-Grid living skills. As part of my project I created a shelter made out of sticks and leaves, called a Debris Shelter, I also learned how to make fire using a type of primitive friction fire. Practicing tracking, and plant identification were also part of my project. I had a lot of fun and it feels like it taught me how to be more grounded and confident in other areas of my life as well.
Herbology
I have done many different projects that fall under the umbrella term of Herbology: I worked on an herb farm for two summers, my mother was an herbal practitioner for many years, and I have completed a Foundational Apprenticeship with the Earthwalk School of Medicine. In the Foundational Apprenticeship I got hands-on experience making tinctures, teas, oils, salves, flower essences, and are exposed to various herbal traditions including Chinese, Ayurvedic, and Western herbalism.
Songwriting For Climate Change
During my sophomore year I did a project on songwriting, and at the same time climate advocacy. I used a method of songwriting called Documentary Songwriting which centers around the story of the song and is also an organization. It begins with an interview because the person telling the story does not need musical experience, and the person interviewing it called the teaching artist who is familiar with the specific steps that this method uses to capture the story and experience of the story source. I wanted to bring awareness to climate change through music and story. I focused on an experience I had where I watched one of my friends carelessly throw untouched food away and felt powerless to prevent her. It seemed like such a small action and she didn't even notice what she was doing. I wanted to work through that experience and put a spotlight on the everyday wastefulness that comes up in so many other areas of this society. That is why I chose to call it Only Take What You Need.
Dancing Bach
In the Spring of my freshman year I did an independent project where I learned the second movement of Partita No. 3 by Johann Sebastian Bach on violin, while also working with a mentor to choreograph an interpretive dance. I ended up not only taking inspiration from the music but also from Christina's World, the iconic Wyeth painting. In the end my performance was 3 fold. I advanced technically by learning a new piece on violin. I became more familiar with how to choreograph a compelling piece; and I learned how to effectively video myself and sew videos together.
Food Sovereignty
I have been involved in Food Sovereignty when I was ten. I would attend city council meetings with my dad when he got involved in passing a Food Sovereignty ordinance in Rockland ME. Then in 2021 the Food Sovereignty movement took the form of The Right to Food a Maine State Constitutional amendment. It was requested that my dad and I write letters to the editor in favor of the bill. I wrote three letters two the editor and had them published in three different local publications. The amendment passed and I felt satisfied that I helped to make that happen. I was also asked to present on my involvement with food sovereignty at Bates college when I was a senior. I did so in cooperation with the Lewiston Auburn Good Food Council which sponsored my speech.
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