Hero Story

The Nominee founded Plant It Forward after having been inspired by reading the book The Lorax when she was in the 9th grade. She began reading and researching ways in which she could begin to help reverse climate change and its adverse effects in her community. She learned that Michigan is experiencing less snowfall compared to past years, longer dry spells, and as a result more invasive species are threatening our important ecosystems and the Great Lakes. She was excited to learn about the ongoing environmental campaign the State of Michigan has set in place to plant 50 million new trees by 2030 as a committed response to fight climate change. She felt a calling and realized she had a responsibility to work to preserve and protect the natural world around her. This spurred her to begin her work in climate action, and the nominee founded Plant It Forward (PIF) – a grassroots environmental organization in her local community with the mission of environmental conservation, remediation, and justice. Now Plant It Forward in its third year has grown so wonderfully to partner with four cities in Southeast MI to plant hundreds of trees, create pollinator and community gardens, a microforest, and other Green spaces. The nominee has galvanized elected City Officials, won over the support of contentious City Councils, and earned the donations and support of private organizations and environmental groups to help local cities. Above all, she has inspired a few hundred students— tomorrow’s leaders and citizens—to intentionally care about planet Earth and the species who inhabit it, including ourselves, and how we can all do things both big and small, personal and communal, and local and beyond to reverse climate change and remedy past environmental damage.

I have witnessed how the nominee’s extensive tree-plantings and many different projects have sparked healthy curiosity, intellectual inquiry, budding passion, and commitment in her friends, peers, students, and even community members and organizations to adopt more environmentally conscious ways to live, work, play and learn. Through her example, many other students are inspired to learn more about green spaces and pollinators, volunteer to plant trees or community gardens, and join extracurriculars and other organizations that promote sustainability and a healthier planet for ourselves and future generations. Her efforts and the purposeful environmental initiatives of Plant It Forward have helped communities rally together for the greater good of all and promote unity, honor, and harmony with initiatives such as the Native American Honor Garden in her school district. She has demonstrated to youth and children the importance of community work and joining together with local city officials and senior residents to create environmental solutions and green spaces that will benefit our communities for many generations to come. While working with the nominee and attending many city council meetings with her, I witnessed how respectfully and patiently she makes her case on behalf of others to plant a microforest, plant more carbon-sequestering seedlings, or plant a living garden to celebrate the Indigenous inhabitants of Southeast MI. When elected officials or people in authority objected to her ideas, or questioned her resolve or the environmental benefits of certain things, she supported her ecocentric methods and solutions with well-supported research, scientific data, and success stories from other cities, and by heeding the advice of experienced mentors and teachers such as myself and others in her community.

All of this to say, her service impact extends beyond just environmental protection. Nethanya devotes countless hours to tutoring a student in Pontiac, who requires additional assistance in mathematics and english. She has tutored and mentored him for many months and her patient, kind approach has helped him personally and academically grow. She is also a firm believer in the importance of breaking down language barriers in her school and community. She founded a club at her school, the International Academy of Macomb, dedicated to learning American Sign Language and learning about Deaf culture. Her club has grown to encompass dozens of members and she has worked alongside a student parent to teach these students the basics of ASL.

The nominee, with her contagious enthusiasm, passion to make a difference, respectful dialogue, thoughtful insights, and caring attitude has won over many individuals and persuaded many organizations to pitch in to work together and build our natural communities. Not many young people possess such a level of maturity and a keen sense of purpose, or such a unique worldview in which communities come together to restore the environment. Her actions reveal her goal of helping many species and ecosystems thrive, boosting biodiversity, and building a joyful community spirit in the process. I once read that "the vitality of a community is found in the strength of its volunteers", the nominee deeply exemplifies this virtue and inspires all of us, young and old, to do the same. I look forward to seeing her grow from being a model young citizen to a dynamic leader who will help not only her own community but many others with her tireless efforts in the future. Therefore, it is both my pleasure and privilege to nominate Nethanya Fonseka & her worthy sustainable efforts through Plant It Forward for this great honor and recognition. Thank you for considering my nomination of her.