Isabella A's Action Plan
Action Plan Title: Nitrogen Footprint Awareness
Isabella (Ella) A.
Hometown/Country: Skaneateles, New York, USA
Program/Year: Leadership Institute, 2022
What is the need or issue that you are trying to address with your project?
I hope to change the perceptions and behaviors of consumers, farmers, and regulators. We can easily farm, manufacture, and landscape more sustainably, and I believe that measuring our "Nitrogen Footprint" is a first step in making this change.
Has your project changed since you presented on it during your Pre-College Course? How?
I have undertaken independent research to collect dissolved oxygen levels throughout Skaneateles Lake, and have plotted the data in a GIS map. This will act as baseline data from which to build. I will correlate this data with locations of farms to determine if nitrogen runoff impacts algal blooms.
What steps and efforts have you taken so far to advance your project? Please be specific.
In addition to sharing the results of the GIS mapping that I develop with the SLA, once this initial research is complete, I intend to publish these findings on my website: www.nitrogenfootprint.org. I launched my website in the fall of 2021 to promote my belief that nitrogen should have a measurable footprint, similar to carbon.
What challenges and obstacles have you experienced and how have you addressed these challenges?
When the Skaneateles Lake Association (SLA) was unable to assist me by providing data points, I had to find another source. Fortunately, I was able to secure a map of the lake, as well as purchase a dissolved oxygen meter. With these resources, I collected my own data around the lake, and plotted those points into the GIS. With this information, I could publish my map on my website to promote nitrogen footprint.
What knowledge or skills that you learned during your BELL/Leadership Institute course have you applied to your work on this project?
I learned about the impacts of advancement or development on people, and while many are positive, some are not. With this in hand, my Action Plan unfolded. My course taught me to do the research, be unbiased, and look at the science, these have been integral to the work I have done.
What tips and advice would you give to new students as they think about developing and working on their own Action Plans?
Think BIG! Do not be deterred or overwhelmed simply because your ideas have global impact, it’s even better because of that! Sometimes it may start small, like with my project, but with momentum and an amazing network, we can all make changes!