Loudoun Student Environmental Action Showcase 2023

Chris Henke helps students identify macros.
Photo by Amy Ulland

Over 200 people attended the Loudoun Student Environmental Action Showcase (SEAS) event at Trailside Middle School on April 26. Loudoun SEAS was co-hosted by Loudoun County Public Schools, Loudoun Environmental Education Alliance (LEEA) and the Northwest Virginia Regional GREENetwork.

The purpose of Loudoun SEAS is to amplify youth voices in environmental problem solving by showcasing to a real-world audience how students have meaningfully contributed to environmental stewardship in Loudoun County. Loudoun SEAS encouraged both student and community partner participation.

Atmika Gorti presents her YCLI project. Photo by Amy Ulland

Loudoun Wildlife Amphibian Monitoring Program Coordinator Jenny Erickson and Board Member Chrissy Boeckel staffed a table with hands-on activities that allowed attendees to match up prints and scat to the appropriate animals. They had 70 people stop by their table to try out these activities and learn more about Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy.

Loudoun Wildlife student volunteers also participated in the event, including students from the Loudoun Soil and Water Conservation District’s Youth Conservation Leadership Institute (YCLI) and Riverside High School’s Environmental Club.

YCLI students and Loudoun Wildlife certified stream monitors Cooper Niess, Sharanya Maddukuri, Anthony Santos and Emma Lloyd, showcased their stream related projects on erosion, stormwater, stream health awareness, and stream signage. They also helped attendees to observe and identify benthic macroinvertebrates collected from a Loudoun stream.

Members of Riverside High School’s Environmental Club were also on hand to highlight their involvement in Loudoun Wildlife’s benthic macroinvertebrate surveys conducted on Goose Creek in the fall and spring.