Young Change Makers: How Carys Garvey of ‘4 Our Planet’ Is Helping To Make A Difference In Our World

An Interview With Sonia Molodecky

…One student, Sophia Green, who attended my first 4 Our Planet event, told me a few weeks later that she was so inspired by the event that she built her own compost bin, planted a garden, started buying her clothing at thrift stores, and told her friends about environmental impacts of their choices as consumers. Sophia is now one of the student volunteers in 4 Our Planet!

As part of our series about young people who are making an important social impact, I had the pleasure of interviewing Carys Garvey.

Carys Garvey, at 18 years old, is already on her way to becoming a “changemaker.” As a high school senior, she has established a non-profit, environmental organization called 4 Our Planet (www.4ourplanet-usa.org), developed a sustainable clothing company (www.alamode-usa.com), and spread powerful political and social messages through her music and art. Her clothing company, À La Mode, which she started during the COVID-19 pandemic, was her first foray into business. This experience taught Carys about the many barriers to sustainability that exist in the fashion industry, as well as in related industries such as agriculture, technology, and the plastics industry. Alarmed by the pervasive grip of environmentally damaging industry practices, Carys decided to launch her own environmental nonprofit company, 4 Our Planet, to teach others about the damaging effects of various industries on our environment, as well as how individuals can make eco-conscious lifestyle choices.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit. Can you tell us about how you grew up?

As a child, I always found joy, fun, and inspiration in nature (and I still do!). Instead of playing with dolls and toys, I would spend hours outside, finding myself fascinated by the shapes of various leaves and flower petals. I loved observing pillbugs, centipedes and salamanders hiding under mossy rocks, my endless curiosity questioning every little detail.

My most vivid childhood memories are those involving nature — one of my most memorable experiences was going camping on a “school night” (which I thought was absolutely enthralling) with my dad and seeing deer in a meadow.

When I wasn’t exploring nature, I would draw, paint, sculpt, take photos, and write poetry. I especially loved painting, mostly with acrylics and oils, and would often paint animal portraits and landscapes. As a result of my passion for art, the walls in my room are now covered with colorful, random paintings (and my carpet is unfortunately quite paint-stained as well), and my older artwork takes up about 5 large storage bins.

Growing up immersed in nature and creativity has nurtured my strong passion for artistic creation and my respect for the environment.

Is there a particular book or organization that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story or explain why it resonated with you so much?

The documentary series, “Our Planet,” narrated by David Attenborough, really opened my eyes to how human actions can devastate wildlife around the world. It resonated with me for two reasons: 1) I have always been very passionate about the environment, so visually seeing animals and ecosystems facing man-made challenges pulled at my heart strings, and 2) I found this documentary extremely inspiring because it showed me that people can instill extreme passion about protecting our environment in other people through various mediums, such as film.

You are currently leading an organization that is helping to make a positive social impact. Can you tell us a little about what you and your organization are trying to create in our world today?

My organization is 4 Our Planet, a non-profit, student-led organization based in Ventura, CA. We lead school and community educational events (virtual and hybrid during COVID-19), develop project curriculum for students to learn about environmental sustainability, and manage a website and social media pages where we post informational articles, videos, and graphics. We want to see a world where people think through the environmental effects of their daily decisions and lifestyle choices, and we want to teach people why and how they can go about being as eco-conscious as possible.

4 Our Planet hosts community events such as beach cleanups, guest speaker events, and informational seminars, where we teach members of our Ventura community about sustainability principles. We have several 2-hr virtual educational seminars/workshops planned for this spring; these initial seminars focus on environmental impacts of the apparel industry, and examine the entire supply chain and life cycle of different types of clothing (e.g. different textiles, manufacturing processes, wastes, etc.), as well as teach students how they can responsibly buy eco-friendly, sustainably-made clothing. Additional details can be found on our website: https://www.4ourplanet-usa.org/.

We are also hosting a hybrid Earth Day event, focused on the benefits of composting, where we will teach attendees how to build their own compost bin! On April 22, 2021 students and members of the Ventura community can pick up material kits, made by 4 Our Planet’s students volunteers, at Memorial Park in Ventura, CA. These kits include: an 18 gallon recycled plastic bin with predrilled holes, cardboard, and an instruction manual for the proper assembly and maintenance of the compost bin. On Saturday, April 24th, 4 Our Planet is hosting a zoom workshop where we will show attendees how to construct their compost bin, and we’ll provide additional information and fun facts about the benefits of composting!

4 Our Planet’s overall goal with these events is to instill a passion for the natural environment into attendees, as well as to inspire attendees to be more eco-conscious in their everyday lives.

Can you tell us the backstory about what originally inspired you to feel passionate about this cause and to do something about it?

Nature has always been my source of happiness, which led me to strive to protect it at all costs, while leading others to experience the same feeling of connectedness to nature that I do.

There are times when I felt hopeless about the possibility of saving our planet — it was heartbreaking to watch people around me making decisions that clearly had negative impacts on our environment; however, these moments allowed me to realize that many people simply weren’t educated about the consequences of their actions. This notion inspired me to not only educate others about how they can help our environment, but to instill passion and love for our planet into their souls.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company or organization?

4 Our Planet’s first sustainability workshops were targeted at middle school and high school students, but I was pleasantly surprised that numerous adults (teachers, parents, educators, etc.) also attended and showed interest. In particular, a member of Ventura’s Board of Education attended 4 Our Planet’s first event and was very enthusiastic about the content of the workshop; he spoke to me afterwards and said he wanted to create a sustainability committee for Ventura Unified School District. This was a nice surprise, and the student members of 4 Our Planet and I are looking forward to developing this idea further!

Can you tell us a story about a particular individual who was impacted or helped by your cause?

One student, Sophia Green, who attended my first 4 Our Planet event, told me a few weeks later that she was so inspired by the event that she built her own compost bin, planted a garden, started buying her clothing at thrift stores, and told her friends about environmental impacts of their choices as consumers. Sophia is now one of the student volunteers in 4 Our Planet!

How do you define “Making A Difference”? Can you explain what you mean or give an example?

I define “making a difference” as making an observable, positive change or impact — this can be as simple as smiling at someone and brightening his/her day, or as large-scale as preserving acres of natural land and habitat.

To me, one of the most important concepts to remember regarding “making a difference” is that small changes in individuals’ daily lives can amount to a large positive impact.

Many young people would not know what steps to take to start to create the change they want to see. But you did. What are some of the steps you took to get your project started? Can you share the top 5 things you need to know to become a changemaker? Please tell us a story or example for each.

The first step I took before starting 4 Our Planet was acknowledging a problem and brainstorming plausible solutions. When I operated my own sustainable clothing business, I noticed that many prospective customers — teenagers — didn’t care about buying sustainable clothing because they weren’t educated about fast fashion’s negative effects. Some teens did care, but they weren’t sure what criteria a clothing brand had to meet to be considered sustainable. This observation allowed me to realize that most students are lacking education about environmental sustainability. Consequently, I formed 4 Our Planet to educate and inspire students about environmental sustainability and how to make eco-friendly buying/lifestyle choices.

Here are 5 things young people should know if they want to be a changemaker:

1. Find something you’re passionate about

Find an area you’re passionate about — for me, it was environmentalism — and identify a specific change you want to make in that area. For me, I wanted to educate students about making sustainable lifestyle choices.

2. Network with others

Educate yourself and build positive relationships with people who can help you along your journey to make change. For example, I connected with local environmental organizations and subject matter experts to learn more about environmental concepts, practices, and technologies. Additionally, I connected with fellow students who were passionate about environmentalism during the planning of school workshops.

3. Show yourself compassion

Try not to be too hard on yourself — there will be setbacks, failures, and disappointments along the way to change, but you can get through them if you show yourself kindness and allow yourself to make mistakes. You can’t help others if you don’t help yourself first!

4. Stay true to yourself and your passions

Always remember why you wanted to make a change in the first place. Trust yourself and don’t let external circumstances or other people discourage you!

5. Change takes patience and perseverance

Nothing happens overnight! It will take time to educate, inspire, and instill passion in others.

What are the values that drive your work?

Compassion, equality, and love for nature drive my work and shape my daily life.

Many people struggle to find what their purpose is and how to stay true to what they believe in. What are some tools or daily practices that have helped you to stay grounded and centred in who you are, your purpose, and focused on achieving your vision?

To be honest, I find it grounding to acknowledge the fact that I have no singular “purpose” in this world, but life has whatever purpose I give it; this allows me to live fully in each moment. Being mindful of my present surroundings is by far the most effective tool I use to stay grounded and centered. Some daily practices that help me stay mindful include meditation, hiking, surfing, and yoga. Additionally, I always find fulfillment in showing compassion and kindness to others, which leads me to strive towards my vision of a world where people work towards a sustainable and joyful future.

In my work, I aim to challenge us all right now to take back our human story and co-create a vision for a world that works for all. I believe youth should have agency over their own future. Can you please share your vision for a world you want to see? I’d love to have you describe what it looks like and feels like. As you know, the more we can imagine it, the better we can manifest it!

While everyone has their own idyllic vision of a “utopia,” a “perfect” world simply isn’t feasible. Therefore, I’d like to see a world where everyone has the freedom and opportunity to use their voice and pursue their own visions of happiness, without being stifled by social or political oppression.

I’d love to see an inclusive world where human rights are truly equal. I have a vision of a sustainable planet where humanity and nature can thrive in a symbiotic relationship. In my vision of the world, eco-consciousness isn’t up for political debate — it’s an accepted reality.

We are powerful co-creators and our minds and intentions create our reality. If you had limitless resources at your disposal, what specific steps would take to bring your vision to fruition?

I’d start by networking with other changemakers and nonprofit groups, bringing them together and creating a world-wide, unified “Change Committee.” This would allow for collaboration and cooperation among various stakeholders and encourage an exchange of ideas and expertise.

For example, working together with these groups, I’d take the following environmental action steps to achieve my vision for our world’s future:

1. Transition to at least 90% sustainable agriculture

• Offer resources and stipends to farmers willing to transition from traditional to sustainable agriculture methods.

These methods include planting crops with increased biodiversity, planting more cover crops, reducing/eliminating tilling, eliminating pesticide use, and using nutrient cycling (explained in 1.b.i). All of these methods contribute to overall soil health, thus preventing desertification while increasing soil’s ability to store carbon dioxide (so that it won’t be stored in the atmosphere!).

This would lower the cost of sustainably-produced produce, thus encouraging more consumption. Currently, the higher cost of organic and sustainably-grown food drives many prospective consumers away.

• Encourage the abolition of feedlots by providing stipends to farmers willing to transition to sustainable, humane methods of raising livestock.

Encourage the nutrient cycling method (https://cpb-us-e1.wpmucdn.com/blogs.cornell.edu/dist/f/5772/files/2019/11/pasture-ntrnt-cycling-ATTRA-Gabriel-Resource.pdf) for raising livestock (which is not only great for the environment, but also allows farmers to save money on fertilizer and feed).

• In any remaining feedlots, require that ruminants (cows, goats, sheep, buffalo, camels, llamas, reindeer and yaks) be fed hay, silage and high-fibre crop residues that are unsuitable for human consumption.

Currently, over 40% of grain produced worldwide goes towards feeding livestock. Not only is this extremely environmentally unsustainable, but it also decreases the amount of grains available to countries with food shortages.

2. Decrease negative environmental impacts of transportation:

• Implement increased, eco-friendly public transportation

At least 75% of mass transit/public transportation vehicles should be electric.

In order to encourage use of public transportation, free public transportation options should be available for low-income families, and the overall price of bus tickets, train tickets, etc. should be reduced.

3. Increase environmental education

• Ideally, I would like to see a curriculum that teaches students about environmental sustainability, environmental impacts of society in various industries, environmentally sustainable career paths, sustainable agriculture, living a sustainable lifestyle, and eco-conscious choices implemented into education systems around the world.
• Money would be provided to public schools to implement the material above through engaging, hands-on learning methods.

4. Establish a certification process so that companies can be considered “Eco-Conscious,” demonstrating their commitment to sustainable practices and allowing consumers to make environmentally responsible choices.

• For example, in order for a clothing company to be considered “eco-conscious,” they would need to demonstrate that they:

Cut back on water usage.

Avoid using hazardous chemicals.

Create durable styles (for a longer lifespan of each item).

Produce minimal waste.

Obtain fabric and other materials from sustainable agriculture sources.

5. To pay for the changes listed above, it is necessary to increase taxation in certain areas.

• First, it is necessary to increase wealth tax in order to decrease the wage gap and pay for positive change in society. Currently, the wealthiest 0.1% of people in the U.S. own more than all of the 90% of people below them on the wealth scale. This huge imbalance calls for change.
• I would institute a tax on unsustainably-made goods, thus discouraging consumers from buying products with negative environmental effects.

The steps above tackle mostly environmental issues. However, many more steps and actions need to be taken to improve and ensure basic human rights; this is where an international “Change Committee” would come in, which could gain political clout to help implement change in countries where governments are currently recalcitrant to such change.

I see a world driven by the power of love, not fear. Where human beings treat each other with humanity. Where compassion, kindness and generosity of spirit are characteristics we teach in schools and strive to embody in all we do. What changes would you like to see in the educational system? Can you explain or give an example?

I would like to see K-12 education systems implement a hands-on, project-based curriculum that intertwines various subject matters, connecting concepts to real-world examples and encouraging students to strive to solve real world issues. I agree with your vision of a world powered by love, compassion, kindness, and generosity of spirit, and our education system needs to make it a higher priority to cultivate these values in students.

I think our current education system needs more focus on immersive, practical, fun learning over grades and test scores. For this reason, I would like to replace letter grades with a written evaluation system for each student. Although I acknowledge this would be extra work for teachers, it would allow them to build stronger connections with students. To compensate for the extra time that teachers would spend learning how to teach new curriculum and evaluate students without grades, an increase in teacher salary is needed (I think it is already needed!).

This “gradeless” system would relieve a tremendous amount of stress from students, allowing them to focus on learning rather than getting good grades — I’ve experienced and watched firsthand as students’ mental health declined as a direct result of the extreme pressure they felt to “do well in school.” Seeing how our current education system impacted myself and my peers, I think a change is tremendously needed.

In addition, I would like more mental health support services to be available to all students, such as free therapy and stress-management workshops. Schools should also teach students about mental health disorders, negative effects of social media, and how to best maintain good mental health and a positive mindset — as human beings, our mind is our most powerful tool, but many students don’t have the opportunity to learn about how to access its full, healthy potential. This needs to be changed.

If you could tell other young people one thing about why they should consider making a positive impact on our environment or society, like you, what would you tell them?

Many young people have heard Gandhi’s powerful, famous quote, “be the change you wish to see in the world,” but I like to add on to that and ask, “because if you won’t, who will?”

There have been several instances where one of my peers has mentioned to me that they’d like to see a change in one area of their life or society, but when I ask why they don’t try to initiate the change themselves, they say something along the lines of “because someone else will do it.” However, if every human being on earth had this mindset, no positive change would ever occur. If the reverse were to occur, meaning that everyone initiated change and worked together to make positive changes, imagine the limitless possibilities this would have to meet our world’s social and environmental challenges!

Additionally, young people who strive to make positive change will not only have positive impacts on the world around them, but will find that it is also very self-fulfilling and can bring a lot of happiness and satisfaction to their lives and future generations.

Is there a person in the world with whom you would like to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. :-)

I would love to have breakfast/lunch with Jim Carrey! While his sense of humor is uplifting, he also has a serious side and carries a lot of wisdom. He started the “Better U Foundation,” an organization which aims to provide global food security by increasing rice production through sustainable farming techniques, reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Additionally, I really resonate with his motivational, inspirational speeches, as well with his perspective of life as a whole. Also, comedy and improv are some of my side hobbies, so I would enjoy talking to him about his work as an actor! Breakfast/lunch with Jim Carrey would definitely be fun, inspirational, and educational.

How can our readers further follow your work online?

Readers can stay up to date with 4 Our Planet by checking out our website at https://www.4ourplanet-usa.org. They can also email 4ourplanetusa@gmail.com for more information!

To further follow my work, readers can follow my Instagram, @carysgarvey (https://www.instagram.com/carysgarvey/), or email me at carys.garvey@gmail.com!

This was very meaningful, thank you so much. We wish you only continued success on your great work!

About the interviewer: Sonia is a Canadian-Ukrainian lawyer, entrepreneur and heart-centered warrior who’s spent more than 15 years working in human rights, international law, business, economic development, community empowerment and her own personal journey into herself. Sonia has spent the past 7 years living and working with indigenous nations around the world, as a facilitator, partner, shaman apprentice and friend, gaining a deep understanding of both ancient systems and modern ways, and our interconnection with all life. She is a certified kundalini yoga practitioner, energy healing facilitator, avid adventurer and explorer of the natural world. Sonia speaks world-wide on topics related to meaningful collaboration, life economies, the power of partnerships and the benefits of informed, empowered and engaged communities. “It is time for us to take back our human story and co-create a new vision for a world that is in harmony with ourselves, each other, the Earth and all beings,” says Molodecky. Her book, A New Human Story: A Co-Creator’s Guide to Living our True Potential. launches December 2020. You can learn more about Sonia, her book and her podcast at www.soniamolodecky.com and follow her at https://www.instagram.com/soniamolodecky or https://www.facebook.com/sonia.molodecky