Volunteer Spotlight: Fiona Schrader

We have several amazing volunteers here at The Environmental Center – one of them being Fiona Schrader, who will be a junior at Summit High School in the fall! Fiona has helped out with a LOT of projects at The Environmental Center, from painting planters in the Learning Garden to sending letters to our members. She has helped us with writing blog posts, setting up for events, fundraising… she’s up for it all, and we’re really thankful to have her around!

A native Oregonian, Fiona also also writes fiction, creates ink or oil paintings, and takes dance and kickboxing classes. Here’s a little more about her in her own words!

What book are you currently reading?

I am well known for reading constantly. Right now, I’m reading two books; The Goldilocks Enigma, by Paul Davies (about why and how life and consciousness exist), and A Clash of Kings, by George R.R. Martin (from the book series Game of Thrones is based on). Both are great, though I would only recommend them to somebody who enjoys dense reading.

Where would you like to travel next?

I’d say Italy. My parents went there and loved it, and it’s got all the things I look for in a trip–history, good food, and beautiful landscapes.

What’s your favorite sustainable practice?

My favorite sustainable practice is definitely biking everywhere. Good exercise, pretty easy, and more fun than driving! Something I’m passionate about besides environmental conservation is education. I think it’s something kids in developed countries take for granted, and we forget that there are places where girls can’t go to school, or that there are kids who don’t even have a school near them, or they have to walk miles every day to get there.

Why did you decide to volunteer at the Environmental Center?

My favorite thing about living in Bend is the nature, hands down. It’s the thing I value most in my life. I can’t imagine a future without being able to experience it. Eventually, I decided that I could keep griping about people not doing enough to help the environment, or I could actively help them to do so. The Environmental Center seemed like the way to go.