Fresh Kills Transformation
By Siara Greco
What was once the largest landfill in the world before closing in 2001 happens to be within my hometown and community of Staten Island. Since then, the landscape has been engineered to become the largest park in New York City. This landfill has greatly affected the health of those in my community. By conducting research to better understand the effects of the landfill on the climate and public health, I realized how my interests can merge and benefit public knowledge of this space. To have my voice heard beyond what can be accomplished in a social media post, I decided to write a script and assemble audio to create a podcast. Through this podcast, others can learn about benefits and concerns relating to the parks department-led engineering project.
Process
My passion for STEM has inspired my work outside of the classroom. When recording my podcast, I visited the landfill and was guided by the president of the Fresh Kills Park Alliance, where I collected audio. I learned how to use recording equipment to create the podcast. I also used the app Anchor to record and produce the final product. After completing the project, I felt a variety of emotions. I was proud of my final product but sad to see the process come to an end.
Meet the Pair
MENTEE SIARA GRECO & MENTOR ELEANOR CUMMINS
Siara’s Anecdote: As a first-year mentee, I was unsure of what to expect through Girls Write Now. I always wanted to improve my writing and find a genre that I truly enjoyed to write. In the first few months, my mentor Eleanor inspired me to combine my passion for science, writing, and multimedia through our shared love of science. Without Eleanor, I would have never been able to recognize my true passions and apply them to making a difference within my community.
Eleanor’s Anecdote: Siara and I connected over our shared love of science. I write about climate change and the environment, and she thinks she might want to become an environmental engineer. It’s been wonderful to meet every week with someone who’s thinking about the future of our planet—and wants to be an active part of the solution. (It’s even better when that person is as fun and funny as Siara.) I can’t wait to see what she accomplishes in college and beyond. I have a feeling it will benefit us all.
Siara Greco
Siara Greco is a class of 2020 Girls Write Now mentee based in Staten Island, NY.
