What I learned:

• The issue itself is less about the spread of non-native species, but the fact that education on the topic is lacking. Without education of the topic spread to the general public the issue will continue to become more dire. Some people are aware of the current status of the issue, but not nearly enough people to bring about any real change.

When I learned this:

• This idea first introduced itself within my first piece, the definition essay. While writing it became clear that I needed to address the ways that people could help solve the situation. Education seemed the right place to start.
• Then I presented my research question proposal. During the presentation I was faced with the hard truth of the extent to which the general public was ignorant on the issue. None of my classmates knew about the issue of non-native species. This was reiterated in my interview with Karen Pooley. She holds an educator’s position on the Lehigh sustainability council and barely knew anything about the issue. We mostly talked about education of the topic in order to improve this situation.
• I then refocused my topic. Instead of talking about the issues of non-native species itself I refocused on the general education of the public on the topic. I chose this topic to make a difference and it became clear to me that before any real change is a possibility we must first focus on the education of non-native species.
• My work on the cultural impacts of the topic were an attempt to search for existing education on the topic. It shows the ways in which the theories I stated in my research essay are already being implemented.

This learning matters because:

• Now I am aware of where change needs to begin, and I am better equipped to take action. By putting all these things on my webpage, I hope to spread the word and begin to create positive change.

In light of this learning:

• I have made my webpage open to the public and plan to put its link on my social media home page in the hopes to circulate the information that it contains. I have also shared the link with people involved in the effort already. The faster that information and education on the topic spreads, the faster we will be able to bring about real change.