Mission
To grow awareness and educate the citizens of Wisconsin and the Midwest on climate change and sustainable practices with concise, fact driven information for a better and brighter future.
Meet the Authors
Ashley V.
Looking back I cannot pinpoint a specific moment when I fell in love with the environment. It happened somewhere among the many hours I spent exploring the woods, helping out on our family farm and during the countless hours of study while I was in college. My passion for the environment has earned me a bachelors in physical geography and soon I will achieve my masters in natural resources. My true calling in life is teaching people about the environment and spreading awareness of how connected we are to nature. Through our actions, choices, and daily lives we are impacting the planet and I want us to realize, adapt and thrive as climate change threatens our way of life. Specifically, I want to spread this awareness across the Midwest, which I have been so fortunate to call home.
Hillary V.
Growing up on my family farm in southern Wisconsin shaped how I view and approach the world. Being in the eighth generation of my family to live and work on the farm instilled in me a deep sense of land stewardship and is the reason I care so deeply about climate change – not only can I see the effects in my own backyard, but my family’s livelihood is at stake. After graduating high school, I decided to branch out and leave the farm. I attended the University of South Carolina and lived and worked in Washington, D.C. and Bozeman, Montana, before attending Yale Law School. I graduated in 2017 and returned to Wisconsin and now practice environmental law. I recently moved back to the family farm with my fiance and look forward to raising my own family on the land that means so much to me.
Sydney S.
My curiosity for ethical working conditions in the fashion industry began in college, where I served as a founding member of a student organization focusing on social justice work. One of our organization’s activities focused on promoting ethical working conditions for garment workers. I had been a life-long fan of fast fashion until that point – Old Navy, Forever 21, and Target were my staple apparel stores. But the more I learned about the impact fast fashion has on human beings and the environment, the less I could ignore the fact that my own purchases were funding the dangerous working conditions of millions. I’ve spent the last 10 years learning independently about the clothing industry’s struggle to implement ethical practices but noticed a lack of addressing ethical fashion specifically in the Midwest. There’s been a huge increase of ethical clothing retailers on the East and West coasts, but this leaves a big gap to be filled in the Midwest. I’m excited to join Sustainable Saplings to help midwestern consumers understand the importance of supporting ethical clothing manufacturers and retailers!
Sustainable Saplings 