Spreading my Wings by MOLLY

Spreading my Wings by MOLLY - January 2022 Scholarship Essay

Looking out at 200 students, parents, and teachers, my throat felt dry. After a deep breath, I began my rehearsed remarks. "Rodenticide moves up the food chain, poisoning not just rats and other rodents but their predators as well." I had never spoken in front of this many people and anxiety and nerves made my voice stutter, but I soldiered on. "It is important to use alternative methods to protect our local wildlife.” Even though I live in a suburban neighborhood, we are adjacent to the Santa Monica Mountains State Park which includes a struggling but resilient population of mountain lions, coyotes, bobcats, and raptors. “Owls are a natural way to curb the rodent population; a pair of owls can eat over 1,000 rats a year.” As I wrapped up my presentation, the arriving firetruck added excitement to the event. The representative from the Ojai Raptor Center climbed up the ladder to reach the newly installed box, 16 feet above us. She lifted the new inhabitants, two barn owls, into the air. The crowd gasped and cheered as the owls spread their huge wings, four feet in diameter, while pride, relief, and excitement rushed through my body.
"Molly, have you ever heard of rodenticide?" My mother asked while handing me our local paper. As I ate my cereal, I read how mountain lions were dying as a result of poison that residents and businesses commonly used. The more I researched, the more passionate about the subject I became, knowing I could have an impact on the lives of these magnificent animals while working towards earning my Girl Scout Gold Award.
To wholly understand the problem, I started contacting and meeting with professionals. A true introvert, I have never been the most demonstrative or vocal student. Initial phone calls and meetings were intimidating and nerve wracking. However, as I sought advice from college professors, park rangers, and rehabilitators, I was reassured by their enthusiasm. Gradually, the excitement and genuine encouragement I received from these meetings calmed my nerves and stoked my confidence and passion for my project.
A year after the owl installation, the schoolyard is deserted. COVID had arrived. Standing anxiously next to the school principal, we watch as the park ranger looks around the owl box for any signs of activity. My excitement grew as the ranger pointed out owl pellets, feathers, feces, and bloodstains from prey. Certainly, the house had been used - but how recently? Cautiously, the ranger slightly shakes the pole to test its stability. Suddenly, an owl shoots out of the box right in front of our eyes in broad daylight. It was gratifying to see that my project had worked.
As much as this experience benefitted my community, it fostered my individual growth. While developing unveiled leadership skills, I grew from being a rather reticent freshman to the confident person that I am today. Putting my idea into action, coupled with the enthusiasm professionals displayed when learning of my project, made me even more passionate about our environment. With concrete results such as the photos of owls from the motion camera I installed, families telling me they have stopped using rodenticide, and even local residents who contacted me about getting their own owl box, I am inspired to continue to make a positive impact by studying environmental science in college. My passion and commitment drives me forward, urging me to spread my own wings and fly.