14 Washington FAMILY AUGUST 2020



Teaching Values
Through Green Living
A new book by a Maryland mom and
environmental activist helps parents
understand the connection between
sustainability and kindness
By Jason Fontelieu
SHANNON BRESCHER SHEA
remembers her first act of environmental
activism as a third grader.

“I went to Homosassa Springs Wildlife
State Park in Florida with my parents,
saw the manatees, absolutely fell in love
with them and then found out they were
endangered,” says Shea. Returning to
school, the nature-loving kid convinced her
class to adopt a manatee.

Shea’s success as a first-time activist
inspired a lifelong commitment to
environmentalism. She went on to receive
a Master’s degree in nature, society and
environmental governance from the
University of Oxford and currently writes for
the Department of Energy’s Office of Science.

But when she became a mom, Shea
struggled to find time for her eco-friendly
hobbies, including gardening, biking and
composting, while juggling the “stresses of
modern day parenting,” she says.

Until one day she realized that green
living and parenting didn’t have to be
at odds. Involving her children in the
environmental activities she loved was
actually part of being an engaged parent
because, Shea says, she could “teach them
how to be better people and ultimately,
hopefully, good adults in the world.”
Gardening has become something the
Rockville resident and her two boys, ages
four and seven, enjoy doing together—
when her younger son isn’t spraying his
brother in the face with the hose. They take
bike rides and walks and have participated
in a stream cleanup in Rockville Park and a
climate march.

Besides just being fun things to do
as family, these activities help her boys
understand how they fit into larger
environmental systems and how their
behaviors affect other people, says Shea.

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