Students for Guilford Woods

It's no secret that my college experience was full of ups and downs. Before transitioning, I found myself in a very bleak mental state. The only solace I found from the world around me was in nature. Nature provided a space that allowed me to feel seen without feeling judged and to feel connected to the world around me. Envigorated by a passion for Mycology, I frequented the local Guilford Woods in hopes of finding species I had never seen before. It broke my heart then, when I learned that our University made plans to destroy the woods I'd come to know so dearly. Shortly after learning this, I teamed up with peers to collaborate on a campaign to halt the development. From each according to our abilities, we sectioned off and began our work. For me, this meant creating a website through which we could present our information to the world. There was already a community led movement to preserve the woods, so we chose to emphasize our role as students, showcasing exactly how and why this development was a bad idea for the University of Maryland community.

Our website's petition eventually accumulated 1000 signatures of Undergraduate and Graduate students that supported our cause.

In a well-coordinated effort that would not have been possible without the help of everyone involved, we led a march on McKeldin Mall to voice our concerns. There, I delivered a speech to our protest attendees, aimed at dispelling some of the arguments levied against our campaign. Our movement had long been characterized as 'purely emotional', and so I used data analysis of publicly available research grade data to showcase the environmental impact the development would cause. As of April 9th, 2022, the development that was set to destroy these woods was 'paused'. Despite this, the Adelphi Sector Road Plan still aims to zone the area for commercial use. Whether the plan is passed effectively or not, however, we have successfully halted any plans for development. If these woods do fall, it will be the result of a different fight that takes place many years from now. For me, this is a victory.