Hello! I am Hannah Kulbitsky (she/they), a sustainability and theater double major with a love for all things comedy. On campus, I am copresident of both TBD and DIE comedy groups. I am also involved in aerial acrobatics, all things theater (of course), conservation, and foraging. This past summer, I became knowledgeable in identifying and foraging native edible plants, herbs, and mushrooms.
My biggest question regards accountability: how much environmental and conservation responsibility can individuals, communities, versus governments take on? I feel that a lot of environmental hopelessness stems from insurmountable pressure applied to the individual person to “save the planet,” while major corporations and governments are ignoring their responsibilities, or at least not being held as accountable as they should be. I aim to restore community and optimism in environmental activism to work toward a better future and hold those in power to their duty to preserve the planet for future generations. I also like to emphasize the importance of community care in environmental work; there is strength in numbers in advocacy, and it’s important that all feel welcome and supported in their fight for a more sustainable world.
My area of focus for my project will be Schuylkill County. As a “Skook” native, it’s easy to see environmental pessimism and a disconnect to environmental movements firsthand. I aim to find ways to restore hopefulness and to improve conservation in a county that is still affected by the mining of anthracite coal.
