Dear Reader

Wise-scaping? What's that?
          Well, Wise-scaping isn't an actual term.  It's a play on words that I created to signify the combination of landscaping with a wise project.  It took me quite a long time to figure out what exactly I wanted to do for my WISE project.  And for those of you who are not familiar with WISE, it's an English class that takes the first semester to do the regular kind of English stuff (reading, writing essays, etc.) and then the second semester is given to the student to do some sort of project.  At first, I thought it would be fun to learn photography.  Then, I decided that I wanted to train and run a marathon benefiting a certain cause.  Next, I thought maybe I should go on a quest to lower my carbon footprint.  As you can see, it was a long process just to choose what I wanted to do for my second semester of my senior year.  It's kind of a big decision.  Finally, I came up with Wise-scaping.
         Over the summer I did a lot of work with the Tompkins County Beautification Brigade.  As a part of this organization, I did a lot of work planting flowers around Ithaca- the commons, traffic circles, parks, etc.  The feeling of giving back to the environment, while enhancing the community, and being creative with the design was so rewarding.  Therefore, I plant to do just this but in a larger scale for my WISE project.  Right now I hope to get an internship with Cayuga Landscaping and learn as much as I can about landscaping design, vegetation types and care, and wood/stone construction.  Then my goal is to take that knowledge and do a landscaping project either in my backyard or for someone/ some organization in the community.  There is a lot to think about, a lot to do, and a lot of maybes involved in my project.  But that's what I like so much about it.  I don't know where I'm going, and I don't know where I will end up- but I will be learning and experiencing the whole way through.  So exciting!!!
           Some goals- get an internship at Cayuga Landscaping.  Join the master composting and master gardener classes at Cornell Co-op.   Build some simple garden furniture or props with my own tools and materials.  Learn more about plants, flowers and gardening.  Lastly, find out where and how I can do a landscaping project in the community. Wish me luck!