Honoring Mia Taylor on Earth Day

PHOTOS FROM 4/22/21 TREE-PLANTING CEREMONY

MAKE A PLEDGE ($9,920 has been raised as of 4/23)

We ask that those in Omaha and surrounding communities consider supporting this worthy cause. 100% of donations will go towards the Mia Taylor Environmental Sustainability Scholarship at College of Saint Mary, which was created by her father, Shane Taylor, following her untimely passing in November 2020.

Mia was a sophomore pre-med major with a minor in environmental sustainability - a passion near & dear to her heart. She was also the president of CSM's "Green Team", the environmental sustainability group on campus, where she traveled to NASA to further her education relating to environmental sustainability and the benefits of global recycling.

Pledge Page: https://pledgeit.org/digdeepformia

“I have chosen Earth Day on April 22, 2021, to officially recognize Dig Deep for Mia. Earth Day is the perfect day to remember and honor Mia, so please join in on Digging Deep for Mia,” said Shane Taylor.  “In addition to this tread-a-thon, I will personally be planting two trees, which were Mia’s favorite trees (October Glory Maple).”

Shane has been training with close friend, Brian Knudson, for the past year in preparation for the tread-a-thon and has lost more than 75 pounds.

Even if you cannot give money, please consider sharing this post to spread the word, and "Dig Deep" within yourself to create a positive change for yourself or this Earth. “I am confident that Mia will be smiling down and thrilled with any positive commitment you make honoring her and her memory to make our world a better place,” said Taylor.

Tree Planting Ceremony – 4/22/21

• Planting “October Glory Maple”: 12:15-12:30 PM
• Ceremony: 1:00 PM
• Where: Next to Community Gardens (near Spellman Day Care, SE corner of campus)
• Other details:
  
  • At this site we are working on a plan to create outdoor brick seating area (25 feet x 18 feet). Full details will be available once the design and donation plan is finalized. Tentative sketch plan created by Green Team student Julia Javier-Lopez is attached.
     

Tread-a-Thon – 4/22/21

• Shane plans to go directly from the Tree Planting Ceremony to the CSM Swimming Pool to begin the “tread-a-thon”. His personal goal is to tread water for 3 hours
• Some have made pledges based on the amount of time Shane is able to tread water. Example: One person made a $5/minute pledge. (would equal $900 pledge for 3 hours)
   

Mia Taylor Memorial Scholarship for Embracing Environmental Sustainability

• Purpose:
  1. Reward and provide environmental sustainability experiential learning opportunities (visits to conferences, national parks, field trips, related travel expenses, etc.) for a Green Team member and/or student pursuing an environmental sustainability minor.
  2. Recognize students who demonstrate a strong passion for environmental sustainability.
  3. Celebrate the life and passion of Mia Taylor, a College of Saint Mary student and environmentalist.
• Eligible: All full-time and part-time College of Saint Mary students pursuing an environmental sustainability minor, Green Team members, or those with a passion for environmental sustainability.
• Recipient(s) will receive an award amount up to $2,000 that will be applied toward environmental sustainability experiential learning opportunities (visits to conferences, national parks, field trips, related travel expenses, etc.) in subsequent semesters while they are attending College of Saint Mary.
   

Other Earth Day Activities Planned at CSM

• April 21: Plant-based cooking show presented by Dr. Ganesh Naik and Dr. Chris Krampe
• April 22: Zero Waste Contest; Documentary showing David Attenborough's “A Life on Our Planet”
• CSM is joining other Sisters of Mercy schools in a 21-day Catholic Environmental Justice Challenge