I Led with the Shovel. I Should’ve Led with the Story.

The way I described the project didn’t capture what mattered most.

I framed The Wild Build, a youth-led climate initiative, around what would be built — native plants, restored creeks, public signage. But I hadn’t led with the most important part: what the students would become through the process.

When a board member at a potential partner organization raised concern — that the youth they support shouldn’t be “used for labor” — I suddenly saw it.

The way I had pitched the project left too much unsaid.

The Wild Build is a project for teenagers — rooted in environmental action, creative leadership, and hands-on learning. Students will shape a real place, solve real problems, and tell the story of their work. They’ll install native plants, restore creeks, create pollinator habitats, and design public signage.

I pitched the project to a fellow nonprofit, and when their board reviewed the proposal, a message was relayed back: member spoke up with real concern. They are protective of their students. They didn’t want the youth they serve being used for labor.

In that moment, I realized: I hadn’t misrepresented RTN’s values. I had miscommunicated our vision. It wasn’t wrong. But it wasn’t complete.

Because what matters most in The Wild Build isn’t what students build on the land. It’s what they build in themselves.

This is a project about: thinking like ecological designers, making creative decisions with visible impact, learning how local action supports global change, translating technical work into public communication and civic storytelling

It’s not about output. It’s about ownership. Not labor equity — personal equity.

The concern raised was valid. It came from a place I deeply respect — a commitment to protecting young people from being reduced to tools or tasks.

It reminded me that, in outdoor and environmental work, I have to be precise in how I frame youth involvement. Especially when the work looks physical.

Yes, there will be shovels, but they’re not the point.

The point is that students will come away changed — with clearer voices, stronger confidence, and a deeper sense of how they can lead in the world.

So I’m learning to put the growth before the gravel; to name the learning before the labor.

RTN isn’t looking for labor.

We are building legacy — one student, one story, one site at a time.