Our Environment, Animal Tips & the Great Outdoors

Photo above: Pamela speaks at the “Dubai Innovation Center” during COP28 on her educational projects. Photograph taken by Martin Nweeia.

“My mother told me I was always pointing at the sun and trees. I always found great joy being in nature. When I was 12, that joy grew so large that I created my first environmental magazine with my best friend,” environmental economist, eco-consultant, and sustainability strategist Pamela Peeters remembers.

It was from a very young age, then, that the Belgian-born Sharon, CT, resident learned to combine research and media to share her scientific observations – and her love of the environment – with her peers. “That’s why part of what I do involves educating kids: if I can do it at 12, they can too,” she points out. “It was just a calling that I woke up to very young.”

Establishing strong academic foundations

When Pamela went to college, though, she explains that programs like a master’s degree in sustainable development didn’t exist yet, and society was “barely at the dawn of having environmental coordinators in companies,” meaning that Pamela had to be creative when it came to her approach. She set off on a personal journey to build bridges between society and the planet, studying at Vrije Universiteit Brussel and Université libre de Bruxelles.

“If you want to make a difference, you have to understand how the world works,” she says. “I wanted to learn what makes this world tick. That’s where my first master’s in applied economic sciences comes in. And then I said, ‘Well, what does Mother Earth need?’ And that’s where my second master’s in environmental management comes in. I blended both.”

Pamela studied engaging topics, like the focus of her thesis, ecotaxation, looking into methods that can lead to changes in consumption and production patterns and recognizing the importance of events like the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. From here she still wanted to learn even more about how to navigate sustainability and help folks across the globe achieve environmental aims. 

Before moving to the United States, she was awarded the Prize of the Minister of Foreign Trade in 1998. A wide array of her research in the field of ecology and sustainability has contributed to a deeper understanding of environmentalism.

Delving into the television world

Pamela’s father and grandfather both worked for American multinationals. They both lived in the US but came back to Belgium, meaning that America was always a backdrop in her life even before she moved there. “I realized that the power was in the media, and I said, ‘There’s only one country where I have to go. It’s America.’”

She explains, “I packed two suitcases and said, ‘I need to make TV,’ because if you want to call people’s hearts and minds to commit to sustainability, show what is already done, and show that in an exciting way.”

As a research fellow at Columbia University in 1999, Pamela was prompted to accomplish this work. She was invited to be a part of a laboratory there that experimented with then-new media educational tools, including 3D scanning, 3D printing, and iPhone apps. From 2001 to 2007, Pamela developed the first television show to promote sustainable lifestyles, Our Planet, which aired on the Manhattan Neighborhood Network and consisted of just over 200 episodes, all produced by Pamela.

However, she makes clear that it doesn’t take a college degree to find your calling. Once she became more exposed to various environmental topics and sought to become an expert in the field, it wasn’t long until opportunities started coming her way. Soon, she was invited to talk at one school, and then another, until she devised her very own signature environmentalism workshop. “Every person has talent, and every person has a mission. That’s what makes it exciting for kids to listen to me, because I make it like an adventurous journey to forge their own path, becoming an Eco Hero!”

Demystifying sustainability

When it comes to the topic of environmentalism, the word “sustainability” has become increasingly popular in mainstream vocabulary. To Pamela, defining sustainability requires an understanding of and appreciation for the present. “Sustainable development is really about living in the moment,” Pamela observes. But unfortunately, people tend to put it off in their thinking. For example, they hear about the 2030 goals, so they think,  “‘Oh, well, that’s in the future.’ But we all need to start thinking, ‘What can I do today?”

Indeed, while it is tempting to focus on the future of climate change, and consider how circumstances will develop down the line, Pamela posits that it’s much more effective, – and empowering – to concentrate on the present day. “Sustainable development is living right now – not tomorrow, not yesterday – right now, living in a harmonious state of being and of consciousness.”

Along with this sense of presence, it’s equally important to understand the root causes of the climate crisis to recognize what sort of approach is necessary to help the planet. “We’re all talking about climate change and the carbon crisis. [These are symptoms] of a system out of balance. If we had a system where we’re in balance, we would not have environmental pollution.”

How, then, do we achieve balance in our global system? How do we develop a life in balance with the world’s natural resources and our local communities? To Pamela, the key is to examine human development and our interactions with the natural world: the same interactions that can lead to pollution and expressive reactions from the earth. We have to ask: “What is that lifestyle – that conscious, balanced lifestyle – that’s healthy for you as an individual, the microcosmos, and the macrocosmos, Mother Earth?”

This approach to sustainability is crucial when so many policies are only implemented after something drastic occurs and rattles the public consciousness. “Very few times is it proactive,” Pamela says. “Most of the time, change happens after the fact. After the Exxon Valdez oil spill came legislation, the Oil Pollution Act of 1990. [Only] after they discovered the hole in the ozone layer did they create the Montreal Protocol. After the nuclear power plant in Chernobyl exploded in ‘86, we started to think about energy differently. After they realized the planet was warming up, we realized we had to curb some kind of emissions.”

Anyone can become an Eco Hero

Through her Eco Hero Lab, Pamela teaches sustainability education in schools, museums, businesses, and other organizations. The program can be adapted for all age groups, from pre-K to college and corporate settings. Indeed, this endeavor inspires kids and adults alike to develop an investment in ecology while fostering a healthy and sustainable lifestyle.

She visited her first school in 2004 and later expanded to corporate workshops. In all these talks, she tries to show what is possible in the here and now. She has taught internationally from Sharon Center School and Indian Mountain School to schools in ten countries. “Yes, we need legislation to show where we’re headed, but we also need education,” she asserts. “And I bring that through an edutaining format.”

In her work with children specifically, she teaches about the scientific inner workings of various ecosystems and brings in the insights of other experts. For the atmosphere, she taught about the solar airplane aviator Bertrand Piccard, and for the ocean, she spoke with Dr. Sylvia Earle, a marine biologist and oceanographer who is a pioneer in the field. “I look at the major influencers, who didn’t always have an easy path, but who stood strong in their mission, and because of that, they grew. When you grow, you can create more, you deliver better, you inspire more.”

Through this program, children are not only encouraged to follow their path, but they have the opportunity to explore what ecosystems resonate with them most and to work together in teams to experiment with protection measures. In a fun and interactive format, Pamela draws upon the philosophy of Richard Louv, helping children foster a connection with nature so that they can care for it on a personal level, too. 

Pamela explains that when children recognize that they are one piece of a much larger puzzle and that all parts of an ecosystem rely on each other, they apply this fact in their own lives. For the older groups, she also integrates five “Eco Hero Challenges” that offer guidance and solutions for sustainability while motivating participants to play their own role in protecting and nurturing the earth.

Her first book about this program, Become an Eco Hero, was released in 2013 and serves as a detailed investigation of her environmental outlook and initiatives. Her second Eco Hero book, the 2017 graphic novel Transformed by a Tusk, was co-written with her husband, Dr. Martin Nweeia DMD, DDS, and illustrated by Rafael Muñoz. Nweeia is not only a dentist in Sharon, but also a leading narwhal tusk expert who has led expeditions to the High Arctic of Nunavut, Canada, and Northwestern Greenland.

The expeditions in August 2015 and 2018, entitled “Narwhal Transformative Technologies,” were in collaboration with Harvard University and the Smithsonian Institution, carrying Explorer Club Flags. In joining the team, Pamela had the opportunity to connect with local youth, teaching them about her Eco Hero program, while also learning from the Inuit community’s relationship with the environment. In her teachings with Inuit children, she was constantly learning, striving to understand and honor their observational and respectful approach to science. Transformed by a Tusk was written during these expeditions!

Thus, the Eco Hero Lab fosters vital life lessons, like resiliency and respect. For those classrooms and communities Pamela can’t reach through her books and in-person workshops, she’s devising an animation course series that allows children to learn about the Eco Hero program online, send Pamela the movies they create for it, and learn from each other, too, through collaborative involvement.

The importance of sustainable outreach – for everyone

Sustainability education is just as crucial for adults. On a larger scale, Pamela acts as an environmental and economic consultant for companies, helping them determine sustainable, creative steps forward and putting these plans into action effectively and engagingly. Drawing upon the three major pillars – the social, environmental, and economic impacts – Pamela seeks to help companies foster a holistic culture of sustainability that encompasses conscious ecological approaches, ethical employee and consumer treatment, and innovative economic practices. 

Pamela shows organizations how to reflect true environmental values, not just Earth Day fads, in their work, while also exposing them to growing markets for ecologically conscious products or services. She also forecasts market opportunities and operates days-long workshops for employees to increase their awareness of how they relate to the natural world and the climate crisis.

Her five-day “Sustainability Week” program, which she first launched at Nokia, consists of Meatless Monday, Trashless Tuesday, Wilderness Wednesday, Turn Off the Lights Thursday, and Fitness Friday. This seeks to bring people into the present by focusing on what they can control in their daily lives while becoming more cognizant of their lifestyle choices. This exercise was even picked up by the Belgian Senate. 

The idea is to give everyone the same departing point and the same exercises to work on each day, hopefully leading to long-lasting change in an exciting and fun way – perhaps even a continuous Eco Hero team within the company! Only through action, Pamela explains, can “eco anxiety” and fear of the Earth’s future be transformed into positive energy. “As we all know, Earth Day is around the corner, but it’s only one day a year. Why can’t we have that every day?” she ponders.

For individuals, Pamela has devised a deck of wisdom cards that consider Mother Nature as a more complete being. After meditating in nature, Pamela began to consider, “‘Wow, what if Mother Earth could speak? What if she had a language?’ Because to some indigenous people, they actually hear her language.”

Thus, Pamela integrated this concept, with introspective questions and striking visuals, into her card deck, bridging the gap between human development and the environment. When it comes to environmentalism, the way we speak about the earth is pivotal in creating our expectations and associations. “The next level is creating new words that represent engagement, commitment, and also that celebration to meet sustainability, of what it means to be a human in this particular moment in time,” says Pamela.

Pamela created one such word, “ecogenist,” to represent how everyone has a relationship with the environment, everyone is from a given generation, and everyone has the capacity to create positive change and leave a beneficial legacy on this planet. “I want to make the relationship with nature visible; there is great value in that. And it’s a big gift,” she reflects. “I grew so much thanks to my relationship with Mother Earth. I feel like I bloom.”

In fact, Pamela’s artwork is greatly inspired by this principle of appreciating and cultivating one’s relationship with the earth. From her recent local photo exhibits – including “50 Shades of Blue,” which featured 50 pictures of Greenland’s icebergs, and “No Fear of Flying,” which was recently shown at the Sharon Town Hall – to her work with ceramics and her time spent in an artistic community at the Wassaic Project, Pamela has an artistic view of life as a whole. Two of her photographic works are currently being showcased at Scoville Memorial Library in Salisbury, CT, as a part of the Housatonic Camera Club group show, which is up until April 18th.

“When you approach life from an artistic point of view,” says Pamela, “you have a palette of experiences you can look into. You have a white canvas, because every day’s a new day. Try new colors or use the colors that you love. Dive into creating a relationship with yourself.”

Cultivating an international strategy

Having moved from Belgium to the US, Pamela recognizes the broad perspective that this affords her. For instance, “because Belgium is very small compared to America, we had been forced all along to be more efficient with our resources,” she explains, contrasting that with the United States’ large size and vast number of resources.

“I think every step in your life is a piece of the puzzle that when fully integrated, can contribute to your own growth. I can show to Americans that Belgium has a different mindset about sustainability, and because I lived there, I can share that with an authentic message. On the other hand, I sometimes test projects in Belgium [because of its small size],” Pamela observes. Her European background and residence in America both nourish her development.

After fifteen years of living in New York City, Pamela says that she felt truly fortunate to return to a lifestyle more closely connected with nature in Sharon. While the city was a crucial place for her to fulfill her purpose by launching a TV show, pursuing radio, organizing the Sustainable Planet film festival, arranging week-long productions and galas, filming documentaries, and writing books, “I would not have been able to do this next level of projects without having lived in Sharon,” she asserts. “My city experience was very productive, but now I gave it depth.”

Encompassing a multitude of her media endeavors, founding and executive directing the Institute for Sustainable Development has allowed Pamela to continue pushing for the belief that a sustainable planet can be a reality. With advisors all over the planet who specialize in specific ecosystems, from the jungle to the ocean, the institute grew as a necessity.

In addition, she’s organized think tanks, ran campaigns, collected and showcased environmental artwork from children all around the globe, and even created her first song with the hopes of integrating music and dance (and maybe even a musical) into the Eco Hero movement. 

She’s also launched an “Our Sustainable Planet” radio segment on NPR. You can listen to these empowering radio vignettes on Robin Hood Radio and the Berkshire School’s radio station. 

One day, she imagines holding dance parties in Sharon that celebrate each season, connecting human development, the environment, and movement in a creative and accessible way. Eventually, she hopes to have local youth intern with her organization on specific projects to help them gain experience in the field.

With all of these ventures, Pamela is committed to finding ways to connect everyone with their natural environment and their own potential. “It’s just understanding what makes people fall in love with the Earth, either from a scientific data point of view, or a more entertaining point of view.”

Eco Hero goes zero gravity!

As a Fellow of The Explorers Club who has met many astronauts and space tourists, including Jared Isaacman, the first civilian astronaut to conduct a successful spacewalk, and Gopi Thotakura, the first Indian space tourist, Pamela had the remarkable opportunity to take a journey on a Zero-G flight. She notes, “I want to explore every ecosystem so I can bring these stories to the kids.”

This pivotal moment gave her the unique chance to share her ecological message about preserving our natural resources in an interactive atmosphere. “It’s great to explore new realms and push boundaries, but at the end of the day, we have to take care of our home first and enrich our human existence,” she asserts.

She notes that the scientific innovations developed for the space sector or through biomimicry have powerful and exciting applications that can change lives. “When you advance science, you will come to a result, but then the exciting thing is to find applications that may serve humanity,” she explains. “Nature is full of secrets waiting to be unlocked, waiting to help humanity.”

Looking toward a sustainable future

Going forward, Pamela has many major goals, including producing an entire album of “Eco Pop” songs and launching her and her husband’s proposal for an 18th United Nations Sustainable Development Goal: Integrating Indigenous Knowledge. 

As a member of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s Commission on Education and Communication, she seeks to give a workshop on this topic, emphasizing the importance of local and international indigenous communities, underscoring respect for their observations and knowledge, and integrating their perspectives into resilient sustainability solutions. Once more indigenous communities have added their value set to the novel SDG framework, this proposal will be presented directly to the UN.

Ultimately, through all of her vast and powerful endeavors, Pamela strives to inspire humanity to appreciate Mother Earth, with her strength and fragility, while also promoting “a sense of community through environmental care.” 

It truly is no wonder why she was honored with the 2024 Person of the Year Award by chef and international culinary consultant Frank Fol at the Future Awards, held at Rotterdam’s Museum of the World. She was also designated as one of the 100 Voices of the Future by author and host Tariq Qureishy. Indeed, Pamela’s life is best exemplified by the last page of her Transformed by a Tusk book: “Good things happen when people listen to the language of Mother Earth!”

To learn more about Pamela Peeters and her work, please visit pamelapeeters.com and myecohero.com.