Turning Science into Story: West Senior Earns Statewide Environmental Education Recognition

Fingers wrapped around rough bark, perched on a steady branch, climbing trees as a young child let Madeleine Bohn take in the world from a different perspective high above the ground.

Today, as a senior at West High, she’s helping others see the world differently — this time by blending science and storytelling to share climate issues through a human-centered lens. That work recently earned her the Wisconsin Association for Environmental Education Student of the Year Award, a statewide recognition of both her involvement in environmental education and academic talent.

“I've always been an outdoorsy kid, so naturally coming with that is the realization that we have to protect the planet and fight for keeping our natural spaces clean,” Bohn said, adjusting the long, brown braid flowing beside her arm. “I also hope this recognition allows me to uplift all the other people who are doing important sustainability work.”

At just 17 years old, Bohn’s experience in environmental work could mirror a professional’s resume. One of her biggest roles is serving as the Wisconsin director of the nationwide Youth Environmental Press Team, an online platform that publishes original and pre-written climate- and environmental-related content by high school journalists. 

Her headlines include an array of opinion and news pieces including “Climate Disasters Fuel Insurance Uncertainty,” “Where the Humanities and Climate Science Collide” and “Stop Climate Doomsdaying.”

In Madison, Bohn is an organizer and moderator of the Wisconsin Youth Climate Conference, scheduling expert speakers and organizations to participate in the annual event. She also co-leads the youth group within the Madison chapter of the Citizens’ Climate Lobby, which meets with Wisconsin residents and politicians to try and pass climate laws.

But Bohn’s work doesn’t stop there. Her dedication to protecting the environment is seen at West High, where she’s co-president of the school’s Green Club. Bohn and her clubmates meet regularly with MMSD Sustainability Manager Bryanna Krekeler to engage with eco-friendly practices at the district level. They’re currently working on restoring the school gardens on Regent Street, a gift of nature that will keep on giving for future students. 

“Climate action starts with us as individuals, and then we're kind of like drops in the pool, or in the lakes of Madison, if you will,” Bohn said, smiling. “The most effective way to fight for the climate is to start something yourself and then make those ripples expand to your community and the people around you.”

One of the ways Bohn expands those ripples is through her writing. 

She was the city of Madison’s inaugural Youth Poet Laureate in 2022-23 and the 2023 Youth Ambassador for the Madison Public Libraries’ We Read: Youth Voices contest. She’s also a published author in the nationwide anthology “The Nature of Our Times: Poems on America’s Lands, Waters, Wildlife, and Other Natural Wonders.”

While many of her early poems were about nature, she wasn’t intentionally using her work as a platform for environmental education. But after many instances of reading dry, data-heavy scientific papers left her feeling unmotivated, Bohn discovered how human-centered storytelling could help share important environmental ideas.

“We build so many walls to prevent access to learning, but people don't associate poetry with resistance, per se,” Bohn said. “I guess you could almost say people let their guard down when they're reading something beautiful, and then it opens their minds to something special.”

As Bohn heads into the final chapter of her high school career, she’s looking forward to growing her work in both environmentalism and writing at a university, possibly studying science communications. 

“Science tells us what is happening, but stories remind us why it matters.”