BROADLANDS — Gwen Happ is on a mission to educate the public about conservation and the plants native to this area of the world.
The Heritage High School senior, president of her FFA chapter, took home top honors in the State FFA Environmental Science Proficiency Competition.
She competed with her record book that included her small business called “Gwen Happ’s Pollination Station.”
“I’ve always loved nature since I was a little kid,” Happ said. “What really got me interested was a book called ‘Bringing Nature Home.’”
The book tells about plants native to this area.
“That’s when I knew I wanted to do something more to help the environment,” she said.
Her business idea came from that interest and involves selling plants and seed packets at area farmers’ markets.
Happ lives on a farm with her parents, Deon and Cindy.
Dad is a grain farmer and mechanic, and Mom has an extra green thumb. Happ estimated her mother has “seven or eight” garden plots on their farmstead, producing flowers as well as produce.
“I do grow sweet corn, too. It’s a separate (FFA) record book that I do, but I don’t compete with (it),” Happ said. “Sweet corn is mainly what my dad and I do together.”
Happ is also organizing a native plant festival to be held at Parkland College.
Prairie-type plants such as goldenrod, milkweed and astor are among the native plants to be featured.
The record book is part of Happ’s FFA supervised educational experience (SAE) project.
The book includes a journal of things like what plants she planted that day, how many she sold and the financials.
Some of the work included cleaning up the garden, planting new plants, preparing the plants indoors before they are sold and creating seed packets, for which she hand drafts the artwork and includes information about them.
Happ won at the section level competition at Parkland College and the district and state levels, both held at Mt. Zion High School.
“I really wasn’t expecting it to happen,” she said of being named the state winner. “I had competed at the state level before, but I never managed to win.
“It was really crazy to see that happen. I was overjoyed and glad I was able to bring my SAE that far.”
Heritage FFA adviser Emilee Magsamen said Happ has been actively involved in FFA the three years she has been adviser.
“She’s a very hard worker,” Magsamen said. “Gwen participates in everything you probably could do. She’s also excelled in it.”
Magsamen said Happ has also competed in multiple career development events and contests ranging from veterinary science to food science and leadership development events, and participated in activities ranging from the Farm Progress Show to community grant projects and food drives.
Happ will go through an online application process to determine if her project will be eligible to be entered into national competition in Indianapolis.
Her post-high school plans include enrollment in the Parkland Pathways program to attend the University of Illinois, where she will major in environmental science.
Her vocational goal is to become a restoration specialist to study the environment and how changes in the environment impact wildlife.
She also hopes “to do something with climate issues and environmental issues we face so people can build their own habitat and native plants and make sure it is more accessible for people.”