For senior Roots and Shoots member Lukas Wrede, the connection he feels with the environment is nearindescribable.

“(The environment) is the biggest part of my life and it’s something that is my home. I feel a personal connection to nature and to just the environment in general,” Wrede said.

Wrede said the environment has always been important to him, and that motivated him to join Roots and Shoots as a freshman.

“I’ve grown up with the outdoors as my second home, and I wanted to be more involved with what the school was doing to protect the environment,” Wrede said. “I wanted to learn what was going on and if Roots and Shoots was something I wanted to be a part of, so I started going (to the meetings).”

According to Roots and Shoots adviser Al Wachutka, Wrede has taken on a leadership role in the club.

“Lukas has been put into a position where he really has to lead (Roots and Shoots) and be the person that helps with moving in a direction, whatever the goals are of the group,” Wachutka said.

Wachutka said he believes Wrede should follow whatever path he chooses after high school.

“If (Wrede) chooses to go foreign for a year (after high school), there’s a lot of good programs in sustainability that you don’t have to just continue down a path of environmentalism and activism, but you can actually turn that into a career in this day and age because there’s a greater concern for resource use,” Wachutka said.

Wrede said both his father and the director of one of the club’s partner organizations, iMatter, are big influences on his passion for the environment.

“My dad was the first person who inspired me to really appreciate what’s around you and love what’s around you, what’s naturally there,” Wrede said. “Larry (Kraft), the director of iMatter, has been a huge motivation in my life with the environment and environmental policy.”

Wachutka said Wrede’s dedication to the environment serves him well.

“(Wrede’s) commitment and his passion for the environment (are his best qualities),” Wachutka said.

Wrede said he feels driven to help other people realize the importance and beauty of the environment.

“I’ve been able to experience how beautiful (the environment) is and how essential it is to our lifestyles,” Wrede said. “I think (the environment) is underappreciated, and I’ve been able to experience a lot of unique opportunities with nature and the environment, and I just want other people to experience the same kind of experiences.”

The next Roots and Shoots meeting takes place at 8 a.m., Oct 17 in A315.