GROW with the Newest Employee Resource Group

In November, NASA Johnson Space Center’s newest Employee Resource Group (ERG) took root, coming together for the inaugural meeting of GROW, or Greening and Restoring Our World. Recently approved by the Inclusion and Innovation Council, GROW adds to Johnson’s list of current ERGS, bringing the center’s total to a round number of 10.

GROW answers a need within the workforce at Johnson to not only explore other worlds but protect our own.

“Although Earth stewardship is named in NASA’s mission statement, there’s no existing forum for employees to engage more deeply on Earth stewardship topics,” said Lisa Liu, who is not only a sustainability specialist at Johnson, but the GROW Chair. “Over the past two years, I’ve seen a great deal of interest from employees on multiple topics and the desire to continue engaging and diving deeper. However, the Sustainability Office is not set up to maintain prolonged or deeper engagement on topics like composting or gardening. GROW supports employees in owning sustainability and Earth stewardship activities that they are passionate about. Personally, it’s been very inspiring to encounter co-workers who care deeply about the same topics and want to make a difference. I definitely feel more loyal to JSC because of them.”

As Julie Mitchell, GROW Co-Chair and planetary scientist at Johnson, explained, “JSC is the first NASA center to approve an Earth stewardship ERG in the entire agency” — and for good reason. “Many JSC employees — myself included — work here because they believe in NASA’s mission and they want to make the world a better place. There is an increasing number of employees at JSC who are concerned about the environment, who want to make a difference for the better. We are bringing those employees together in a community of interested individuals, and it’s very exciting!”

Planting Seeds of Change
With busier schedules than ever and a holiday season approaching like a freight train, adding something else to do may seem counterintuitive. But there are many reasons the Johnson team might want to consider adding GROW to their personal ERG roster — from hands-on opportunities to take part in Earth stewardship to science- and engineering-related agenda items to related training and educational opportunities.

“Others may just want to connect with like-minded individuals, and we will provide that, too,” Liu said. “There’s a variety of ways to get involved, and members can do as much as they like.”  

Membership is open to all, and the newest ERG seeks to engage a variety of perspectives, so there will certainly be a place for anyone who wishes to get involved.

“Members will have the opportunity to take the lead on activities of their interest,” said Syreeta Watkins, transportation specialist and GROW Secretary. “With this type of involvement, all members will have a voice in decision-making and the ability to be hands on with activities that have a positive impact on our environment. We will definitely become the all-hands-on-deck type of ERG, because that’s what it takes to grow.”

While Johnson employs a robust environmental program, GROW intends to leverage already existing center-level activities in Earth stewardship.

“We intend to build on those by working with the center and the local community to improve the environment around us,” Mitchell said. Some possibilities include tree planting, composting, and more.

“GROW has a slew of exciting activities we’d like to see realized over the next year,” Liu added. “One thing we very much look forward to is building and strengthening community partnerships by collaborating on research activities and volunteering as a group for local organizations. For example, we have been talking about micro-plastics monitoring and classification as a possible science research project. The Galveston Bay Foundation has a nurdles (plastic pollution) monitoring program, which I think this initiative can complement and learn from.”

Climate change is not only an urgent issue for the agency — it’s one GROW will take on as well.

“We’ll also be inquiring about hydroponics and touring facilities, as well as partnering with organizations on the topic of climate change,” Watkins said.

And, as we hope to leave the Earth better than we found it, the same can be said for GROW’s potential impact to the center; new knowledge and skills that contribute to the mission will, by default, also drive advances in environmental science, technology, aeronautics, and space exploration. Stronger relationships resulting from cross-center collaboration are also a wonderful perk.

“The GROW ERG is a great opportunity to show other NASA centers how employees can organize around Earth stewardship,” Mitchell said. “We are excited to share what we learn with our colleagues and make a difference on a national level. Additionally, we have interest from the JSC Pathways interns in participating in GROW. Students are a welcome group to the ERG, along with full-timers, and we look forward to working with them as well.”

Anxious about the future of our home planet? Give that anxiety an outlet, meet new people, and nurture your own personal growth in the new year with GROW.

For more on this newest ERG, click here.