HOHP #18: LEXI TayLOR

Interviewed by Amber Hoey

Lexica (Lexi) Taylor has lived in Hyde Park her whole life and her family has been here for five generations. She is a 9th grade student at Boston Latin Academy, and in her free time she participates in events and plays at Riverside Theatre Works, and works part-time at We Grow Microgreens in Readville. 

We Grow Microgreens is an urban farm that specializes in growing highly nutritious microgreens and edible flowers using organic and sustainable growing practices. Lexi learned about We Grow Microgreens at the Dedham Farmers Market, and she emailed them to offer her help. Since then she has worked with them on projects such as picking up trash at the worksite and cutting flowers and greens for market. She also represents We Grow Microgreens at local farmer’s markets.

Lexi’s interest in environmental preservation goes back to 8th grade when she did school projects on the environment and zero waste. Her final project for school had to involve helping the environment, and her topic was repurposing trash. She took this interest further when she signed up to volunteer with Keep Hyde Park Beautiful (KHPB) after seeing the group’s Facebook post about the HP150 Family Fun Day event at Kelly Field. Lexi worked in the KHPB booth, helping kids make environmentally friendly seed bombs and bird feeders. Later that year she volunteered with KHPB again at the HP150 Arts Festival, helping kids make ink roller prints with anti-littering messages.

After she graduates from high school, Lexi would like to pursue a career in film and documentaries, and she hopes to use that platform to raise awareness about environmental issues. She is also interested in environmental science studies.
 
When asked how we can get more teens and kids interested and involved in keeping Hyde Park clean, green and beautiful, Lexi said we should try to create more of a connection to area schools, and host more fun events/activities at Kelly field, Logan Square, or any of our community parks. She would also like to see a farmer’s market in Hyde Park. Lexi believes Hyde Park needs more events geared towards kids and teens, and those events could have an environmental focus or component. Keep Hyde Park Beautiful can be more successful spreading the word about environmental matters by getting kids engaged and involved in a fun activity/event.

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