Earth steward Kelsey Sweetland ’25 has many visions for the future as she teaches more students how to find their voice in their writing. Being an author has taught her lessons in several fields, and she hopes to continue sharing these lessons in college.
As the founder of Authors for Nature, Sweetland helps students write, illustrate and publish books that advocate for the environment, with each book partnering with an environmental nonprofit. Sweetland wants to make sure that the nuances of publishing do not prevent talented writers and illustrators from being heard. “I really hope to give people the opportunity to get published and put their work towards something that really counts,” she said. “Not only are you raising awareness through your book, but you actually get to bring money and donations to that nonprofit.”
The origins of Sweetland’s passion for the environment started at a young age. Sweetland was an animal fanatic, collecting animal plushies and avidly watching nature documentaries. “I was the type of kid who was afraid of cartoons but absolutely would watch nature documentaries anytime,” she said. She enjoys the outdoors with her family, often going hiking and running.
Sweetland had been fond of authoring books since first grade, and she owes her successes to the teachers who supported her. Castilleja English teacher Matthew Callahan was Sweetland’s first-grade teacher, and he assigned a ‘My Favorite Pet’ book project, sparking her passion for the craft. “Mr. Callahan helped me with the spelling on some of those words, actually, which is pretty funny,” Sweetland said. Another teacher from her elementary school helped her make her first book, and she continues to update them with each publication.
Sweetland travelled to the Bahamas for a week in sixth grade, where she learned about endangered animals and the impact of climate change. “When I returned home, I decided that I wanted to do something,” she said. “So when I was 13, I published a children’s book that I wrote and illustrated to raise awareness for my oceans. Since then, I’ve illustrated, written and published three more, all of which advocate for different environmental issues.”
As Sweetland continues to grow her business, she leverages AI in a specific way and has developed an optimistic perspective. “It’s basically the most powerful tool that we’ve ever created,” she said. Sweetland is experimenting with prompting AI GPTs for each step of the book-making process for convenient, indirect communication.
In terms of directly using AI for illustrating and writing, Sweetland said she never uses it to rewrite her words. “Art is so important to keep, and I really hope that we value it more as AI gets more prevalent,” she said. “If we can focus on AI enhancing people rather than replacing them, I think that’s really where we’re gonna get the best results.”
As an environmental activist, Sweetland also addressed the controversial environmental impacts of AI: “No matter what, AI is still going to exist. So no matter how much we protest against it, or how much we say, ‘Ah, it’s horrible,’ it’s not going to change unless we actually find a workable solution, and people aren’t going to give up AI. So we need to find a way to work in a world where we have AI and we make it renewable or eco-friendly.”
Sweetland believes that AI, especially once it’s powered by renewable energy, can be a crucial tool to lift the world out of climate change. This can be seen in the way she leverages it for Authors for Nature: “It’s really nothing more than just elevating our society because it’s cool. We’re getting renewable energy, and we’re combating climate change, but at the same time, we’re making cool, futuristic technology.”
After graduating from Castilleja, Sweetland will be attending Denison University in the fall. “They have a great entrepreneurship program and environmental studies program, so I’m gonna have a great time,” she said. “But I want to continue growing Authors for Nature. I really love the idea of empowering people to speak about environmental issues.”