TAREQ FAYYAD
(Tau-rec. They/Them)
Environmental Sustainability
Educator and Coach
MY STORY
I live in the United States Pacific Northwest - A place so abundant with fresh water that it's easy to think it’s infinite. This ironic juxtaposition of living here after growing up in Jordan (one of the most water-stressed countries in the world) was one of the many signs that led me to choose the path of environmental stewardship.
I didn't realize this until I was further on my mindful consumption journey: I started practicing water conservation as a child in Jordan. It wasn't because I was a woke baby. Low-income Palestinian refugee families had no choice but to conserve water. The silver lining of that experience is a strong sense of gratitude for all the abundance I enjoy living here.
After making it to the US at age 20, I got an engineering degree and built a successful career as a telecommunications engineer. My standard of living and privilege made huge leaps relatively quickly. I had a dispensable income, and I got hypnotized by corporate marketing. Between that and the pressure to assimilate into US culture, my consumption habits looked like those of someone who has lived in the US their whole life. I was eating highly processed food, buying a lot of single-use items, having too much stuff, and flying all over the place year-round. The list goes on.
A few years in, I started spending time in nature hiking and camping
As urban dwellers, being in nature profoundly influences our perspective. It can widen our worldview and change our priorities.
As a result, my consumption habits started to change. This was pushed along by my settling more into my values and intuition. I felt more confident to question practices and products that didn’t feel right.
Sustainability was (and still is) a challenging practice. Things get overwhelming very quickly. How am I supposed to use less plastic when everything I buy comes wrapped in it? Is it better to buy local VS organic food? Shop online or at a store?
I benefited from living in the Middle East
where the culture of consumption differs. Conserving resources was standard practice - taught at home and school. I’m still slowly leaning back into that foundation and picking up from other cultures. Fixing instead of throwing away, harvesting rainwater, and cooking more of my meals. This was a hard step after many years of being spoiled and not needing to live sustainably. The practice was hard but fun, and it made me think a lot.
Contemplating these things lit a fire in my belly:
Finding the answers is not easy. We have to wade through grey areas and conflicting information.
It was a struggle to accept that doing the right thing meant stepping out of the norm and rejecting the way capitalism tells us to consume.
Our culture of consumption is coopted by corporations and governments that don’t act in our best interest
And most importantly, I longed for a community that shared my values. I wished that I had mentors.
The Trillium Story
Back in my engineering career, things were peachy by many standards. But I always felt unfulfilled. I had to make up for that through many other creative pursuits and side jobs. I was busy in an unhealthy way, but I figured out some things:
I love to teach and coach.
I love to solve problems.
I feel invigorated by nurturing communities and spaces. Especially outdoors.
I need to slow down
Slowing down was a good one. It allowed me to hear my calling. I felt the urge to protect Mother Earth and advocate for her. To use my perspective and experience - my gift - as a platform to help my neighbors and friends.
So, I switched careers.
It was slow at first. I started at home and in my yard. I later leveled up to volunteering around the city to improve parks and green spaces. I loved it, and I couldn't get enough.
Soon after, I went pro. I trained in ecological restoration, green stormwater infrastructure, and other environmental justice fields. I connected with other folks doing this work and built a deeper understanding of PNW ecology, indigenous practices, and the communities I served. I got a holistic picture of the hurdles to environmental justice, resilience, and healing.
I still practice in this field and will always be a student. However, I was still stuck on the consumption culture problem. I also kept leaning towards teaching.
And this is the next venture
I saw the opportunity in sustainability education for individuals and families—a new type of support that our generation never got and one that is desperately needed.
I took inventory and realized that based on my skills and my desires, this is a pretty sweet thing to explore.
On a spring day, I got the name: Trillium Sustainability.
I do this work because I feel a deep calling to rise to the moment and protect nature and all the vulnerable beings I share space with. I know this can’t be a solo endeavor, and I trust many others want to join. I believe in the power of collective action, and this is my channel to bring people along. The stakes are high, and the challenge really excites me. Let’s see what we can do!