Visual Eyes - The Community & Collaboration Podcast

S2 Ep 21 - From Plastic Waste to Purpose: Noelia Suarez’s Mission to Heal The Planet

• Visuals by Momo • Season 2 • Episode 21

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What if cutting up a six-pack ring or planting a milkweed could actually change the world?

In this episode of the Visual Eyes Podcast, host Chris Baker sits down with Noelia Suarez, Executive Director of Heal The Planet, to explore how small, daily decisions can spark global environmental change. From her early days as a mentor and international volunteer to launching a sustainable store and teaching mindfulness in Title I schools, Noelia has spent her life turning eco-conscious values into action.

You’ll learn how Heal The Planet delivers environmental education through their SEED Program, engages kids with biodiversity lessons (yes, even ladybugs!), and fosters leadership through sustainability. Noelia also shares the nonprofit’s challenges post-COVID, their creative solutions—including digitizing feedback—and why legacy is about empowering youth, not just stats and data.

Whether you're a nonprofit leader, educator, policymaker, or eco-curious listener, this conversation will inspire you to lead with intention and recognize the power of one person, one act, one ripple.

🔑 Topics Covered:

  • The link between personal lifestyle and nonprofit leadership
  • The truth about plastic pollution and ocean waste
  • Why biodiversity education matters more than ever
  • How empowering youth creates a sustainable legacy
  • The role of community collaboration in lasting impact

🎧 Listen in and be inspired to take the next small step—because change starts with you.

🔗 Learn more at: www.healtheplanet.com
📲 Subscribe for weekly episodes on purpose-driven leadership and impact


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Special Thanks to Stacy Daugherty for the beautiful wall artwork in the background. Socials: @artographybystacy

Chris Baker:

Chris Baker, and each week we'll explore incredible connections between nonprofits, businesses and the community. This is a space where we highlight inspiring partnerships, uncover strategies for creating meaningful impact and share stories that show how working together can make all the difference. Whether you're a nonprofit leader, a business owner or someone just passionate about building connections, this podcast is for you. Welcome back to another episode of Visual Eyes. Today I have Noelia Suarez from Heal the Planet. Welcome.

Noelia Suarez:

Thank you so much, Chris, for inviting us. This is such a treat.

Chris Baker:

I would love us to start the conversation a little bit with how did you start your journey into the nonprofit?

Noelia Suarez:

Well, this actually started in my early 20s. I realized at a very young age I love to give back. It was very rewarding and through friends I learned about being a mentor to a young child, and that's exactly what I did. I was a mentor for three years to a very young girl and it was very inspiring. And after that I learned about other opportunities to give back and, for example, I was a volunteer for a human society. I had quite a few dogs in my house and I walk around with dogs.

Noelia Suarez:

One of the other things I did was through the university I was attending is to put together the faculties with our Basel. That was a great thing to do because it gave exposure to the university and all kinds of activities relating to how I can make a difference. There was another work. In this case it was all volunteering. I was introduced to Heal the Planet and when I learned about their mission, it resonated with me because I was already living a lifestyle where sustainability was part of that. I was carrying my own shopping bags. I was not using plastic.

Chris Baker:

Yeah.

Noelia Suarez:

And I was eating healthy, I was exercising, so all that was very natural and I'm like, wow, this is actually working on the place I want to be Like. I want a world that looks like Hill the Planet, where everybody is conscious of their choices, and I was introduced to the founder and it was a great match.

Chris Baker:

Can you tell a little bit more of the story about when you got introduced to the founder and how that perspired?

Noelia Suarez:

about when you got introduced to the founder and how that perspired. Yes, so I was in another nonprofit called the Gratitude Project. We were doing work to help children in South Africa. We fundraised in one event a lot of money to build two shelters in South Africa and we had about 900 patients monthly that we were taking care of.

Chris Baker:

Yes.

Noelia Suarez:

It was a wonderful experience. I did it for a few years and the founder of the gratitude project knew Ken and she said you have to meet Ken, and we went for a beach walk. Okay, and that's how we were introduced. And yeah, that's. The rest is history.

Chris Baker:

One of the things that you mentioned that's very important is keeping sustainability, keeping the healing, helping the planet, and one of the biggest things that comes to my mind specifically is we're going to have to keep this place safe for the youth, like the future generations have to keep this place safe for the youth, like the future generations, like if we don't start doing things now, what is this place going to look like 50 years from now, 100 years from now?

Noelia Suarez:

It is very scary and actually, when I visit the schools, one of the things I say to the children is what I'm doing now, I'm not doing it for me, I'm doing it for you, because I think if we don't give the children education, their future is not going to be pretty. We understand that biodiversity is crucial for the environment.

Chris Baker:

It is.

Noelia Suarez:

And at the pace that we're going, there's marine life that's going to be extinguished, all kinds of things. We all understand the importance of pollinators, but how many people really plant the nectar plants that pollinators need?

Chris Baker:

right right.

Noelia Suarez:

So there's a. I mean I can speak all day long about how every action that we make, everything has a ripple effect.

Chris Baker:

Yeah, sometimes we look at something just because the beauty of it, but does it actually help the planet? Or are we hurting the planet by planting too many of something that we find just so gorgeous? And it's taking that education piece into you know, into our mind, and going, okay, this is really going to hurt my children, my grandchildren.

Noelia Suarez:

Absolutely, and even the founder does not have any children, but he's very concerned about what the future looks like. And I don't have any children, but I do want to leave this planet better than I found it, and it's my job as a citizen to educate and inspire, because, at the end of the day, we don't want to be lecturing people.

Chris Baker:

No, we don't.

Noelia Suarez:

We want to inspire them.

Chris Baker:

That's where we actually get a chance to really make the hugest difference, when we actually connect with them on an inspiration, emotional level that they can like oh, I do need to make that change. A lot of people just hear the data and the facts and they're like, okay, but they don't think about it and unfortunately, that's one of the things that you know. It's very important for us to get that data so that we can prove it, you know, to government and to other agencies and everything else, but when we're trying to connect to the daily person to make a change, we need to connect to them on that story, inspiration, emotional level, whatever it has to be for them to go. It clicked, I get it now.

Noelia Suarez:

A hundred percent. And one of the scary things is we believe that someone else's will do the job, because we feel very small, we think, oh, I'm not going to make a difference.

Chris Baker:

It does.

Noelia Suarez:

Every little thing that we do makes a difference.

Chris Baker:

Oh yeah.

Noelia Suarez:

It's hard to see it because the fact that I'm not using all the time Publix per se shopping bags, I know by now I probably save over a thousand bags of plastic and they say, reuse it. But most people don't reuse it. They end up you know where.

Chris Baker:

In the garbage, in the ocean, the ocean.

Noelia Suarez:

Oh, that's even worse I've did a cleanup and the number one thing we got out of the coastline were shopping bags plastic was it and straws. Let's not go, even, even yeah to the straw subject, because that one can go deep that one can go deep. That one can go deep. I'm very disappointed about that because we have seen a shift in consciousness with that little thing. But it doesn't take a huge effort for you to say not to straws or not to plastic.

Chris Baker:

It's about education and understanding that the small acts can make a huge difference. Yeah, and I'm very appreciative of when I go to you know a restaurant or go to a bar that have biodegradable straws, or you know bags or to-go boxes, whatever the case may be that I'm like you know, I appreciate that. Yes, it may cost me an extra few cents or a dollar, whatever it's going to be, but I know it's making a difference as well, so I appreciate those. I remember several years back I went out just before I went on a cruise and the place was like we don't use straws at all and if you want to buy a metal straw for a dollar, you can buy a metal straw for a dollar. And I still have that metal straw in my bag.

Chris Baker:

And I was like I've never heard of a place, say I, we don't carry straws. But I was so inspired. I was like I'm going to keep this and I know exactly where it is. It's in my bag, I can take it wherever I go, and that's something that I feel was very important to me.

Noelia Suarez:

Yes, I feel everyone, especially big companies, be responsible and liable.

Chris Baker:

That's a good word.

Noelia Suarez:

That's actually heavy right. It's a heavy word, but it's true but it's true, because they have the power to create changes. They do, yeah, and we have to make sure they are accountable.

Chris Baker:

Right, you bring up a very good point. So how is Heal the Planet trying to hold some of those companies to be more accountable or reliable?

Noelia Suarez:

We are a very small nonprofit. Nevertheless we make sure that, at least at the student levels, we go to Broward schools.

Chris Baker:

Yes.

Noelia Suarez:

Mainly Title I schools, to give them the tools for them to make better choices. We tell them you need to exercise, you need to eat healthy, because if you're not healthy you're not going to perform as well. We talk about mindfulness.

Chris Baker:

So important.

Noelia Suarez:

And, of course, sustainability. Sometimes, when I go to the schools, I'm not an educator, but I like to go because I want to understand what the situation is in the schools. I'm not the educator, but I like to go because I want to understand what the situation is in the schools as much as possible, because that's a way to always improve. Okay, we're doing this. How come I'm doing better? And I always take my backpack with me and I take all the reusable stuff and they look at me like what is that reusable stuff? And they look at me like what is that? And I explain to them. So if we give them at a young age tools, then they understand that they can go back home and make a better choice, not only for themselves but also for the planet. I heard more than one time children thinking More than one time children thinking I got to stop using plastic.

Chris Baker:

Yeah, that's music to my ears, honestly, because, in truth, if we can make that impression on our youth, we have a better chance for the future For them, for the whole planet, and we have to start there in a lot of different ways. I mean, we can work with the companies that are currently out there, trying to get them to make some shifts and changes, to make better choices. One of my favorite places to actually go shopping is Aldi. They don't have any plastic bags. I know I love it and I force myself. I buy a reusable bag. I have six in my car.

Chris Baker:

Good, I always bring them up to my apartment when I'm bringing up the groceries, and then I you know, if I forget one, I at least have a few more in the car. But I bring them back down and I reuse them, and I reuse them. I reuse them for almost everything, like. I'm kind of like forced myself into that habit.

Noelia Suarez:

And that's where the really thing that has to change and you have to force it into habit to actually make a bigger difference and a bigger impact. Yes, and it may start that small right like the straw, yes, the shopping bag, okay. Now how about if I look a little bit more, because there are options out there? Which is'm not educated? I have plenty of things in my head because I educate myself throughout the years. Yeah, and the motivation is I want animals to have opportunities, and I say animals because there are many of the species are in extinction.

Chris Baker:

Yeah, they're gone. Right, they're going to come back. That could be due to that plastic bag. It could be due to you know, many different things. One of the things I still do, and I still do to this day I don't love it when the pop cans have the six-pack plastic thing.

Noelia Suarez:

I know.

Chris Baker:

Because I always see in my head a duck or some type of getting stuck. And so every time I see that, see that in anything I buy, I'm like, oh, why did you do that? But the first thing I do is I cut it up. I have to cut it up because I'm like, regardless, if it's going out, I'm not going to let an animal get stuck in this Like it's just not going to happen yes, that's exactly what I do.

Noelia Suarez:

Everything that I buy I there's. There's a big effort when you don't shop everything that is out there that contains plastic, because it requires you to rethink about how you shop in. And if at some point I have to shop something that has a plastic and then with a circle, I always cut it because I know that they get caught up in that and it's so sad because you see them in pictures, that they they're growing and they're struggling yeah, because if nobody's there to take it off and they were a, they were a chick and they were just a baby, and then they grow up yeah, it's not strangling them and it's just.

Chris Baker:

Oh, I can't even imagine yeah.

Noelia Suarez:

And a lot of people have said to me well, most of the plastic in the ocean is from the fisheries. I'm like, ok, I get that, but if you know you can prevent from one animal not to ingest plastic and that animal will survive, why don't you make that change? It's uh I think it's easier at the end of the day to take the easy way out, but the truth is, when you look, when you look back, you want to see if your choices were the best for the environment and future generations.

Chris Baker:

So, as you guys are working to, you know, bring sustainability into the reality of Broward County. What are some of the collaboration efforts that you've had? The opportunity of working with other nonprofits, for-profits, to make actual changes.

Noelia Suarez:

One of the greatest partners and collaborators we have is Broward County Public Schools, because that's where we go and we teach the SEED program. This is a six-week program and, like I said before, it's about mindfulness, nutrition, and having their partnership is key Because without them, we have a very limited access to children. Right, we have Young Seeds in the Park, which is another program Through the City of Fort Lauderdale. We have a small satellite office at Snyder Park and twice a month, on the second Wednesday and fourth Saturday, we do Young Seeds in the Park. So that's a great collaboration with the city of Fort Lauderdale.

Chris Baker:

Yeah.

Noelia Suarez:

And at the same time, we do beach cleanups with them. So we get a lot of companies reaching out, bringing their employees and trying to make a difference in that three-hour window that we are on the second Saturday when we do the events Earth Day celebration we bring a lot of other nonprofits that are similar to us. It's about education, creating awareness and how we can make better choices Different organizations that promote biodiversity, like the South Florida Wildlife Center.

Noelia Suarez:

Yeah biodiversity, like the subflora wildlife center. Yeah, they come and they educate the people about how can you protect the wildlife, right, we don't think about that. We think, oh, there's a little bird. I have killed a bird, thinking I was helping him. I was feeding the bird. But they, they are certain ways you're supposed to feed the bird so it won't die. And I learned that I was doing the right thing I mean the wrong thing when I started bringing the Wildlife Center to our workshops because they were showing how it was supposed to be done.

Chris Baker:

That's interesting. Honestly, I don't even know how you would feed a bird, so that's very interesting.

Noelia Suarez:

Yeah, they teach. Right, and that's a small thing, right? Sure, and I bought a lump. I bought the right tools to make this bird grow and I killed it because I didn't have the education. So partnering with organizations that will prevent this, that will educate the community, is key. We also bring, for example, colossal Academy. They have a great system, a different system from what is the regular schools, and they educate children about compost, planting their own food.

Chris Baker:

Yes, Planting their own food?

Noelia Suarez:

Yes, Mindfulness and they come and they do different activities, like one of the greatest things they did it was a bag ladybug release.

Chris Baker:

Okay.

Noelia Suarez:

It was so popular. Everyone was around this teacher releasing the ladybugs. Oh interesting, it's kind of like releasing the doves. Yeah, and there is a purpose forugs.

Chris Baker:

Oh interesting, it's kind of like releasing the doves.

Noelia Suarez:

Yeah, and there is a purpose for that.

Chris Baker:

Oh, okay.

Noelia Suarez:

They have a function in the environment. Yeah, we just don't think about those things.

Chris Baker:

What is the?

Noelia Suarez:

function of a ladybug. Well, there's more than one, but, for example, on the milkweed, which is a plant that feeds the pollinators, mainly the monarch butterfly, which is an extinction, it will eat the iffis, which are small insects. Yeah, the ladybug will eat the iffis, which are small insects that grew on the milkweed.

Chris Baker:

Okay.

Noelia Suarez:

There is another ladybug that will eat the herb potato. The herb potato is an invasive species, especially in Snyder Park. We work really hard to prevent that to take over the entire park.

Chris Baker:

Wow.

Noelia Suarez:

So every little life has a function. In my house. Sometimes I'm like, okay, I have enough spiders, I don't want to kill them, because I understand they have a function and they need a home. We took over their home.

Chris Baker:

We have taken over a lot of animals and insects and birds' homes.

Noelia Suarez:

We think we should be the only species and, oh, we see this, we kill it.

Chris Baker:

We see this, we, we grab it as a trophy yeah, that's not always the, it's not always the right way to look at it, because we have to actually start looking at it, like you said. Like honestly, I would have never thought of the ladybug and them eating. You know, a plant that's going to take over an entire wildlife and I, and that's just crazy to think like, okay, this small little, beautiful little bug is actually saving this entire park, this, this entire area. And it's probably not even the. I mean, there's probably so many more that we just don't even know about.

Noelia Suarez:

Exactly, and if you start searching about the different functionalities of insects, you'll be shocked because you are killing little insects, or even a moth has a function, but we don't know, because I mean, who teaches those things? You don't get that in the school. No one teaches you the importance of biodiversity. It's what we need to thrive as human beings. Without the biodiversity, we're going to be in a real difficult situation.

Chris Baker:

Wow, you've really kind of like opened my eyes to a few things that I have not considered or thought about, which is actually a tangible thing that we do, like giving away wheelchairs.

Noelia Suarez:

Okay, we have given away 15,000 wheelchairs this year. It's more about capturing the data, it's about all right. What did you learn from this program, please? And children don't like to be writing. No, especially with literacy. We understand that reading and writing is not their strongest suit, and when it comes to writing, trying to get that information can be challenging. We're switching now to a digital system where there is less of their writing involved, and that I think it's going to be a great shift.

Chris Baker:

I'm just thinking that. I'm like if you could put this on a tablet, an iPad on the phone it would be so much more involving.

Noelia Suarez:

Yeah, we're on it, yeah, and so capturing the data is challenging. We have done a great job, but I'm always looking at what can we do better, and I think this what we're doing now with the digital is what's making the impact. Uh, greater we can see better, we can capture more information and it's also more sustainable, because now you don't hate 100 percent with 100 percent, because now we're not using paper, we're not killing trees, right? Have you thought about? And we'll go back to the challenges, but have you thought about toilet paper?

Chris Baker:

Oh.

Noelia Suarez:

Toilet paper I hate toilet paper. Is one of the biggest. It's huge Problem that trees are being cut down.

Chris Baker:

I know, like people, there's so much toilet paper being pulled off the shelves and made and like created, but and there are solutions. If everybody just got a bidetet, you would use less toilet paper. You could still have toilet paper, but you would use a lot less of it. You can also get the seed toilet paper. There's other options out there, so I'm with you.

Noelia Suarez:

I'm with you on that well, there are companies that are investing now in bamboo yeah and for many years, many years, I've been using bamboo toilet paper.

Chris Baker:

That's got to be softer actually.

Noelia Suarez:

Yeah, it depends on the toilet paper you use, but it's pretty good. I'm very happy with the toilet paper that I use right now and this company gives 50% of the profits to children that don't have toilets.

Chris Baker:

Oh, wow.

Noelia Suarez:

It's a win-win. Yes, very win-win you are taking care of the environment and, at the same time, you are promoting social justice.

Chris Baker:

Yes.

Noelia Suarez:

And because of this mindset, I said to myself how can we create a space for people to shop more sustainably? And we opened a shop. We opened a shop where we sell sustainable products and, because I love plants, now we sell plants. So it's a great space for you to become inspired and make better choices when it comes to shopping. Going back to the challenges Okay.

Noelia Suarez:

It is challenging to be able to get into the schools, especially Title I schools, because they go through a lot of testings. So sometimes they're able to find the hour for us and in occasions they have to cancel it Through other nonprofits. I was able to get into six schools, but that's one of the challenges. That right now is we're in a really good situation, but last year was a little bit difficult for us to get the door open because there's a lot of testing going on, things that before COVID didn't exist.

Chris Baker:

So the COVID kind of put some barriers up. Yes, okay.

Noelia Suarez:

That's what I was told. I was not in the school system before COVID, but I was told that things change after COVID.

Chris Baker:

Okay, so definitely have to figure out how to work with those challenges. So right now you need more introductions to those Title I schools, right?

Noelia Suarez:

Yes.

Chris Baker:

And what is the best collaboration partner that could open those doors for Heal the Planet?

Noelia Suarez:

Anyone that has contacts with principals.

Chris Baker:

Okay, so the principal is a good contact. Yes, one that has contacts with principals.

Noelia Suarez:

Okay, so the principal is a good contact, yes, and also know that they have a commitment with the nonprofit world, because a lot of the times I believe it is important that schools feel committed to nonprofits. When we come for free to teach this program, we we bring organic food and we do recipes there. Children love when we come and they know they're going to have a healthy snack yeah and then having their commitment help us to feel encouraged to come and teach.

Noelia Suarez:

right, yeah, and if we have the collaboration of the teachers and then they spread the word, then we can continue, maybe teaching in other classes in the same school.

Chris Baker:

It opens up more doors and more conversations. I love that.

Noelia Suarez:

That's right.

Chris Baker:

So what's the future look like?

Noelia Suarez:

for heal the planet, anything that's coming up, any programs, any new sustainable efforts there's a lot of things that we continue to think, like how can, how can we expand the seed program, and one of the models that we've been considering is teach the teacher right.

Chris Baker:

Hmm.

Noelia Suarez:

It would be great if we can train the teachers to expand and to basically do the same thing that we do, but without us having to be there. Imagine that part of the curriculum that we have is incorporated in their curriculum. I know it's challenging because it starts with changing maybe the lunch, not so much fast food.

Chris Baker:

Oh huge.

Noelia Suarez:

That's a whole nother subject.

Chris Baker:

It is a whole nother subject, yes, but I think you're right. I think if they can start changing small little things, and over time I think it could make a huge difference. You know, start with the lunches, start by adding this into your curriculum, add this information in here. I mean, all these small little changes can make a huge impact in the long run.

Noelia Suarez:

Yeah, especially in the schools that we go, when I ask children what did you have for breakfast? Pop-tart hot dog.

Chris Baker:

People have hot dogs for breakfast.

Noelia Suarez:

Yes.

Chris Baker:

Oh my goodness, that does not sound right.

Noelia Suarez:

No, and we talk about whole foods and many times when they learn about before and after right, what do you have for breakfast versus what you could have? And children are shifting to whole foods and now they're incorporating more vegetables or more fruits in their breakfast.

Chris Baker:

Yeah, For us it's a win-win. Yeah, so my last. Before I get to my last question.

Noelia Suarez:

Okay.

Chris Baker:

How can people get involved and contact Heal the Planet?

Noelia Suarez:

They can visit our website and we have a section which is the calendar. Okay, and there are a lot of events that we do. They can come to any of our events and enjoy it, because everything that we offer is free of charge, from the nature tours to the children workshop, to beach cleanups and giving back. That way, we also have gardening opportunities for volunteers. There's plenty of things to do.

Chris Baker:

Excellent. What is the website?

Noelia Suarez:

wwwhealtheplanetcom com. Yes, com.

Chris Baker:

So most organizations have an ORG, so I wanted to double check.

Noelia Suarez:

It was token, so we couldn't take the work.

Chris Baker:

So healtheplanetcom for this organization, and is there a phone number that people can reach out for any information?

Noelia Suarez:

Yes, it's a 954-565-2950.

Chris Baker:

Perfect. So my last question that I ask everybody that comes on the show what is the legacy that you want to leave for future generations? And I think you kind of started to talk about it, but I wanted you to restate it, if you could.

Noelia Suarez:

Chris. Imagine a world where children feel empowered, right? Imagine if they know that they can make better choices. What that world will look like, If they understand that they matter and they understand that if you stay connected to the natural world, you will be in a much better place. That's what we do and that's why we have Yancits in the park, because I want children to get their hands dirty. I want children to feel connected with nature. I think if we can do that, then I feel we have done our job.

Chris Baker:

I love how you use the word empower for the children, because that was impactful. I really like that.

Noelia Suarez:

Empower inspired. Yes.

Chris Baker:

Lilia, thank you so much for coming on the show. This was very inspiring. I learned new information that I did not know, which is fantastic. So again, thank you so much for your time.

Noelia Suarez:

Well, thank you for having us. It's been a pleasure.

Chris Baker:

Thank you for joining me on this episode of Visualize. We hope that the inspiration and practical insights can help you foster stronger connections and meaningful change. Don't forget to subscribe, share the episode and leave us a review. To learn more about Visuals by Momo and how we support collaboration and storytelling, visit visualsbymomocom. A huge thank you to everyone out there listening. Until next time, remember, collaboration fuels change and your connections can inspire the world.