Club’s projects make an impact on the Earth
Planting in the greenhouse, members of Environmental Club, senior Christina Craig, junior Nyla Chaudhry and sophomore Carly Oliver, start lettuce, broccoli and kale seeds for Liberty Memorial Central Middle School’s garden.
Handfuls of worms squirm throughout a plastic container full of compost in Julie Schwarting’s science classroom. These squiggly workers break down waste from the cafeteria, turning it into nutrient-rich fertilizer and creating the Environmental Club’s first vermiculture. This year, the club has been developing its vermiculture project along with several other plans to make the Earth a more sustainable place.
“Our plans for (the vermiculture) is to sell the compost to farms and middle schools,” junior Sonal Soni said. “We would be the first school to do this in the area.”
Along with reducing the school’s waste, a goal of Environmental Club is to simply spread awareness about environmental efficiency to the student body and the community.
The future of Environmental Club includes collaborating with woodshop to create a solar powered area where students may charge their phones. This area would potentially include a garden and a sitting area, adding a feeling of community to Free State.
Sponsored by Schwarting, the club consists of approximately eight students who dedicate time every week to putting environmen- tally friendly ideas into discussions and later turning those discus- sions into reality. After school on Mondays, the club congregates with smiles and snacks. What the club lacks in size, they make up for in dedication according to Schwarting.
“(Environmental Club has) been very small and hard to grow, but this is the most awesome group of people we have had in a long time,” Schwarting said.
For Soni, the intimate size of the group is part of the appeal.
“In a lot of bigger clubs it’s kind of intimidating, but since we are so small it’s more comfortable,” Soni said. “The people in this club are really nice and accepting.”
Another accomplishment for the Environmental Club was acquiring recycling bins for most of the classrooms. Something as simple as recycling and reducing waste can impact the lifespan of this planet, according to an article on greenliving.lovetoknow.com.
“The planet is something that can’t be used forever if we’re not careful with it,” senior Liv Lyche said.
The thought of an end to the planet’s life due to human activity also scares junior Nyla Chaudhry.
“(The Earth) is our only planet, and we can’t let it die because we have nowhere else to go,” Chaudhry said.
Whether it be hanging out with a bucket of worms, reducing waste or spreading awareness, Environmental Club is a place to use one’s energy to better the Earth and the community.
“I think a lot of people take (the environment) for granted,” Soni said. “I take it for granted sometimes too. Being involved with Environmental Club is just my way of giving back.”