The De Soto Environmental club is a brand-new, student-led function that allows students to personally get involved in the protection of their environment. Why is protecting the environment so crucial right now? What are the benefits of being in the club?
This club was founded by sophomores You-Ha Kim and Madelyn Neeland, and sponsored by Mrs. Sharp. One primary reason the club was founded because there was no pre-existing clubs that focused on the effects on the environment and ways to help it. Though many students wanted to help the environment, there was no way they could through the school.
“We were tired of wanting to help, but not knowing how, or not thinking that there was anything we could do;” Neeland said. “We started our club as a way to make an impact on the world around us and to inspire, motivate, and support our peers to make their own difference.”
According to You-ha Kim, another reason why the club was founded by her and Neeland was because of the state of the environment currently. The climate is at its lowest point right now, and the organization wanted to draw attention to the fact before it is too late.
“Between the forest fires, the ozone layer getting depleted, the sea ice melting, animals being endangered and becoming extinct and especially the heat is rising at a really scary rate,” Kim said. “I really think that now is the time that people have to realize that if we don’t do something, were really going to regret it.”
Because the environment is such a crucial issue, all students are encouraged to join. With a semi-large group, the organization urges everyone to take part in the environment. The group believes that everyone should be an active participant in our local climate.
“We’ve been meeting twice a month: once during seminar to plan and then again for that month’s activity. Also I would guess about 40 kids come to the meetings right now”Mrs. Sharp said.
Senior Camryn Koester also comments on why she joined the group. She was already interested in the environment, but this club amplified her interest.
“And I personally want to go into environmental science as a career. I want to be a wildlife biologist…and I really thought it would be a good way to kind of get involved” Koester said.
The club encourages their community to participate in making an impact, whether or not that be in their club. Koester demonstrates this by working hard over the summer to minimize her affect on the environment.
“I became a vegetarian and began focusing more on my carbon footprint,” Koester said.
One of the environmental club’s first projects in the community is reducing the waste in their local climate. This is shown at their Kill Creek Park project.
“We got information that it [kill creek] is one of the most polluted areas in our community currently. We will be picking up trash and recycling,” Kim said.
The club’s overall mission is to make an impact. With all of its members, new awareness should be spread; therefore, the environmental club is making a great difference helping out their local community.
