The De Soto Environmental Club is a brand-new, student-led organization that allows students to personally get involved in the protection of their environment. But why is protecting the environment so crucial right now, and what are the benefits of being in the club?
This club was founded by sophomores You-Ha Kim and Madelyn Neeland, and is sponsored by Mrs. Sharp. One primary reason the club was founded is because there were no pre-existing clubs that focused on the effects on the environment from humans 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 she and Neeland founded the club was because of the state of the environment currently. The state of 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 rising at a really scary rate, 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,” Kim said.
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 protecting the environment. The group believes that everyone should be an active participant.
“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 was already interested in the environment, but this club amplified her interest.
“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 is with their club. Koester demonstrates this by working hard over the summer to minimize her effect 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 spreading new awareness, the Environmental Club is making a great difference helping out their local community.
