When they look out at the world these teenagers see so many opportunities to make a difference and so they eagerly roll up their sleeves and get to work.
The Huntington High School Environmental Club has gathered substantial steam over the past week and is pursuing an ambitious agenda despite the confining nature of the COVID-19 pandemic. The door is still open for more students to join the fun.
The club is led by Carrie Kilgour (president), Tess Stanley (vice president), Laurel Bonn (treasurer), McKenna Buffa (recording secretary), Sarah Krisch (corresponding secretary), Nadeera Ali (historian), Nina Varvatsas (administrative assistant), Jasjeet Kaur (social media coordinator) and fundraising coordinators Lauren Holly, Rachel Deegan and Sophia Segal. Science teacher Deborah Beck is the group’s faculty advisor.
“While it is unfortunate that we haven’t been able to do the fun activities we normally have during the year, we have taken this opportunity to allow officers to explore and share environmental topics that interest them and allow for in-depth and engaging discussions among club members on sustainability, climate change and changes we can make as individuals,” Ms. Stanley said. “We’ve recently had presentations ranging from wild fires to coral reefs to fast fashion, which was my topic of choice.”
Every student in the building is invited to join the organization and participate in its activities and learn more about environmental issues and possible solutions. The club’s Google Classroom code is h5rfmyn. Monthly meetings are held on Friday afternoons. “We encourage all students to join our monthly Friday meetings if they are interested in learning more about how they can help to conserve the environment,” Ms. Stanley said.
While the pandemic has brought about changes in the club’s regular operations, students are persevering. “This year, we’re doing our meetings virtually and right now we are having members present a video or a Google Slide presentation on environmental topics,” Ms. Kilgour said. “Mine was how we could potentially solve our over-fishing problem and the decline of fish populations by eating jelly fish instead. It is very interesting to hear each person’s topic, as well as discussing them after the presentation.”
Club members have mobilized to help maintain a pond that Class of 2020 member Christopher Mavrogian built in the high school courtyard for his Eagle Scout project.
“We have a team of club members getting the pond ready so it will be up and running and beautiful for the spring,” Ms. Kilgour said.
It would be hard to find more determined and enthusiastic students who are so committed to their cause.
“Our goal is to educate others and learn for ourselves ways that we can keep wildlife safe, protect natural resources and maintain a clean world,” Ms. Kirsch said. “We want to show our classmates and teachers how important it is to be aware of the impact that we can have on the environment and introduce small and easy adjustments that can be made to live more of a sustainable life. I think a lot of students at Huntington want to act in ways beneficial to the environment, but aren’t necessarily sure how to. That’s why the Environmental Club is so great; because we are constantly exploring what is going on in nature today and learning new things.”
Club members encourage those with even a fleeting interest in the environment to give the organization a try and see if they like it. “The members of this club were very welcoming when I joined and I have gained a lot of valuable knowledge about the environment this year, so I would definitely recommend joining,” Ms. Krisch said.
With each passing day, the group picks up more momentum. “We have a great team of officers who are so excited to work with Mrs. Beck and the club to make sure this year is just as fun as every year,” Ms. Kilgour said. “Although we don’t know what the future may hold, we are so excited for what’s to come.”