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NWP Global Registry of Apprentice Ecologists - Waukee High School Earth Club, Waukee, Iowa, USA

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Waukee High School Earth Club, Waukee, Iowa, USA
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msaylor92



Registered: December 2009
City/Town/Province: Waukee
Posts: 1
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Being environmentally conscious has always been important to me. My family has always recycled, we have a compost pile, and we often choose to shop at Goodwill instead of buying something new. In recent years, the issues of Global Warming and our environment have become mainstream, and "going green" seems to be just another pop culture phenomenon. However, the health of our planet is not a passing fad, nor is it something that will go away quickly, or even at all. So I choose to volunteer my time with the Waukee High School (WHS) Earth Club, a group I started with the help of two other students, because I live on the Earth and I want to do all that I can to protect, preserve, and conserve our planet.
WHS Earth Club began meeting in the spring of 2008 mainly because my friends and I noticed a severe absence of environmental awareness in our school and community. Specifically, we were upset with the idea that our school could only recycle paper products, not all recyclable items. Of course, we also had other ideas—building a garden, organic food, renewable energy—so we began organizing and forming the club during our sophomore year. The response was overwhelmingly positive from staff and students alike. However, we wanted WHS Earth Club to be more than just a group who talks about environmental change: we wanted to be the change ourselves. So we set about making a list of goals—goals I can proudly say as a member, co-leader, and founder we have been achieving ever since.
We began by changing the school’s basic recycling plan to include all forms of recyclables, as well as offering recycling bins to all classrooms. We held environmental events, distributed information, and inspired the city to create Waukee’s first “green committee.” With this committee, we succeeded in passing a wind turbine ordinance for our city so we could begin the WHS Earth Club Wind Turbine Project. Our goal, through fundraising efforts, is to raise $19,000 by the end of this school year and to begin installation as soon as possible. It is a large undertaking, but we are diligent and dedicated to the environmental cause.
More importantly, however, is the impact we have on the students and staff of WHS. Through our activities, such as our annual Earth Day/Week celebration, as well as our Earth Tip campaign, the over 900 students and staff of WHS are now more knowledgeable and educated on the subject of environmental awareness. Over 140 of them from both our High School and Junior High buildings participated in Bike to School Day, an event that kept over 100 cars off the road and promoted clean transportation and a cleaner environment. We are also involved with the WHS Art Club and the industrial technology classes in creating a Peace Pole garden near the entrance of WHS. The Wind Turbine Project, our current endeavor, will not only benefit the students of Waukee, Iowa, but our growing community as well. Most important, though, is the impact the club makes on our planet. By promoting progressive environmental action and awareness in our words and actions, the Earth Club is making the biggest difference with the smallest carbon footprint.
WHS Earth Club is not only my creation, but it’s also an extension of my values and beliefs. I volunteer because I believe it to be my civic duty to take care of our world and because I know I am a young woman capable of taking action against deforestation, destruction, and disrespect. As a co-leader of the WHS Earth Club, I not only have the opportunity to learn about environmental protection, but I can also spread that knowledge to others. I created the WHS Earth Club and continue to be a part of the organization now because I believe that the biggest impact I can make on the world is getting people together and creating effective change in not just my own life, but in others’ lives as well. When positive change occurs, it means Earth Club is doing its job of educating and changing the planet, one member at a time.
Global Warming and the issues of climate change are not going to go away. By volunteering with the WHS Earth Club, I do my part to really be the change, and when I combine my efforts with those of others, the impact continues to grow. I created a club that not only promotes earth-friendly values and behaviors but lives them, as well, and I hope that it will continue to do so years after I graduate. Our motto is, "Let's work together to create an efficient way of life that loves loving the Earth." It is a motto that I live by— that we live by—and it is one that I strive to maintain in my words, my actions, and in my impact on our world.
Date: December 30, 2009 Views: 6131 File size: 24.4kb, 567.9kb : 2500 x 1873
Hours Volunteered: 500
Volunteers: 25
Authors Age & Age Range of Volunteers: 17 & 12 to 60
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