To reduce, reuse, and recycle means to preserve, protect, and respect.
Each year, Earth Day serves as a reminder to conserve and care for the planet. To celebrate, the Gardening Club expanded their gardening beds and added more in other locations.
“Throughout that week of Earth Day, we are going to be installing some new boards for some of our raised beds. Advanced Art is going to be painting those boards with different murals, and we will also be installing two new gardening beds over at Southwest to bring their total to five garden beds to encourage getting elementary kids interested in gardening and our Earth,” Mr. Derek Fischer, sponsor, said.
For most members, participating in Gardening Club is a sentimental passion that allows them to connect with nature.
“I joined Gardening Club because when I was younger my grandpa had a little garden for each of us grandkids, so I really liked gardening from the start. I think it is something that is very fun, and I enjoy being outside during PowerHour having fun helping out in the garden,” junior Layla Suiters said.
Protecting the planet is an important value that Gardening Club focuses on while tending to the Earth, which was a focal point of Earth Day.
“It is important because we are constantly destroying it, so we need to do a little bit to help it in return. If we can do anything that will lessen our damage, then we should,” Suiters said.
Even outside of Earth Day, there is a desperate need to preserve the Earth.
“I think we need to be practicing Earth Day practices every single day, not just on Earth Day. Pollution is a huge problem, and practicing Earth Day more will help us in protecting our Earth,” senior Lily Inabnitt said.
Simple and practical steps taken every day can reduce carbon footprints and pollution.
“Everybody can find their own way to protect the environment. We all do not have to do the same thing. Maybe our passion is composting, maybe it is maintaining a garden, maybe our passion is recycling, and maybe it is just finding ways to reduce our consumption by turning off the lights when we leave the room or taking shorter showers. We all have different ways we can help the environment. Even if it is a small act, there are over seven billion people on the planet so each of us cutting out one tiny little thing is seven billion improvements,” Mr. Fischer said.
Preserving, protecting and respecting the Earth are what matters.
“The Earth is how we survive. It is what we need. We cannot be living without it, so that is why it is so important to remember why what we have surrounding us needs to be protected. We need to be educated and aware. We only have one Earth, so we should come together on Earth Day to realize and appreciate what we have,” junior Saiha Hollonquest said.
