Earth Day was April 22, but the high school celebrates the Earth year round with the help of the Green Team.
According to teacher Sarah Snyder, leader of the Green Team, the club goes by many names.
“It’s officially called the Adventure Leadership Program [ALP], which is more going outside and being more with nature,” Snyder said. “When Covid happened and even before Covid, I made it more of a recycling club. Then we did some more [with the] environment. We go by ALPs, we go by recycling club, we go by environmental club or the Green Team. They’re all the same thing.”
Covid took a toll on the Green Team, but next year Snyder hopes to get more people involved.
“Just coming back from Covid, it was hard to get volunteers, but we meet on the first Wednesday of every month, and then we collect plastic and paper from the whole building,” Snyder said.
Sophomore Bella Bowman, a member of the Green Team, recommends being aware of what people throw away and to recognize the importance of taking care of the planet.
“Our Earth is something we should take care of, and anything helps, so recycle what you can, but just be aware of what you are putting in the bins,” Bowman said.
The Green Team makes an effort to do something for every Earth Day, even throughout the difficult circumstances caused by Covid.
“Earth Day fell on a Friday, and due to sub shortages, I didn’t feel comfortable taking the day [off], but we were signed up to go to Millenium Park and pick up trash and help with invasive species,” Snyder said.
Although the Green Team wasn’t able to go to Millenium Park, they were still able to do something for Earth Day.
“What we did [instead] was Adopt-A-Highway, which was a Sunday, May 1st and had people sign up and pick up trash along Plainfield,” Snyder said.
Not only does the Green Team help keep the school clean, but the club also works towards the greater goal of helping the planet.
“[We] put bins in every classroom to collect recycling and then once a month we put the recycling in the appropriate bins. On the high school campus, we have reduced trash and that goes into the landfill so we get it to the recycling facility,” Snyder said.
Being a member of the Green Team also contributes service hours for National Honor Society or government class.
“I think they benefit because one: they get service hours for doing it,” Snyder said. “It gives them the opportunity to be able to meet with people they normally wouldn’t. It’s good to get students together. It also gives more purpose than just going to school; they’re making a difference.”
The team has not only positively affected the students who contribute but has benefited Snyder as well.
“I’m actually more mindful about [the environment] and I speak up about it around people. Just being more mindful about it [recycling] and spreading awareness,” Snyder said.
The Green Team has more goals than just cleaning the school. The Green Team also wants to spread awareness about how students can incorporate recycling into their lives at home.
“[The goal is to] have people be aware that they can recycle or just take a moment before they throw it in the trash ‘where should this go’. The goals are to make people more aware and then help make people be involved if they don’t do sports or choir or band and they want to be involved somehow, and the Green Team is fun,” Snyder said.
