Environmental Club: Thinks Globally, Acts Locally

Skylar Bowman, Staff Writer

If you had a passion for something and could step up as a leader to make a change, would you do it?

Well, senior Devin McDonald did.

The Environmental Club was founded two years ago by McDonald, who said it started out as a way for him to express his love for the environment. However, flash forward to today and the club’s goal has expanded greatly.

“We’re not just trying to fix the environmental problems at hand, we’re trying to expose the community to environmental problems,” said club Vice President Jack Thompson, also a senior.

One of these problems, for instance, is the issue of different species not being able to survive in their natural habitats anymore due to unbalanced ecosystems. Because of this issue, the Environmental Club wants to build a wetland either here at BHS, or at one of the middle or elementary schools. Building a wetland consists of digging out an area, laying down sheets, and then filling the area with water and other natural soils and plants. This creates a habitat where different species, such as the Spotted Salamader and Wood Frog, can be reintroduced to their natural environment. Projects like these help raise awareness to students in school about what’s really happening in the environment today, said McDonald.

One of McDonald’s goals was to “create a club that went out and actually did something.” Other projects the Environmental Club have already worked on include releasing 250 Spadefoot Toads into the Ashumet Sanctuary, conducting surveys on Horseshoe Crabs for Mass Marine Fisheries and Wildlife (which consisted of members going to Millway beach early in the morning to count Horseshoe Crabs, with a surprisingly low total number), and the work they do at Mass Audubon Long Pasture Wildlife Sanctuary, said McDonald.

Mass Audubon Long Pasture Wildlife Sanctuary is a non-profit wildlife refuge here in Barnstable. At the sanctuary the club works on little projects, such as cleaning up trash in different areas, completing maintenance work, removing and cutting up dead trees, and making the sanctuary look nicer for those who visit. McDonald said that by helping Long Pasture with small projects like these, the non-profit group can put their money towards furthering their organization instead of hiring workers to clean up the trash that shouldn’t be there in the first place.

The Environmental Club meets Thursdays after school in room 1508, and goes to Long Pasture after school every Wednesday. For younger members without a license, older members of the club provide rides there.

The club is currently looking for more members, especially younger ones since all four officers, including Secretary Jordan Sargent and Treasurer Renee Gruner-Mitchell, are seniors this year.