The Environmental Club gathers to find various ways to help the environment, both around the school building and in the surrounding community. The club meets once every two weeks, where members discuss initiatives for spreading awareness of the club and the many environmental issues.
Though it remains fresh, the Environmental Club is not new to the school, and has been an integral part in keeping the community clean for almost two decades.
“I came to Stone Bridge in 2007, and the environmental club was already here,” club sponsor and science teacher Luis Velazquez said. “I assume it has already been [here for] over 20 years. I’ve been in charge of the club since 2007.”
Since then, the club has been working tirelessly to help raise awareness for issues in our area. Members have participated in various projects to help improve the health of our environment and spread the knowledge of how to help it survive.
“[We have done] community service, clean ups, also raising the voice of our environmental concerns,” Mr. Velazquez said.“Sometimes we think that somebody else will be doing it, and then we don’t have the consciousness that ‘I need to be doing something.’ It’s not about me putting on a t-shirt saying, ‘Save the earth.’ It’s more about my actions. It’s more about what I’m doing in my daily life and making a reflection of all of my decisions and [that] what I do has an impact on others.”
Today, the environmental club remains just as active, and is currently planning an environmental clean up in the community for the near future.
“Right now we are working with Loudoun Beautiful, which is an environmental organization,” Mr. Velazquez said. “A part of the members of the board of the environmental club coordinated already with the board of supervisors from Loudoun Beautiful, and they gave us permission to do an Ashburn cleanup. Right now, the date has not been settled, so we are waiting for that. Once that comes out, we will get the entire school and Ashburn community involved. It will be open for everybody to join in.”
While joining the club is not required to help out, becoming a member can provide aspiring environmental activists or students looking to bolster their college application with a great leadership opportunity.
“Leadership opportunities in the environmental club can help you make a positive impact on the world,” senior and environmental club president Logan Keller said. “It also helps to develop valuable skills for the future.”
There is a large number of seniors in the club, which leaves a plethora of positions available for next year. However, even without the goal of taking on a leadership position or the plan to become an environmental activist, there is still the opportunity to join the club to help make the community a better, cleaner, and safer place for all life.
“You need to come with the idea that you’re serving, [that] things aren’t going to be free; sometimes you’re going to need to invest some time if all of these issues are going to be fixed,” Mr. Velazquez said. “We live on one single Earth. It’s not about Ashburn or Virginia or the United States–it’s about the entire world. The more we spread the word, the more we start thinking about these issues, the more solutions we can bring.”
Keep an eye out for the upcoming cleanup date to be a part of an environmental solution. To stay up to date on the Environmental Club, join the Schoology group with this code, ZK9R-6JC2-MCW34, or email Mr. Velazquez at [email protected] with any questions.
