At almost every high school around the world, clubs are a very integral part of student life since they allow students to explore different interests and hobbies. Here, at Air Academy High School, the Keep Colorado Green Club and the Biology Club hosted a plant drive from the 17th to the 21st of April to raise money to plant Native Trees at the school. Overall, this drive was seen as an opportunity to help the environment and students become more educated on the subject of plants. 

The environmental club here at AAHS focuses on helping students understand different aspects of the environment and what they can do to contribute as individuals to make their community a better place. Club members host different events that are open to all students that help raise environmental awareness.

“Every month, they meet here in this room, 511, and every month a different member does a presentation on something relating to the environment and how different things affect the environment,” Keep Colorado Green Club sponsor Nathan Chisholm shared.

Not only do club members simply discuss the topic of sustainability, but they also make sure that they are consistently taking action toward a better overall community. 

“We also do trash cleanups about once a quarter and are looking at invasive plant pullings in the future. We aim to educate about and help the environment, even in little ways,” co-president of the club junior Meena Lee noted.

The drive in itself was organized almost completely by students to help buy trees for the courtyard. Members of both clubs held a meeting to figure out which method would be best for a guaranteed good outcome, specifically with members, Sofia Hack, Meena Lee, Arya Kumar, and the president of the Biology Club, Elizabeth Rose. 

“We met up with the bio club to discuss a possible fundraiser. They mentioned that their plant sale last year had been successful, so we decided to repeat it,” Hack, the co-president of the Keep Colorado Green Club, remarked.  

Along with the favorable outcome of the fundraising aspect of the drive, both clubs successfully sparked the interest of students with the wide variety of plants sold at the stand. 

“We had a variety of indoor plants like cacti and African violets, as well as some outdoor perennials like pansies,” Lee explained.

With the purchase of these plants, students are recommended to use different care methods to guarantee the prosperity of every individual species. 

“For both indoor and outdoor [plants], every few days, stick a finger into the plant’s soil and if about the top inch is dry, it’s time to water. You can bottom water the plants by placing them in a dish of water for about 20 minutes. They’ll absorb what they need from the holes in the bottoms of their pots,” Lee continued.

In general, joining the environmental club here at AAHS is a great way for students to learn more about the world around them and what they can do to help. With this generation, it’s especially important to educate about sustainability to make the world a better place. The plant drive was a great way for members to help provide for their school and reach out to other students about the world of nature!