What if a movement could be started by a single seed? The Gardening/Environmental Club at Prep is demonstrating how even the tiniest deeds may blossom into something remarkable.
The club, which was started in 2021 by Ms. Montoya, Mr. Ford, and Ms. Zanabria, has grown into a major force in community development, education, and environmental advocacy. The club is achieving its goal of preserving the environment and encouraging a love of nature in students through significant projects.
Over the years, the Gardening/Environmental Club has advanced remarkably, according to Ms. Zanabria, the club’s staff advisor.
“When we first started the club, we wanted kids to have fun and see the importance of their environment,” she said. “The fact that we were able to expand so much and so quickly is because of the enthusiasm of the students. I am very proud of all the work students have put in!”
The pollinator garden, which was created to support bees, butterflies, and other vital pollinators, is a focal point of the club’s activities. In addition to being a colorful addition to the school’s grounds, this garden is essential for fostering biodiversity. In order to ensure that the garden flourishes throughout the seasons, club members carefully chose native plants to draw pollinators. With students planting everything from potatoes to jalapenos, each season offers a fresh selection of crops.
“Everyone was so excited and motivated to create something cool,” said Prep senior and club member Anaya Hansford. “Whenever someone made something cool, the whole room would cheer them on—it created such a supportive and uplifting environment.”
This spirit of unity is in every facet of the Gardening/Environmental Club and the encouragement of one another supports the club’s main goal.
With innovative initiatives like flower and letter sales becoming a club characteristic, fundraising activities are part of the meetings encouraging collaboration. These initiatives inspire the club’s future plans as well as ongoing ones.
“I’m eager to see what this club will do in the future,” said club president Francesca Penaloza. “We have a ton of ideas for increasing our influence and inviting people to join.”
Members are kept engaged and inspired by the club’s bimonthly Friday meetings, which are devoted to planting, digging, and organizing future activities like fundraisers.
Expectations for this club’s future activities are still high as the group continues to flourish. Every duty, from coming up with eco-friendly ideas to tending to seedlings over the winter, demonstrates the club’s ideals that little actions can have a large impact. The club encourages the school community to participate in environmental protection by teaching members about the value of sustainability.
One seed, one student, one small action at a time—a brighter future for our planet is being built by the Gardening/Environmental Club.
