One of the defining features of St. X is the brotherhood, which is expressed in a multitude of ways, both in and outside the classroom. Clubs are the perfect way to express this Xavierian brotherhood, and meet new people that share your similar interests. Every year, new clubs are created that have little to no recognition, and today I’m going to be highlighting one that I’m a part of that lacks the recognition it deserves.
Previously inactive, the Environmental Club was brought back by Mr. Mann and a group of students passionate about learning about and protecting nature. As one of the founding members, I’m proud to co-lead the club alongside William Norris, with Mr. Mann and Mrs. Meirose serving as faculty moderators.
Our goal is to seek the betterment of both the St. X campus as well as the nature in Louisville as a whole. We do so by organizing campus clean ups, as well as planting various plants and gardens around St. X. We have also began collaborating with Louisville msd, a company that specializes in creating safe, clean waterways around the city.
With msd, the Environmental club plans on cleaning up trash found at Beargrass Creek, a vital waterway that runs through our campus. After surveying the area back in December, we found lots of empty bottles, cans, and other trash polluting the water.
In addition to cleaning up trash, we are currently working on a survey of the school to see how environmentally friendly or “green” we are. This survey comes in the form of a multi-page packet where we visit different parts of the school and report different aspects that relate to the environment.
The Environmental Club also has hosted various speakers that discuss topics related to nature like birds, natural fires, or water treatment.
One of my favorite aspects of the club are the walks that we often go on. These walks often occur in George Rogers Clark Park, and they usually feature a plant or wildlife that we look for. The two types of walks we have had so far are bird walks and tree walks. In bird walks, we look for and identify different types of birds using mobile apps. During tree walks, a designated guide (either Mr. Mann or a student leader) helps to identify tree species, as well as explaining how to spot these species out in our daily lives.
Currently, there are only around 8 members of the environmental club, and most of us are seniors. It is honestly one of the most fun extracurriculars that I’ve been apart of during my time at St. X. However, since the club is mainly comprised of seniors, there will hardly be anyone left next year. I implore everyone to consider signing up to keep this great club thriving after we leave.
The Environmental Club meets every Tuesday in room 524 directly after school, and it is open to absolutely anyone. To sign up, just show up to one of the meetings or email Mr. Mann ([email protected]) or Mrs. Meirose ([email protected])
