When a student is seen on the senior patio, soaking in the sun, they are also soaking in the work that has been funded by the Environmental Club, a fact many students do not know about. Christine Dearth is the new sponsor, and her mission of continuing to water the seeds of the club is just beginning. With Jessica Hunter’s step down from being the sponsor of PMHS’ Environmental Club, Dearth has stepped in to run it instead this year. And while many things may stay the same, Dearth has some exciting new changes planned for the future.
The Environmental Club was started by Hunter, “between 16 and 20 years ago because of the need for environmental consciousness,” Dearth said. “ She graciously stepped back [at the end of last year] and asked if I could step in, so it was one of those things where [Hunter] designated me [for the position]”. With Dearth’s new leadership, she has already begun making some changes in how the club functions.
The most prominent switch Environmental Club has made so far is that the members have begun to take hikes, their first one completed on Monday, August 25. They do not plan on stopping with just one. “First [they are] going to start on easy trails then progressively [get more difficult] so [they] can have some fun trips.” Revekah Mon, officer for the Environmental Club, said. The club has already taken one hike on a trail in a park around Greenwood, and the group plans to do “four or five big hikes this semester”, Dearth said. While on these hikes, the club tries to leave the earth better than they found it by cleaning up any trash they find along the hike. “Our goal will be to be good stewards of the land. If we see trash, we pick it up, if we see a problem, we try to fix it,” Dearth said.
A new point system is also being implemented into the structure of the Environmental Club. The system is similar to other clubs in PMHS, like Key Club, where members volunteer at school events for points. Members take photos of their volunteer efforts such as “going to football games and cleaning up the bleachers,” Dearth said. They later upload the photos of themselves to a Canvas assignment that will go towards volunteer hours. Members have already been seen at football games at PMHS to volunteer. Even at the Battle of the Birds on Aug. 29, students put aside the rivalry between Southport in order to pick up trash and food from both student sections of the bleachers. They also plan to walk in the Homecoming Parade on Sep. 19 after the floats to ensure clean streets after the exciting night.
While the new changes to the club are exciting for some, Dearth is most excited for Rock for the Earth, where students and teachers sing or play instruments on a stage in bands competitively for donations towards improving the school. This event has been a tradition that Dearth has participated in for the last 10 years, and the familiarity of it doesn’t take away from Dearth’s love of the event. “I think it’s always been the best thing we’ve ever offered in all of Perry Township,” Dearth said. The community coming together to support the school and the Earth is one of Dearth’s favorite aspects of the event, as well as the support that fosters from the crowd. “I’m tearing up just thinking about it, because it is just such a beautiful thing,” Dearth said.
Dearth’s passion for the environment has made her become a necessary piece of the Environmental Club, as her drive for the Earth has fostered the same ideas into the students as well. When asked why the Environmental club is important to PMHS, Dearth said, “I think it’s important to everyone because it’s the environment. It’s the only environment we get, and if we ruin it, we’re ruined. So we have to hopefully learn about taking care of the Earth so we can educate others about taking care of it.”
