The environmental club is one of the many clubs offered at Oviedo High School. Helping keep students engaged in education on the changes to our globe, this club aims to get the campus involved in environmental awareness.  

Beginning last year, it was quickly disbanded due to issues with the old sponsor, and because the club was run by seniors who all have recently graduated. This year, Carla Chavez Ramirez, sophomore, decided to reconnect this abandoned club with a new sponsor, Kristen Jones, and secretary Brielle Friedman.

Jones, a biology teacher, discussed how the club was brought back up.

“I was approached last year by a student, Carla Chavez, who is very enthusiastic about sustainability and things like that… She wanted to keep it going, so she asked me to support it,” Jones said.

Unlike most clubs, the Environmental Club sponsor does not run the club for the students. Most club sponsors act as a chaperone for the kids, but Jones explained

“Last year the sponsor wasn’t super involved, and when I spoke to Carla, she said she wanted a more student-based club,” said Jones.

The secretary of the Environmental Club, Brielle Friedman, a senior, explained what their job means and how they help with educating the rest of the club on environmental issues. 

“Usually we’ll do a little project or watch a documentary too,” Friedman said. “In meetings, we’ll usually talk about future events, when our next meetings are or cleanups that are coming up.” 

On the topic of future plans, Friedman mentioned a project the club is attempting to put into action at Cocoa Beach.

“We’re planning to have multiple cleanups throughout the year, along with two big cleanups, and we’re aiming to help clean up a local beach… Cocoa Beach, and that will be sometime later in the year.” Friedman said.

The relationships officer of the club, Eric Stack-Thomas, a sophomore, is the person who creates connections with other clubs or organizations, making alliances in the community of clubs at OHS. 

“I interact with other clubs in the communities around Oviedo, and we try to collaborate to help with the environment. … For example, I found Adopt-a-Highway that is open, so my job would be to reach out to them and see how the club can help out with the highway,” Stack-Thomas said.

Stack-Thomas described who the club focuses on collaborating with and upcoming club events.

“We collaborate with clubs around Oviedo … [We] were planning a cleanup with the Robotics Club, but I’m sure if the group wanted to, we could collaborate with groups around Oviedo, and we’ve talked about collaborating with small businesses and other places,” Stack-Thomas said.

The Environmental Club plans to continue spreading their positive environmental impact and inspire more to make an efficient ecological effect around Oviedo.