[Student Reporters] Peninsula High School’s Audubon Club Focuses on Habitat Restoration
By Chelsea Lim, Peninsula High School, Grade 11
A television set can run for six hours with electricity that is saved by recycling one aluminum can. According to the Go Green Initiative, for every ton of paper that is recycled, the following is saved: 7,000 gallons of water, 380 gallons of oil, and enough electricity to power an average house for six months.
Seemingly insignificant actions- the recycling of a piece of paper or the use of a canvas tote bag- have far greater effects on the environment than many are aware of.
Responding to the ubiquitous need for more environmentally friendly practices, Peninsula High School’s Audubon Club takes steps to make the world a cleaner and more hospitable place.
An extension of the Audubon Society, a well-known environmental organization, this club molds students into responsible, environmentally-conscious individuals.
Our club mainly tackles habitat restoration. Madrona Marsh is a highly polluted, but crucial habitat that, if restored to natural conditions, will greatly improve the aesthetic beauty and biodiversity of our local community. This project has the potential of saving the lives of countless animals and native species,” said Co-President Vedika Kumar.
Through beach clean-ups, habitat restoration projects, tree plantings, and numerous other activities planned for the year, Audubon members are empowered with the ability to directly improve the quality of the environment.
Manu Vaish, an avid member and active participant in Audubon activities, said, “As teenagers, we need to realize that we are going to be inheriting this world very soon, and it will be up to us to clean it up. The least we can do is give back to the environment; I mean, we depend on it so highly, yet we are so willing to take it all for granted.”