On April 22 — Earth Day — the Environmental Club held a school-wide cleanup and sold bracelets, buttons and recycled paper pencils at lunch to raise money for their latest projects.

Every day, we see trash all around us in places where it does not belong. Some think it is acceptable to throw their trash in random places such as rivers, playgrounds or parking lots. Luckily, members of the Environmental Club are making it their mission to reduce the amount of trash in our community.

The Environmental Club, sponsored by Science teacher Ms. Alyson Donoghue, has conducted many trash cleanups throughout the years. The club recently had multiple clean ups in and around Mt. Hebron’s storm water retention pond. Members picked up a lot of trash that would have ended up in the Patapsco River. Nearly 246 tons of trash is removed from the rivers of the Patapsco Watershed yearly. Along with cleanups around the school and in the Patapsco River, the Environmental Club has been involved with other activities to improve our school.

Members are planning a rain garden and butterfly garden for the small courtyard. In June, the club is going to be stenciling storm drains that will read, “Only rain down the drain” and “Chesapeake Bay Drainage.”

Storm drain stenciling advocates that storm drains are not like sinks and toilets. Everything that is washed into the drains goes straight to rivers and the ocean, while sink and toilet water goes into a sewer system where water is cleaned and trash is removed.

The butterfly garden allows butterflies to have a native and natural habitat for the rest of their lives. The butterflies help with pollination, so the garden has a symbiotic relationship with the butterflies.

“I think it is important to have this club. It shows how important our environment is and that we care about where we live,” said junior Arushi Dalal, a member of the club.

It is important that the trash from the ground is picked up; otherwise, it can be consumed by an animal, who could then suffer a lot of pain. The trash could also potentially kill the animal.

“We do these [trash cleanups] because we care about the environment and want to protect it for as long as possible,” said sophomore Aaron Chin, another club member. “Also, I find it interesting to find some strange things when picking up the trash.”

The Environmental Club is always looking for new members to join. They know that everyone can do his or her part to save the planet from pollution and other environmental issues.