Written by Neeza Singh, a high school student at Lafayette High School
When trying to visualize the life of a high school student, one would not normally expect to see greenhouses and environmental activism. However, in the fall of 2019, a group of Lafayette High School students decided to change that. Known formally as Green Student Union, this group of teenagers used nothing but their passion for the environment to create an activist club at their school - something that was previously missing.
In just a few short months, this coalition of about fifteen students worked tirelessly to spark change in multiple societies - including their own.
Green Student Union’s primary agenda is saving wildlife from the detrimental effects of urban sprawl and habitat loss. When they learned that there were small mammals such as rabbits becoming infested with poisonous larvae cells due to deforestation and habitat loss, they devised a plan. By collecting used mascara brushes from students across the entire Rockwood School District, these young activists aided wildlife conservation centers across the country.
The Appalachian Wildlife Refuge in North Carolina was one of the primary recipients of the brushes that these students collected. Using something as simple as makeup brushes to clean animals not only promoted the reusing of plastic materials, but it ended up saving lives--an essential goal for Friends of the Rainforest as well.
Today, Green Student Union is tackling a myriad of projects. Using advanced hydroponic technology, they have filled a greenhouse full of organic vegetables and are planning to donate this food to the food deserts in the St. Louis area. They have also recently joined
a global walk for water where they will fundraise to help people access clean water in developing countries. It is safe to say that these students always have the environment on their mind.
As the current president of Green Student Union, I am proud to announce my involvement with Friends of the Rainforest. Their dedication to preserving a vital part of nature along with the organisms that live inside of it is an inspiration to the students in Green Student Union as they continue to make an impact in their community.
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