Kalven Owen and I both share a passion for nature and the environment, which led us to start the Students for Environmental Protection and Conservation (SEPC). We both agreed the school needed to improve its footprint. 

The process for starting the SEPC started with a lot of conversations about our goals and objectives for the club. The steps were super simple. “We worked to derive our goals and intentions and went from there. Building a base for our club and then working to make it a reality,” Owen explained. 

The goal of the SEPC is to have a group of tight-knit students who are passionate about the environment and apply that to the betterment of the school. We want to achieve this by creating lots of volunteer opportunities, donating to organizations dealing with climate change as well as conservation and creating ways to make the school become more eco-friendly. 

Owen and I knew we needed to find the perfect teacher to be an advisor. We wanted them to be as passionate and excited to start an environment club as we are. Considering our needs, we knew Aaron Dose would be the perfect fit. 

One of the biggest goals the SEPC has is to create a recycling plan for the High School. Owen explains the school’s problem, “the most prevalent [issue] is that it does not recycle, but throws out tons of possibly recycled materials. Instead of being recycled, they are piling up in landfills.”  

Overall, we just want the club to be a fun way to get students involved in activities while making an impact in the community. Spreading the message of appreciating nature and conservation is our intent. The steps we can make as a club could shape the future of the North Polk Community and the world as a whole. 

For anyone interested in joining the club, email [email protected] or come to the first SEPC meeting on March 3 in Dose’s room.