Earth is home to every known living creature in the universe, and as technology advances along with the age of the world, it has become more important to take care of it. Brentwood High School is contributing to saving the Earth in their own way with their very own green club. The club is mostly student-run by the club president, Mackenzie Marentette. The Green Club has a teacher sponsor, Mr. Nikodym, who advises and oversees club activities. Mr. Nikodym and Marentette both had a few things to say about the club and how students get involved.

Mr. Nikodym first started the Green Club at Brentwood six years ago in middle school, and since then, the high school club has been on and off each year. Mr. Nikodym was involved in the Green Club 21 years ago at his old school, and he’s been part of school-wide sustainability project work with the U.S. Green Building Council. Nikodym believes the club is mostly about helping Brentwood become more sustainable in their everyday decisions. His club attempts to do this by maintaining native plant gardens and trying to educate the student body and staff on how to be more sustainable. Nikodym said that new things are beginning in Green Club, like getting the cafeteria to reduce the amount of styrofoam used and provide recycling at sporting events. The Green Club is also helping the cafeteria use local food sources wherever possible to reduce the amount of energy used for food. Nikodym mentioned to “join them because it’s open to anybody; all you have to do is come, but the meetings are irregular, so just talk to Mackenzie, the club president.”

Mackenzie Marentette is the head of Green Club for this year, and she has been involved in Green Club since middle school. For her, the Green Club is all about doing all they can to better the environment. They have made strides in getting recycling done by getting recycling bins around the school, composting, planting a native Missouri garden, getting plastic trays in the cafeteria instead of styrofoam, and educating others about how to reduce waste.

Marentette said new things to Green Club this year are more opportunities to do things within the school like the changing of the trays and the beginning of composting again. She hopes for the future of Green Club that they continue to help the planet as much as they possibly can, whether that be more educational presentations in front of the school or more hands-on projects like planting more gardens. To join the Green Club, you must let Mr. Nikodym or Marentette know that you want to join the club, and then you can be added to their clubs group me. Marentette said that “If you have any other questions, please let her know.”

Taking care of the Earth is vital for all human beings, so it’s key for everyone to come together, not just as a school but also a community to do our part.