Even though we have been stuck at home, Green Club has been making the best of it by coming up with creative ideas to help our community. One of our big projects has been tracking and picking up litter in our community. We were curious to learn more about why people litter and what we can do to help prevent it. As a club we noticed that public green spaces like Rock Cut and Prairie Fields had more trash than other spaces like malls or shops. This may be because of the lack of garbage cans available at these sites. One of our goals is to try and get more waste bins into these spaces so people think twice instead of litter. 

Another hot topic we have been discussing was ways to make our school greener. We have brainstormed ideas about getting attachments for the water fountains so people can fill up their water bottles or even get a compost bin in the cafeteria. A compost bin is somewhere that organic waste like fruits and vegetables can be broken down into soil to be recycled back into the earth.  

Volunteerism is another way to help make a change in a community. The Boone County Conservation District has many beautifying opportunities. One virtual opportunity is doing research for them. If you visit their website you can sign up and they will give you a topic that needs to be researched. An in person opportunity is to help with their prairie restoration in the spring. Just visit the conservation district website to sign up for these fantastic experiences to learn about and help your local wildlife. 

As you can tell Green Club has been very busy these last few months. We are committed to making Belvidere a more beautiful place to live, and make green spaces more accessible. Education is one of the many ways to make a change in others around you.