Get Involved: Lorax Members Speak for the Trees

Sunderland Elementary students at last year’s Wonders of the Earth Day run by Lorax members.

Chemistry teacher Mrs. Robin Clites excitedly tells her students what today is, it’s WOE Day. She is excited because she is sponsor of the Lorax Club, Northern High School’s Green Team club that fights for the environment. Wonders of the Earth Day, or WOE Day, is an event every spring at which students from Northern bring in Sunderland Elementary school’s third graders to participate in fun activities focused around recycling and helping the environment.

“My favorite activity is WOE Day, when we bring the third graders in from Sunderland.” says Senior Will Knowles, the club president. On WOE Day, Lorax Club members assist the third graders in activities including hikes, face painting, recycling games, acting out the Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax , and walks in the stream. “Last year, I had a lot of fun at WOE day. I really liked acting out The Lorax and looking for life in the stream,” said fourth grader Cody Baxa.

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s cabin in the middle of the Bay which the Lorax visits in the spring.

Throughout the school, recycling bins labeled “Lorax” can be found. Provided by the Lorax Club, the bins are an attempt to get teachers and students more aware of recycling and the importance of it. The group members visit classes weekly to pick up recyclables.

Toward the end of each year, the club takes a field trip with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation to either Fox or Smith Island, both of which are small islands in the Chesapeake Bay. “One day on the field trip, we’d been spotting dolphins from a distance, we went back to the boat to pick up crab pots and a school of dolphins had come to play,” said Clites. This was her favorite experience on the Fox/Smith Island field trips.

Lorax students on their boat during last year’s Fox Island trip.

Knowles said he likes going “marshmucking” while on these trips. “We go play in the mud,” he explained. Fox Island is a tiny speck of land in the Bay on which the Bay Foundation operates a small cabin.

“I am close with many members, and I still talk to some of the old ones,” said Clites. She absolutely loves watching the club members work together to make a difference, and watching them have fun with what they do. This club can also greatly benefit students by helping them get the service learning hours they need to graduate. You can earn one service hour per week just be attending meetings. By the end of the year, you can end up with about 32 hours credit.

Whales spotted by the group.

In addition to collecting recycled items from around the school and cleaning highways and beaches, at the end of last year the group collected lightly used binders and notebooks to donate. The club also participates in events like the wall decoration for Homecoming, holiday parties, America Recycles Day, and Earth Week activities. The Lorax Club meets Tuesdays after school for 45 minutes to an hour if you are interested in what they do.

Lorax students picnicking for dinner on the deck of the Fox Island cabin.

– Erika Baxa and Seth Grimwood, The Patriot Press

 

Skip to toolbar