Eco-friendly Samo clubs

The environmental walkout on September 20, led by Samo activists, shed light on climate change issues and inspired many students to take action. While many students have already been working to save our environment, Samo clubs Team Marine, One Swap at a Time and Heal the Bay share the common goal of saving the environment. Team Marine Team Marine is an environmental advocacy and scientific research group focused on promoting awareness about different environmental issues and fostering change at the district, local and state levels. Formed in 2006 by several students who were taking science teacher Benjamin Kay’s biology class, the group started as a small competition team, first entering the Quick Science Challenge sponsored by Quiksilver Foundation and USC. “It was obviously a science-based competition, but it also had a conservation and stewardship kind of theme, so we decided to form a team that year and enter the competition. And the rest was history,” Kay said. Kay is the “coach” of Team Marine and the club meets in his classroom, I215, on Mondays and Thursdays at lunch. Most recently, the group produced the Climate Action Assembly in Barnum Hall on Sept. 20 attended by approximately 1000 Samo students and faculty. At first they encouraged students to walk out and join the protest in Downtown LA that took place on the same day.  However, the number of students who could not miss school to attend the rally inspired the group to host the assembly. They also wanted to encourage more widespread student participation in demanding action to prevent further climate change. Although the group has been heavily involved in the school strike movement, Fridays for Future, they vary the types of advocacy projects they participate in. Several years ago, they converted a 1970’s Volkswagen Beetle into an all-electric car.  Apart from advocacy, Team Marine also focuses on scientific research. For example, last school year they began a brand audit of plastic waste collected during beach cleanups. This study aimed to expose the brands of commercial products that were contributing the most to plastic pollution near oceans. The current group is planning to maintain the club’s identity as a competition team. In June,  they entered Bow Seat Marine Debris Creative Advocacy Competition, results for which are set to be announced later this month.  Since 2006, the group has developed an outstanding track record, begging the question of how they manage to be successful year after year. According to a prominent member of Team Marine, Homberg Reissmeier (’21), a few factors that lead to their success include their collaboration as a team, the fact that no positions exist, so members each have equal opportunity to contribute to the club and their passion for their cause.  “We are a team. We are only as strong as our weakest members, and we succeed the most when we all help each other and work as one...Additionally, we are fighting for a fantastic cause: the health of humanity, endangered species and the oceans. Seeing ourselves as keepers of the planet is something that empowers us and enables us to go out and inspire others,” Reissmeier said.  One Swap at a TimeOne Swap at a Time is a club at Samo focused on helping people find ways to live sustainably through environmental projects that relate to their passions. Sophomore Carys Mackenzie (’22) was inspired to start the club after hearing environmental activist, entrepreneur and blogger, Lauren Zinger, talk about zero waste in a Ted Talk. “[One of our focuses is] helping people gain public speaking skills when it comes to this matter because that is really important. We are really focused on giving resources [that help individuals spread a zero-waste lifestyle],” Mackenzie said.  For example, according to Mackenzie, if someone enjoys baking they could organize a vegan baked goods pop-up at the promenade. One Swap at a Time would help this student plan and execute project like this.  The club is trying to help Samo students create a zero-waste lifestyle by teaching them ways to become more sustainable. The club does presentations at SMMUSD middle and elementary schools to inform students on changes they can make in their daily lives that will have positive impacts on the environment. They hope that these students will pass on their new, sustainable habits to close friends and family. After hearing the presentations, several students at Lincoln Middle School have begun to go zero waste and transition their diets into more plant-based ones. This year, One Swap at a Time is hoping to speak at Will Rogers Elementary School as well as hold an assembly at Franklin Elementary School. Akin to Team Marine, the group is waiting on results from the Bow Seat Competition. Their submission was a film and essay about the presentations they gave to the middle and elementary schools. The 1st place winner receives $5,000, and in the event One Swap at a Time wins, they plan on using the money to fund future events.  One Swap at a Time looks forward to continuing their sustainable efforts and welcomes all Samo students to join their club which meets in room H214 on Fridays.  Heal the Bay Club Samo’s Heal the Bay Club partners with the Heal the Bay organization, the Santa Monica based non-profit and environmental advocacy organization, focused on protecting the beaches of Southern California. Members of the club volunteer at the Heal the Bay Aquarium on the Santa Monica Pier and participate in monthly beach cleanups. The club meets in room I207 on Tuesdays at lunch.  The current president Riley Masterson (’21) is not only passionate about the club itself, but also about encouraging others to share the desire to protect our oceans.  “My favorite part is seeing our meeting turnouts and seeing all of the people that care about the environment,” Masterson said.  In addition to volunteering at aquariums and beaches, the club partakes in sustainable projects. For example, last year, Heal the Bay club put paper bags in teachers’ rooms where they collected empty plastic water bottles that students threw away. They then took the bags to the recycling centers themselves because a lot of trash does not end up getting recycled at school.   Currently, the club is working on donating menstrual cups to local womens’ shelters because many homeless women are unable to afford adequate feminine hygiene products. Additionally, menstrual cups are an environmentally-friendly alternative to conventional period products that do not have to be repurchased for years. Heal the Bay is also collaborating with Terracycle, a private recycling company based in the U.S., on an upcoming recycling project.  The Heal the Bay club will continue to volunteer at beach clean ups as well as work on their ocean friendly projects and welcomes Samo students to join them in their efforts to protect our oceans.