Brandon Muncy
Kern Valley Sun

With their eyes toward a environmentally clean future, members of the South Fork Big Green Club strive to make their campus “green”.

In October, the South Fork Middle School students went to Camp KEEP, where they learned about recycling, as well as other ways to be environmentally friendly. Once they arrived back to campus, the work began and the South Fork Big Green Club was formed. “When we were at Camp KEEP, one of the big things the kids came home with is a desire to "make a difference" in their home and community,” said Big Green Club advisor Mary Ann Morgan, “I asked them if they would like to form a club so we could help each other make a difference... that desire became the South Fork Big Green Club.”

Members of the South Fork Big Green Club, along with advisor Mary Ann Morgan and Sheri Bowyer of Thomas Refuse, gather round recycling bins donated to the club by Thomas Refuse.

With the help of Thomas Refuse, the students are now able to recycle plastic, cardboard, aluminum, and paper. Thomas Refuse, a waste management business out of Lake Isabella, donated 6 bins to keep on the South Fork campus. “All of us at Thomas Refuse and Kern River Valley Recycling Center are ecstatic about the creation of the South Fork Big Green Club and their new endeavors,” said Sheri Bowyer, of Thomas Refuse, “After meeting these awesome students, I feel that their enthusiasm to recycle and make a difference in their school and community is amazing and something I hope spills over to the adults in their lives. We can all learn a lot from these students and I can’t wait to see them succeed.”

The students are not focused only on recycling, but also getting actively involved in community service projects. The club has even started a book drive, a project that will help them both raise money and recycling otherwise unused books. “What inspired me personally is, I wanted to help the environment and make a change,” said club member Ricky Moreno.

Members of the South Fork Big Green Club have a large goal, but they're taking steps to accomplish it. “All it takes is a couple seconds to make a big change,” reminded student MacKensie Eirich, “it doesn't seem like it's helping that much but it really is.”