The Coronado High School Emerald Keepers Club has certainly made an impact in their first few years. The club itself is a part of the larger local organization, Emerald Keepers. Emerald Keepers is a grassroots nonprofit that strives to make Coronado a sustainability role model for other communities.
The CHS club has left their mark on Coronado by making a community garden behind the CHS football field bleachers adjacent to the Village Elementary School playground.
Club Meetings
The club’s garden is constantly blooming with new vegetables, flowers, herbs, and more. In the lot there are two trees that grow fruit as well. The club members gathered once again on February 4th to start harvesting and tending to their lush garden.
Currently the club is growing lettuce, beets, mint, strawberries, sweet peas, carrots, potatoes, and onions. Seeds were planted during the recent meeting since the bins were empty after harvesting the lettuce. Those seeds will soon grow into beets and more lettuce.
Students can help out at the garden every other Saturday from 11:30 am to 1 pm. These club meetings are a fun way to get out in the sun (with sunscreen!) and grow your green thumb. During these meetings Emerald Keepers tend to the garden, turn the compost, water the plants, and harvest. While club members do work around the garden there is music playing and snacks to enjoy. Jesse Hill, current club president and a CHS senior, says that “…there is such a strong sense of camaraderie in the garden as a product of working together for a common goal.”
Additionally the club has donated all their harvested food products so far to Neighborhood House Association.
Emerald Keepers Internships
The opportunity for an Emerald Keepers internship was the outcome of some ambitious students who wanted to work closer with the Emerald Keepers organization. Interns are able to work on projects directly with the organization. One example is the Emerald Green Ocean Classrooms, which is “where you go to the elementary classes and educate them on how to keep their environment and community safe,” says CHS senior Emily Kuite, current club vice president.
Interns are able to lead their own projects in the Coronado community that focus on whatever aspect of sustainability they choose. Internships are available for club members and high school students. As an intern you are required to reach a minimum of 18 hours per school semester. Club meetings at the garden count for hours too. The current fifteen interns are working on bringing composting and recycling to Coronado High School. As well as being a fun way to do community service, the internship looks great on college applications if you show true investment in it.
Why One Should Join Emerald Keepers
Emerald Keepers is a fantastic organization to associate yourself with, during your time in high school and out. “I would recommend all students and community members join Emerald Keepers because it is such a great way to facilitate change and take part in protecting our amazing beach community, and Earth itself,” says Hill. Everyone must do their part in helping the Earth and that is this organization’s belief as well. “Overall, Emerald Keepers is an insanely rewarding program that I have been lucky enough to see grow for the last four years, and it is a great and fun way to give back to your community,” says Kuite. The organization has accomplished so much and you could be part of the change they help make.
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