Protecting the environment. Learning about the earth. Taking care of the Memorial Garden, cleaning Lady Bird Lake, and exploring caves. In Green Club, all of these initiatives are accompanied by friends and good times.

“It’s a really fun place to be for people who are like-minded and care about the earth as a whole,” co-president Aanandya Mittal said. “You really get to take action and take steps to preserve the earth and actually get to make a difference in the world while you’re still in school.”

Green Club is led by Mittal and Maya Bond and sponsored by science teacher Tina Vick. There are many projects outside of their recycling bin pickup in order to incorporate the diverse interests of their members.

“It’s a club where you can branch off and expand your own passion,” Mittal said.

For example, this year the club plans to do more art, including sculptures and murals. There is also a group within Green Club which Bond leads, the “Gardians,” for those who enjoy gardening. Members meet every Friday at 8 a.m. to take care of the Memorial Garden and courtyards.

“My favorite part of the club is coming together to take care of our environment,” Bond said. “I really like gardening and taking care of the campus.”

Among the regular responsibilities of the club is monitoring the caves which are under the courtyard of the school. The caves are home to the Texella Reyesi (harvestman spider), an endangered spider species.

“We go down into the caves and do cricket counts to check if the caves are still healthy,” Mittal said. “The spiders eat the crickets, so if there are enough crickets, the spider population will probably be healthy, too.”

Mittal and Bond, both juniors, said that their roles as co-presidents have taught them many leadership skills, including how to communicate effectively and motivate the other members. They also have learned about the environment through the club’s projects. For those interested in joining, Green Club meets in A203 from 4:15-5:15 p.m. every first and third Thursday of the month.

“Joining Green Club is good because you’re helping our environment, you’re helping our campus, and you’re helping yourself,” Bond said. “We have lots of volunteer opportunities. You feel good knowing you’re helping the environment.”