If you’re looking to get involved with volunteering in a way that helps our community, help improve the environment on a local level, and be in a group of dedicated people, think about joining Earthcorps. They’re often unappreciated and the work they do is sometimes taken for granted.

First of all, Earthcorps is actually entirely responsible for the compost and recycling at OHS. Without their valiant efforts, we as a school would be letting so many more recyclable materials go to waste. Being part of it means you can do something that directly benefits our community and the environment, and get volunteer hours at the same time. 

When asked about reasons one might want to join Earthcorps, club officer Maddie Holstrom stated, “Our advisor is super awesome, we bring food sometimes and just kind of goof off and have fun. I don’t think there’s really a reason not to do it.” She also noted that Earthcorps is a great way to get involved with environmental issues on a smaller scale, and join a group of “people who care about keeping our Olympia clean.”

But volunteering isn’t the only opportunity presented by Earthcorps. Around three times a year, the club makes a trip to Meyers Point, a sea research facility on Henderson Inlet. This area was previously used for cattle grazing, but since it was donated to the University of Washington in 1990, it’s been slowly transformed back into a healthy ecosystem with help from groups like Earthcorps. Club officer Alessandro Martinez stated “I like going out there, it’s fun. We have pizza and chat, and get to learn a lot of new things.”

They also offer a scholarship and “instead of buying stuff for themselves or the club, they wanted to use those resources to promote someone who wants to go into post-high school education in the field of something that will maintain and support our natural environment” noted Emily Carson, “I really commend them for using that money, instead of buying them all sweatshirts or whatever, they decided that a scholarship was more appropriate. The scholarship is 750 dollars and will go to someone with a 2.0 GPA or higher to help pay for college.

Having been around for more than 25 years, Earthcorps is a staple of Olympia High School often unrecognized for its contributions to our community. They meet Bear Time A in room 702, as well as after school on Fridays. If any of the above interests you, maybe you should take a look.