Among the various clubs and activities at Chelsea High School (CHS) is the Arbor Club. This is a unique club devoted to some important goals and projects that play a part in everyone’s life at the school. The club recently undertook a big project to implement a new recycling program at the high school.
The Arbor Club at CHS is a student-led organization dedicated to promoting environmental sustainability, both within the school and the broader community. To learn more, the Sun Times News (STN) connected with them and posed some questions to the club’s co-presidents Mason Purdy and Caden Bubenhofer.
“Our main goal is to make CHS as green and eco-conscious as possible by reducing waste, encouraging sustainable practices, and maintaining meaningful outdoor spaces,” they said on behalf of the club.
The club is currently focused on several impactful initiatives:
● maintaining the CHS Alumni Arbor, a cherished natural space on campus, along with the Class Tree Garden, which commemorates each graduating class with its own planted tree.
● maintaining a student lending library, promoting reuse and shared learning resources.
● participating in community environmental service, such as the Fall Cleanup at the Chelsea District Library, to extend our impact beyond school grounds.
● implementing a school-wide recycling and composting system to reduce landfill waste and teach responsible waste management.
This last point on recycling took a big step forward when the club’s comprehensive recycling plan was approved by the school administration. The club is currently waiting on the arrival of an outdoor recycling collection bin, which will allow the high school to fully resume the program. This new system allows recycling to be done more efficiently as it involves student contribution, the club presidents said.
They said they’re working on a recycling and composting hybrid program to help make “CHS more sustainable and reduce the amount of waste we create every day.”
“Our goal is to make the school more environmentally friendly and get people thinking differently about how they impact the planet,” Purdy and Bubenhofer said.
The club is currently made up of a core group of about 10 dedicated students — led by Co-Presidents Purdy and Bubenhofer and advised by Holly Reiser and Shawn Sinacola. They meet regularly and take part in organizing and participating in events.
“While the group is small, the level of commitment and passion from its members is incredibly strong, and their work has already had a visible impact at CHS,” Purdy and Bubenhofer told STN. “We also have a lot of participation from other student groups within the school for our bigger events.”
At the end of the day the club exists for some simple reasons that can have a big impact. STN asked Purdy and Bubenhofer what students enjoy about being part of Arbor Club.
“Members say they love the hands-on work in nature, collaborating with other students who care deeply about the environment, and being part of something that directly helps their school and community.”
Photos courtesy of the CHS Arbor Club
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