As the cozy spring starts to engulf the Midwest, the gardening club begins to welcome this season with open arms. The gardening club is composed of a group of Westview students who have a passion for living sustainably.

The sponsor, Mrs. Lee Stover, is a fellow sustainability teacher at Westview High. She decided to bring these ideals from Burke High, which originally started 5 years ago, in 2019. Known as the Green Club to the bulldog students, it quickly rose in popularity due to all the hands-on projects.

Mrs. Stover provided the kids with several lessons outside, community projects, and valuable life lessons. Some of the previous lessons that she looks forward to implementing here at Westview High are painting rocks, forming a farmer’market for the business pathway, teaching students how to cook with vegetables properly, and eventually becoming a certified pollinator space of Nebraska.

Becoming a certified pollinator space does require some grit work, but nothing too hard for the community of the Wolverines.

Firstly, the garden must have native pollinator plants of Nebraska, which includes milkweeds, butterfly bushes, wild strawberries, and more. This selection is so vital to the environment because they are carbon syncs. In short, carbon syncs take carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and put them back into the ground, through the plants.

In addition to this, the garden must have at least one plant that blooms each season, and 25 plants or more in total. A big selection of plants means a big plot of space – specifically, 40×40 feet space.

Although, she can’t do it alone – she needs help from the student body.

Mrs. Stover says, “If you love nature, or want to learn more about how nature works, Gardening Club is the place for you!”

Some students have even said that it has inspired them for creative writing such as poetry. A common misconception about Gardening Club is that it is solely only gardening, or that a participant needs experience. In both cases, it’s a no.

Not only is the Gardening Club an open space for students from any ranges of experience, it also offers volunteer hours for those who may need it for certain application that has a volunteer requirement.

Don’t fret if you’re worried that it might be too late to join the Gardening Club; they are currently only getting seeds planted and laying down the gardening beds. It is a small, but mighty group that meets every Tuesday and Thursday in room 111 after school, at 3:15. If you have any extra questions, contact Mrs. Stover.