Going Green: An Interview with Parker School’s Conservation Club

Welcome to the second installment of Club Spotlight, a series where we highlight Parker School’s amazing clubs through interviews with their leaders and/or supervisors. This week, we’re diving into Conservation Club, a student-led group dedicated to sustainability, environmental awareness, and making Hawai’i a greener place. In this article, we sit down with the club’s leaders to explore its goals, initiatives, and more. If you’re interested in learning about this club or how to get involved, this article is for you!

Can you start by telling us a little about Conservation Club?

CC: Conservation Club is all about learning how to protect, preserve, and get involved with Hawai’i’s unique and imperiled environment. Members are driven to make change on and off of Parker School’s campus. 

Who runs Conservation Club here at Parker?

CC: Isabel Camp, Kai Garcia-Tobar, and Toby Gordan are the dedicated leaders of the Conservation Club, Ms. Mannion is our supervisor. 

What kinds of projects or activities does Conservation Club do throughout the year?

CC: We love volunteering for conservation organizations around the island. We love planting trees, and have done so at Waikōloa Dry Forest Initiative and Nāpu’u Conservation Project. We have also helped Waimea Trails and Greenways on their Saturday workdays. We also frequently invite guest speakers to come in and talk about what they do to conserve Hawai’i’s native biodiversity. 

For students who may be interested, how often do you meet, and what’s a typical meeting like?

CC: We meet every Wednesday at 11:30 A.M in room 37. A typical meeting consists of briefing members on upcoming volunteer opportunities in the community, engaging in discussions to learn about different types and areas of conservation, and occasionally hosting guest speakers from the community. 

This sounds so interesting! What would you say the main goal of Conservation Club is?

CC: Our mission is to bring awareness to the importance of conservation, specifically in Hawai’i. We strive to educate people about the problems our ecosystems and their creatures so that we can work towards conserving and restoring what is left. 

What’s the most fun part of being in your club?

CC: Let's just say there isn’t much that’s not fun about our club!

Why should someone join Conservation Club if they’re thinking about it?

CC: Anyone and everyone should join the Conservation Club if they have a passion for the outdoors, learning about the environment, and doing hands-on restoration work. Prior experience isn’t necessary!

If Conservation Club were stranded on a deserted island, what’s the first thing you’d all do?

CC: Our club would find the most sustainable food sources on the island. For example, we would take just enough fish from the ocean to feed ourselves, and nothing more. And, we would eat coconuts because they are a very sustainable food source. We would also identify any environmental issues that the island may have, and find ways to solve them. Then, upon being rescued, we would make sure to remove any evidence of us living on that island, leaving no trace.