This year, the NHS Conservation Club has been very busy. Sponsored by Eric Gurule, the AP Environmental Science Teacher at NHS, the club has made strides in conservation efforts around the school.

One of the most obvious additions by the club is a sculpture in the shape of a butterfly located in the west-most courtyard. If the opportunity should arise, students should take the time to take a look at this new installment.

You may have also noticed that in each classroom, there is a recycling bin. There are also posters around the school informing students about the do’s and don’ts of recycling. Did you know that only approximately 10 percent of what people place in recycling bins can actually be recycled? What can’t be recycled usually ends up in a landfill or worse, dumped into the oceans, lakes, or streams where people get their water from. The Conservation Club hopes to do their part in recycling.

Like previous years, the Conservation Club also produced new benches made of recycled bottle caps from students and faculty. In total, the club was able to produce five new benches for the school out of 1,250 pounds of caps.

In the future, students can look forward to videos on the school’s daily news showcasing the newly opened courtyards, videos, and daily challenges for Earth Week in April, as well as instructional recycling videos on the daily news to reinforce the do’s and don’ts of recycling.