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Courtesy of David Liu

Sophomore Ellen Liu and senior Mekyle Vadych monitor a tree swallow box for bird activity with the Sea and Sage Audubon Society — a bird conservation organization based in Newport Beach — on April 2.

Millions of Americans gathered together to honor the planet and nurture the environment, celebrating Earth Day on April 22. Among these individuals were some Portola High students who made efforts to reduce their carbon footprint and protect wildlife in unique ways. 

Dedicated to raising awareness for ornithology — the scientific study of birds — the Birding Club commemorated Earth Day by partaking in a vital conservation activity: tree swallow box monitoring.

“One of the birds that we monitor, the tree swallows, are a specialized species of cavity nesters, which means they inhabit the cavities that come from dead trees,” president, founder and sophomore Ellen Liu said. “However, because this is an urban area, residents don’t like dead trees, so usually the city cuts them down. This reduces habitats for a lot of animals, so we monitor these boxes to help them not struggle to live.”

Founded in 2021, the Birding Club serves as a place for bird enthusiasts to meet and develop their interests, according to Liu.

“When my co-founder and I first looked at Portola High, we noticed there were a lot of biology clubs, but we wanted to specifically create a club where bird people could gather,” Liu said. “We wanted to bring that sense of community birds gave us to Portola and share our love of birds and our potential to directly help the environment.”

Liu said she plans on expanding the club’s reach by increasing publicity, incorporating guest speakers and planning more field activities. In this way, the Birding Club may establish itself as a meaningful contributor to the school community and the environment’s protection, according to Liu. 

Senior Katherine Martinez’s deep-rooted love for outdoor activities also inspired her to preserve the environment one step at a time. Influenced by her mother’s teachings to keep her surroundings litter-free, Martinez celebrated Earth Day by picking up trash everywhere she went and engineering the neglected findings into engaging sensory activities, according to Martinez.

She constructs her projects with ordinary objects such as water bottles, LEGO pieces and rubber bands, passing them on to special education students. 

“Doing little things like starting off by picking up litter that you see on the ground is a great way to contribute to the cause,” Martinez said. “So the most important thing for me is using some of that waste and making it into a new thing. Plastic bags from stores, plastic water bottles and rubber bands are all meant to be reused again and again.” 

Although Martinez values the celebration of Earth Day, she said she hopes that efforts to preserve the ecosystem extend beyond one day in April and last for years to come as more individuals take measures to reduce their carbon footprint. 

“I’m not sure what the future is going to look like, but there are definitely going to be some hurdles along the way with the environment,” Martinez said. “Taking care of the environment is a good way to start, and I am grateful for another day I can live on this planet.”