Crenshaw High School Eco Club

Members of the Eco Club at the 2nd Annual Survivor Challenge

The Crenshaw High School Eco Club in Los Angeles is a student organization dedicated to expanding students' knowledge of, respect for, and involvement with the natural environment through outings and community service to local, state, and national parks, while teaching others the importance of caring for our planet.

For over five years, the Eco Club has partnered with the Sierra Club to provide students the opportunity to get outdoors and experience the natural environment. Located within a community known for gang violence and other social problems associated with poverty, Crenshaw High School is the last remaining predominately African-American high school in Los Angeles.

Students hike in during a backpacking trip on Catalina Island.

For most students, the Eco Club has provided their introduction to the natural environment through its program of weekend day hikes and camping trips in the local mountains, expeditions to Yosemite and Yellowstone National Parks, and outdoor environmental service projects in the local community and area parks.

A first walk in the woods, trip to the beach, night spent in a tent, marshmallows roasted over a campfire, or getting wet wading a stream are just a few of many "first-time" experiences Eco Club members have shared. Community service projects, such as coastal cleanups, non-native invasive plant removal, and hiking trail maintenance, are a critical component of the Eco Club.

Bill Vanderberg, Crenshaw's Dean of Students and the Eco Club Faculty Advisor, comments, "I have seen first hand how outdoor experiences help hundreds of my students every year gain a sense of ownership and responsibility for their natural environment". Past members of the Eco Club have become mentors for current students, as well as going on to pursue studies in environmental science, citing their experience with the Eco Club as the spark that ignited their passion for the environment.

Eco Club News

Our Weekly: November 22-28, 2007
School club gives city kids a taste of outdoor life

Sierra Magazine: May/June 2007
Walk on the Wilshire Side

LA Weekly: Wednesday, November 29, 2006
Crenshaw High School Students Hike Through Los Angeles

Check Back Soon for More Photos from Eco Club Activities!