Local Solidarity on Climate and Sustainability

Reported by Kathryn McClintock

From Sept. 20 to 27, people from Melbourne, Prague, Delhi, Portland and many other cities came together with a common goal. Worldwide, around 4 million people showed up to march, sign petitions, hold signs, and challenge their governments to do better regarding climate change. 

This was sparked by the climate summit in New York on Sept. 23 where citizens and politicians from all over the world gathered to plan their countries’ path towards the Paris Agreement’s lofty goals. 

A little closer to home, students from Newberg High School planted trees and rerouted a pathway to make way for a wetlands restoration project on Sept. 20. The nearby stream will eventually be converted back to its natural habitat and house diverse wildlife. This is not a new development for those who participated—the students taking Newberg High School’s ecology classes often do projects like this. 

Peter Siderius, teacher of horticulture, ecology, and biology at Newberg High School, has seen these student-driven enterprises first hand.

 “My ecology and agricultural natural science classes, and especially the ecology juniors and seniors, they take on projects and then see them through to completion,” Siderius said. “And so they investigate what they need to do to do the project. If they need funding, we write grants.… It’s about empowering them to do the things that need to be done.” 

Not only are these students learning valuable skills, they are repairing and caring for the environment one step at a time. 

One might wonder if students have a place on the streets, protesting or speaking with authority about the climate crisis. The hard work that the students from Newberg High School have done shows otherwise. 

“You guys are going to be the ones who are going to make a difference in the world,” said Siderius. “Really, what I do in all of my classes, no matter what I teach—horticulture, biology, ecology, or whatever—is…I want them to walk out with a skill set that is going to be of service [to] them when they leave.”

The earth’s wellbeing isn’t something that can only be looked after by those with advanced degrees or long life experience. No matter how old an individual is, he or she is an inhabitant of the planet, and contributes to the ecosystem as does any other agent. If those from a nearby high school can get involved, why not those studying at a university?

A student from George Fox University (GFU), Oz Bondar, went with his friend to the climate strike in Portland on Sept. 21. 

“Considering how much flora and fauna resides in our state, I think people who are studying in the Pacific Northwest should care a little bit more about the area that they’re living in,” Bondar said. 

GFU has a Stewards of Sustainability club that anyone can join, but as an institution, some feel the school can do better. “Bringing back the recycling program would be fantastic. Because I know there are a lot of people who are trying to collect things and bring it on their own time to their own places,” said Bondar.

Also involved with the tree planting on Sept. 20 was the Newberg Sustainable Solutions Group. Maryl Kunkel, chair of the group, says that it is open to everyone and that some activities, like writing to the Newberg Graphic and emailing the city council, are avenues open to college students with busy schedules. They meet every third Thursday of every month at 7:30-9 p.m. at the Springbrook Firehouse Community Room.