This semester the Southwestern College Environmental Club reestablished ties with the Tijuana River National Estuarine Reserve in Imperial Beach. As part of their mission to protect the environment through involvement in community-based projects, club members took part in the ongoing habitat restoration effort organized by the TRNERR Stewardship Volunteer Program. Members put on their work gloves and spent the day uprooting invasive plant species and replacing them with native gardens to better serve as homes for the local wildlife.
More than 370 species of birds, rabbits, snakes, coyotes, and other animals inhabit the Tijuana River Estuary. A key stopover point on the Pacific Flyway, the site is an essential breeding, feeding and nesting ground for migratory birds. The refuge area is one of the few remaining salt marshes in California that has not been lost to development. Sewage contamination as a result of runoff from the Tijuana River into the Pacific Ocean has led to frequent beach closures and continues to be an issue of controversy. In 2010, Imperial Beach was closed for 78 days and Border Field State Park for 239 days.
Political science professor Alma Aguilar has been the faculty advisor for the club on and off since its inception in 1996. Along with physical science professor Shery Medler, Aguilar founded the club to serve as a bridge for students coming from their team-taught course that explores topics in environmental ethics, politics and economics. Titled “Our Global Future: Values for Survival,” the course invites students to “develop a more harmonious worldview and social consciousness focused on environmental sustainability.”
“The class encourages discussion among students to try to connect the dots between science, politics and economic aspects,” said Aguilar. “The club combines the learning with actual participation and gives students the opportunity to make a difference in a real way.”
Club President Marlene Moran, an international relationships major, first discovered her passion for the environment when she was in high school. She said the course was an eye opener for her and inspired her to take charge in establishing the club charter for the semester.
“Everything the class taught me got me to think about where our own actions are leading us and why we have not done anything about it,” Moran said.
Several on-campus events to increase environmental awareness are in the works for next Spring, including an e-waste recycling effort and an eco-film festival during the month of April in celebration of Earth Day.
“Bringing environmental consciousness not only to the school but to the surrounding community is a big thing,” said Vice President Andrea Martino, who created and is responsible for updating their Facebook and Twitter pages. She said the club is also organizing a street canvassing project to strengthen their presence among students and Chula Vista residents alike.
“The challenge is to try to come up with events that will be designed to allow for the greatest participation possible,” said Aguilar. “Hopefully, these events will get us thinking, talking and dialoguing about the environment.”
