Club Spotlight: Environmental Awareness Club

Shown are Environmental Awareness Club members Sofia Martinez (from left), an environmental science senior and event coordinator; Andrew Nieto, a marketing senior and event coordinator; and Anthony Ho-Shing, an environmental science sophomore, during the Wild Campaign Weeding Day in November 2024.
PHOTO COURTESY ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS CLUB

The Environmental Awareness Club is a student-led organization dedicated to sustainability, environmental education and creating a more eco-friendly campus for everyone, according to the club’s president.

Founded in 2004, the club was established to give environmentally conscious students a space to take action and connect with others who share their passion for protecting the planet, said Apolonio Flores, president of the EAC.

The club meets from 3:30 to 5 p.m. every other Thursday in Liberal Arts Building North Room 109 on the Edinburg campus and welcomes students from all majors. Membership is free. Those interested can join through V Link.

Each session focuses on promoting sustainable habits, planning volunteer activities, and educating members about ongoing environmental issues, according to Serenity Flores, the club’s vice president.

Flores added members participate in a variety of projects, from campus cleanups and recycling drives to collaborations with local environmental groups.

Over the years, the club has worked closely with UTRGV’s grounds crew to promote greener campus practices. One of its biggest accomplishments was successfully campaigning to remove pesticides from campus landscaping. Members also organize regular “weeding days” to help maintain native plant areas and keep the grounds healthy without harmful chemicals, according to the EAC president.

The club is part of the Campus Climate Network, which provides resources and collaboration opportunities with other environmentally focused organizations across the country.

“I think a bigger part of what the club does is just [to] serve as a small part of a much wider initiative across the Valley to have a bigger appreciation toward green spaces and the really rare and unique ecosystems we have,” Flores said. “It serves as an entry point to a much wider battle for the protection of the environment here in the Valley.”

Andrew Nieto, the EAC event coordinator, said the club aims to raise awareness about these changes and inspire students to act. Many former members have gone on to work with local nature centers, start their own initiatives, or join larger environmental projects

Nieto added the club represents both community and education.

“I think I learned the most from this club in terms of our local ecology,” he said. “It really is a place for students to go in and llexplore the side of them that’s curious about nature.”

Nieto said he hopes the club leaves “an impression of action, of tangible progress. That we leave this university better than when we started it.”

“I’d like students to know that their voice matters,” Flores said. “There’s a lot we can do through collective action, not just through environmental work, but through any form of activism. As the Valley grows and changes, it’s up to us who live here to fight for what we believe in.”

Students interested in joining or learning more can visit the club’s V Link page or follow its Instagram @eac_utrgv.