January 13, 2025 by Allison Richard (‘26)
As a recent member of the Toga Naturalist Club, I have felt this group is one of our school’s most appealing and beneficial clubs. Upon arrival to my first meeting, everyone was extremely welcoming and I recognized many faces I had not known were existing members. The time commitment per meeting was very low and fit in great with my schedule, allowing me to get in volunteer hours and attend my after school commitments as well. It is safe to say this has been a wonderful addition to my life as well as to other vital members.
The main goal of this club is to reduce Saratoga Spring High School’s and our community’s overall waste through the process of recycling, and bit by bit, earn funding through the NY state 5 cent bottle system. Some bottles and cans can be exchanged at a local center (ex. Hannaford, Price chopper,) for a 5 cent reward. The club meets most Mondays after school in the cafeteria, where members venture the hallways and separate the redeemable cans from the miscellaneous recyclables. The leading members use the profits gained from this system to fund club trips and activities.
The current presidents are Leo Peter and Elisabeth (Ella) Cuneo, who have provided insight on their roles and experiences in the naturalists club. Ella has said that she always felt a strong attachment to the natural environment, and recycling seemed like the best way to positively benefit our community and its environment, so she decided to step up to a leadership position in this club. Leo said that he was voted Treasurer as a junior, and the other officers were all seniors. With the officers all graduating, he had felt inspired by his previous experiences to step up to the role, and they had learned to love the club more than they ever could have expected.
Both Leo and Ella had seen an astounding amount of reduced waste over their time in the naturalists club, with over tens of thousands of gallons worth of plastic recycled per year! Cuneo mentioned the social norms for recycling have improved schoolwide, and said “I have seen a heightened awareness of recycling norms, like how to recycle, what to recycle, and I have definitely seen kids that otherwise might not have been so involved in our community reach out to help.” She explained that the club has brought new volunteering opportunities to those who had no prior volunteering experience.
Peter and Cuneo have many favorite events resulting from the bottles and cans funding, however, thought the Christmas party brought the most fun! Similarly, the club plans to go ice skating in the near future, allowing members a great time, team bonding, and a memory that they will look back on fondly. Leo described an indescribable feeling mutually shared by members as a result of the fun had during the club hours.
The concept might not seem thrilling to those unaffiliated, but the “recycling rounds” throughout the school provide a time to have fun and socialize with your friends all while doing something good for our school,community and earth! Another alluring factor to new members is the volunteer hours, as each meeting counts for one hour applicable to NHS and other school societies, as well as the fact that it looks great on college applications.
Both presidents have expressed the club’s effect on other parts of their lives. They said they both have met so many new people and improved their leadership skills, as well as involving them in the areas of sustainability and climate change. They have expressed the hope to bring what they have learned with them into college and life after. “Rewards lie in hard work, and this dedication has gained me connections with people I would have never known, allowing me to build trust and feel supported as a rising college student” replied Peter.
The commitments as a naturalist president include weekly meetings with the entirety of the club, as well as meetings for planning and connecting with local sustainability organizations. According to Cuneo, these commitments have encouraged her desire to make the school as environmentally friendly as possible. She has also learned to love seeing others enjoy this too. Leo has enjoyed personally designing the club mascots and educating people further on the importance of sustainability.
“Education, education, education. Did you know there are eight different ways something can be ‘recyclable?’ I definitely didn’t. Also, all it takes is one wrong item to invalidate an entire bin of recycling. All it takes is one mistake, so educating yourselves and learning how to avoid those mistakes really does help everyone out.”—Leo Peter
“Climate Change is more important than ever today, with the effects of it being felt all around the world. I want to raise awareness about its effects on vulnerable communities and to remind people that just because you aren’t experiencing the effects doesn’t mean people around the world aren’t suffering from the negligence of our leaders. America has such a beautiful and diverse natural landscape, and I hope that one day we elect leaders who pledge to protect it before it’s too late.”—Ella Cuneo
photo source: @toga_naturalistclub