SANTA MARIA — Pioneer Valley High School Trailblazer Hiking and Environmental Club learned how important it is to keep pristine wilderness areas protected.
The Panthers recently hit the trails at the Arroyo Hondo Preserve in Gaviota on a docent-led hike with the Los Padres Forest Watch.
The school club encourages students to connect with nature through hiking, spending time outdoors and community service work such as helping to build and maintain trails at public recreational areas, according to advisors Jennifer Ogren and Kristina Sewell.
“It’s important to protect the wilderness because once it’s gone, it can never be retrieved,” Ogren and Sewell added. “We only have one earth, so it’s essential that we work to preserve it to the best of our abilities. And nature has treated us so well with all it has provided us, so why not show our appreciation by treating it with respect as well. In the long term, we hope that they would bring their families and friends on hikes and become advocates for the environment.”
Students, who described the adventure as “engaging”, have developed a real love for nature.
“My favorite thing about the hike was that I got to spend time with everyone and my friend,’’ said 9th grader Fatima Tejeda. “And it was very nice, calming, the sounds are relaxing. What I like about the club is that it’s fun and really nice.”
“I really enjoyed the sights we got to see on this hike and it was full of beautiful native plants and different parts of water that were shining from the sun,’’ said club president and senior Julia Vargas. “I enjoyed being surrounded by people that were happy to be there. We got to spend time outside in an environment that we should appreciate more. My favorite part of this club is being able to share how our members should be more aware of the battles our environment faces and how they need to do their part to do what they can to preserve it. I love to see how we can appreciate what we have on our earth today.”