Green Conservation Group (GCG) Club is an NEIU club that highlights the nature around NEIU, with one future project involving converting two abandoned tennis courts into a community garden. Stephanie Urenda, Vice President of GCG Club and undergraduate in Environmental Studies, spoke to the Independent on Sept. 13, 2023 about the club.
NEIU students may have already grown familiar with the Green Fee, which costs $3 per semester for all students. GCG Club has been actively involved in its role of the Green Fee for several years now.
GCG Club provides two student representatives to the Green Fee Committee (GFC) every year out of a total of nine members that serve on the committee. The nine members of the GFC are composed of students, staff and faculty. The two GCG Club members on the GFC play a key role in allocating funds for campus environmental initiatives.
Being on the GFC is a year-long commitment that allows students to have a say in how the funds get spent for environmental projects and initiatives. The GFC votes on proposals and decides which sustainability and environmental improvements get put into action. The campus, surrounding community and the environment are all considerations that the GFC uses to decide which improvements to initiate.
Beyond serving on the GFC, a few of the projects that GCG Club members actively get involved in would be a Nature Ambassador Program, trimming and burning invasive plant species, cutting invasive trees and converting the old abandoned tennis courts into a community garden.
The location of the Tennis Courts is behind the Physical Education Complex and adjacent to North St. Louis Avenue. The NEIU campus has a total of five tennis courts, and while three of them are actively being used to play tennis by community members, the two in the back are currently being converted into community gardens.
According to Urenda, the largest focus of the garden is removing weeds, getting supplies, building more raised garden beds and ultimately holding an inaugural event upon completion. The desire for the completed project is expected to have picnic tables, benches, garden beds, thriving vegetation and blossoming fruit and vegetable plants. Long-term goals include hosting events, picnics and study sessions for students to enjoy the space. When asked about the club’s most significant achievement, Urenda responded, “I think when [the garden] is done, it’ll be a big thing. It’s going to be another area for people to go to, and then it’s going to provide food.” Urenda would like the food that is grown in the garden to be donated to NEIU’s Student Pantry. Also, the benefits of the garden will be not only for students but for anybody in the community who may be experiencing food insecurity. Urenda proudly admitted how they want the garden to be a lasting legacy of GCG Club for years to come.
The organization of the club’s officer positions include president and vice president with a need for secretary, treasurer and social media manager. Urenda says, “So mainly, I’m just there to support the president, [and] the roles that we have right now are pretty equal.” Urenda also admitted, “I went into the role [of Vice President] because there weren’t many people there in the first place, and we just kind of needed someone in the meantime, [and] I like the idea of being involved with this club.” In order to stay on top of the club’s agenda of activities and events, GCG is trying to organize events and try to get more people to be part of the club. Urenda emphasized how there is no need to be knowledgeable or be an expert on environmental issues to be a part of this club.
The community garden is going to take a while to complete. “Realistically, it’s probably going to take more than the end of the year because we wanted to do that last year,” says Urenda, “We did put in a proposal last year for the [GFC], and so they should be giving us money to get a shed, picnic tables, tools, and then more [raised] garden beds.”
The GCG Club currently gets funds from the semesterly club allotment, fundraisers and green fee proposals. “We’re trying to bring an outside source to come in and help with the maintenance of it, especially during the summer because no one’s really here in the summer,” says Urenda, “But it seems more long-term at this point.” Non-students and community members are encouraged to help with the garden. Student organizations can sponsor a garden bed and can paint and decorate wooden beds with their messages, logos, and designs to make them appealing.
Another activity that club members took part in is Cook County’s Forest Preserve’s Nature Ambassador Program, which allows students to learn about conservation tactics, volunteer, network and seek job opportunities and internships. Urenda encourages environmental science majors to join the forest preserve’s ambassador program that is running alongside the club’s activities. LaBagh Woods on Foster Avenue is the closest Cook County Forest Preserve to NEIU’s campus, which hosts the Nature Ambassador Program. GCG Club members will be participating in various nature activities there such as cutting, trimming and burning invasive flora. Forest preserves near Avondale’s El Centro and Bronzeville’s CCICS campuses are also under consideration. GCG Club hosted an hour-long training for becoming a Nature Ambassador on Sept. 26, 2023, with an additional training session as new members join the club. Some invasive flora that were identified as part of the training, are common buckthorn and Japanese honeysuckle. The idea behind the training is to learn, memorize a few simple concepts, gain experience and utilize the knowledge outdoors.
The sentiment is to make prospective club members more comfortable and be free from judgment. Making environmental and conservation efforts accessible and inclusive is important to Urenda. “I’ve done jobs and internships in the environmental field and you don’t really see a lot of people of color, [and] you don’t really see a lot of women.”
Urenda says the joy of taking part in outdoor environmental activities is “just presenting it as: you can make a change; it doesn’t matter how big or small, it’s a positive impact… [and] …I get enjoyment from being able to do that.”
GCG Club currently meets one day per week from 3-4 p.m. on Tuesdays, and the location may be in BBH 202 or the abandoned tennis courts, depending on the week’s planned activities.
