Greener World Action Team, GWAT, is the environmental club at Ventura High School. They’re currently working to replace smaller areas of lawn on the campus with drought resistant plants, as part of the Ocean Friendly Gardens Project.

Senior and  club president, Peyton Reynolds, said, “[The Ventura Surfrider Foundation] is going to reimburse us for the costs of taking out lawn and planting native species that require very little water at first and eventually require no water at all; so it’s a big part of reduction in water.”

Reynolds explains that the City of Ventura Water and the Ventura Surfrider Foundation are helping the club with this plan.

GWAT recently submitted a Green School’s Award application in which the club would receive a grant from the city of Ventura, therefore reducing some of the fundraising costs for their project.

On Sunday, January 14, the club began measuring the lawns at VHS, and are beginning to create a plan, according to Reynolds.

“We try to focus on two different things. We try to do smaller activities and events, at least one or two per month. And then we also have bigger goals, that are bigger projects throughout the school year,” Reynolds states.

Normally the club works on land and trail preservation, water conservation, and occasional beach cleanups. Though more recently, fire restoration has been a main focus.

Last Monday, January 14, members of the club helped to restore Big Rock Preserve with the Ventura Land Trust and other members of the community. The volunteers cleared trash and debris from the Thomas Fire and planted many of the species originally there.

General meetings for GWAT are every other Tuesday in Jared McEntyre’s classroom, room 207. The alternate Tuesdays, the club has board meetings.

Reynolds explains, “We tell all of our members that everyone is welcome at the board meetings because we want everyone’s opinions on what kind of events we want to do.”