As the new school year is in full swing at Mid-Pacific, several new student clubs have formed, including one that’s rebranded and renewed.
The Nature Club, formerly known as Future Farmers of America (FFA), has rebranded to expand their mission beyond agriculture.
“I think a large part of it was since a lot of our members last year were seniors, we kind of wanted to reach a new audience and the incoming classes as well,” high school senior Elysia Garrett said.
Following this change, they also wanted to reach a larger audience beyond agriculture that was represented by their past club name.
This new name change allowed them to remove the imagery of being a club just about farming.
“A lot of people don’t know what FFA, Future Farmers of America, is, and even so, it’s very agricultural. We’re kind of broadening it a little bit,” high school senior Alyssa Umemoto said.
Nature Club’s new focus centers the values of nature and getting outdoors. They also hope to make the emphasis more on connecting with not just the planet, but also oneself.
“I think it’s also about getting involved, and showing how there’s so much intersectionality in how we are connected to our planet and there’s different ways to help out. It’s not just about pulling weeds or farming, but it’s also about just helping people, because we are a product of our environment. I think it shows that there’s ways to be connected and to be involved that go outside of what most people think nature is,” Garrett said.
Besides the emphasis on helping the community, the club also offers benefits for students including service hours as well as a chance to engage in meaningful work.
“It helps a lot with volunteer hours. I think also being able to have this community with your friends or people you haven’t met and being able to give back and do these types of volunteer work, while also having fun and just enjoying what nature has to offer and getting outdoors,” Garrett said.
There are many new plans in the works for Nature Club. These plans include park, stream, and beach cleanups, as well as connecting and collaborating with other clubs to create a garden near the hula hālau.
“We’re collabing with the Self Care Club and the Leaf Club. That’ll be a year-long thing. Then hopefully, even after we graduate, it’ll still be able to be passed on,” Garrett said.
The rebranded Nature Club is not only expanding their mission, but are redefining what clubs are at Mid-Pacific.
“I think especially for us, with this transition, it was also about kind of reinventing what clubs are at Mid-Pacific, and how it’s not just a lot of meeting based but how we’re really trying to host events and these school wide programs,” Garrett said.
By focusing on collaboration, community, and sustainability, the Nature club is paving the way for the future generations of students to continue their impact on campus and beyond.
