Environmental Club turns youth into BEASTs

  • Published
  • By Brian Joyner
  • 4th Civil Engineer Squadron
SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. --  "Are you an environmental BEAST?"

That was the question asked during this summer's Environmental Club held at the youth center on base. 

The BEAST acronym stands for:

B - Buy and use recycled and bio-based items

E - Encourage family and friends to "Think Green"

A - Act to protect land, air, water and animals

S - Sort recyclable materials as required

T - Turn off water faucets and lights when not in use

In conjunction with the youth center, the 4th Civil Engineer Squadron's environmental flight hosted an environmental club allowing base youth to learn how Seymour Johnson's mission is supported by maintaining the environment in which it operates.

During the club, the kids learned about the red wolf and red-cockaded woodpecker populations at the Dare County Bomb Range and the actions base personnel take to ensure those populations flourish while sustaining the mission. Both animals are listed as endangered species.

Youth also learned about energy and water conservation, as well as recycling. A hands-on paper-making activity demonstrated the importance of trees and natural resources.

The kids learned the importance of keeping the environment clean during a "Who Polluted the Neuse?" activity presented by Simone Cato, Wayne County recycling coordinator.

The activity demonstrated how everyone plays a role in polluting the environment and that we all must take actions to minimize pollution.

The club wrapped up this year's events with a tree planting at the youth center hosted by Lt. Col. Anthony Higdon, 4th CES commander.

A theme for the club, which is being carried to the entire wing, is to "Release the BEAST."

"We all should be environmental BEASTs," said Kerri Grimes, 4th CES environmental engineer and creator of the BEAST campaign. "By partnering with 4th Services Squadron marketing office, we were able to come up with a new mascot and acronym to promote environmental awareness on Seymour Johnson AFB."

As the environmental flight rolls out the "Release the BEAST" campaign, Airmen and their families are asked to become more aware of the impact they have on the environment.

The base population is also asked to embrace the individual elements of the campaign and commit to becoming an environmental BEAST.

Each of these help the base maintain compliance with environmental laws and results in cost savings for the wing.

"Look for the BEAST to show up in a place near you soon," Ms. Grimes said. "We hope this not only gets the kids excited about environmental awareness, but also the base population as a whole."

For more information regarding the base's environmental programs, contact the environmental flight at 722-5168.