The EcoBods Club at Washburn University is getting ready for Earth Day by working on creative, eco-friendly projects. 

The club meets weekly to discuss environmental issues and to prepare for events that raise awareness about sustainability.

Kellis Bayless, EcoBods advisor and a biology professor at Washburn, said the club has been active in many projects this semester. Members have planted native wildflowers outside Stoffer Science Hall to replace grass, helping local pollinators and supporting biodiversity. They are also helping a group that grows vegetables, such as tomatoes and peppers on the west side of campus.

“[Our goal is] just to get people to be more aware of the harms that humans do on the environment and try to reduce the impacts that we have,” Bayless said. “In the past, we have worked on reducing fossil fuel as a form of electricity production in the state and tried to reduce water pollution and air pollution issues that are around the area.” 

They focus on things like recycling, reducing pollution and encouraging more sustainable food options. In the past, they have worked with Chartwells to cut down on styrofoam and promote vegetarian meals.

Taryn Emery, the club president and a senior biology major, talked about one of their creative recycling projects.

“So today, we’re making shrinky things,” Emery said. “What those are is little plastic, little coin type things. We’re making them into key chains. It’s for our Earth Day fundraiser for the club. It’s on April 22 so just in a few weeks, we take type six plastic, we can only use that plastic, and that plastic is not able to be recycled in the regular recycling bins out like around campus. So we’ll collect them, we will draw on them with really big Sharpies, and then when you put them in the oven for a few minutes, it’ll shrink and then you have a little coin with the drawing on it.

Kaylyn Hobelman, lab supervisor in the biology department, shared more about the club’s plans for Earth Week.

“Earth Week is a big week for us because that’s a focus on … environmental challenges,” Hobelman said. “So during Earth week … we have our plant sale which EcoBods has done annually for 10 years now. So, it is an opportunity for people to give a donation and they can take home a house plant that we as a club have taken from our setup houseplant and propagated into a started plants, so smaller versions of our plants essentially.”

EcoBods has held the plant sale for about 10 years. The event has become a tradition and helps fund future club projects.

By reusing plastic, growing plants and educating others about environmental care, EcoBods is working to create a cleaner and more sustainable future. The club encourages all students to take part in Earth Week and to think about how their daily actions impact the planet, not just in April, but all year long.

Edited by Morgan Albrecht and Stuti Khadka.