Sustainability Spotlight: Lincoln Southwest Hive Helpers
February’s Sustainability Spotlight is shining on three outstanding students from Lincoln Southwest High School! Alisa, Ella, and Amuor are leading the Hive Helpers club at Southwest where they have focused on growing a thriving garden and promoting sustainability at their school and across LPS.
This year, the leadership team led the club in activities ranging from presentations at elementary schools to making paths and planting flowers and vegetables in their school garden. Alisa, Ella, and Amuor have found that their favorite part of the club has been being able to work with a team of students who want to make a difference.
“It’s the perfect balance between commitment and making a difference while also having fun,” Alisa said.
The three sophomores joined the club last year, drawn by their shared interests in gardening and the environment. They were welcomed by a friendly group of senior leaders who helped them get started. Ella, now the club’s outreach coordinator, hopes to one day become an environmental engineer and was particularly excited about how the club combines hands-on gardening with broader environmental action.
“Not only does it have a gardening aspect, it also has an environmental aspect,” Ella enthused, “we have a lot of opportunities, such as the Contribution Project and these other things where you can take initiative and work towards environmental sustainability.”
To support their growing projects, Ella applied for The Contribution Project and earned a $400 grant for the club. The funds will go toward new garden beds and sustainability initiatives. This spring, the club plans to plant squash, tomatoes, and flowers in their vegetable and pollinator gardens. Their vision is to create a space where students can spend quality time outside, support local pollinators, and grow food for their school and community.
Amuor, who plans the events for the club, said that getting active in the garden was the most fulfilling for her.
I like working outside in the gardens. I feel this is fun, especially when you have everybody in the club know each other, it’s always a really fun dynamic.”
Beyond the garden, the Hive Helpers extend their impact through community outreach and education. At LPS Nature Nights, they share beeswax candles with students and families while teaching about the importance of pollinators. The club also visits elementary schools throughout the district to present on pollinator conservation. During the club’s recent visit to Saratoga Elementary, third grade students got to role-play as pollinators themselves, learning firsthand about the vital role they play in our ecosystem.
For Alisa, these presentations have been one of the most rewarding parts of leading the club.
“It’s just so fun seeing the little kids’ ideas and their thinking about pollinators and how we should protect the environment,” she said. “It’s so inspiring how curious they are.”
While their accomplishments are impressive, Alisa, Ella, and Amuor emphasize the importance of focusing on small achievable tasks to stay motivated. They’ve learned that steady progress and genuine passion for their work leads to positive changes in the environment and their community.
If you really enjoy doing something, you’re gonna see an impact. No matter what, if you keep working at it, there’s no way you’re not gonna see any impact.”
Alisa, Ella, and Amuor have shown that student leadership and environmental passion can create meaningful change in their school and community. Their work with the Hive Helpers demonstrates how dedicating time to causes you care about can motivate others and build lasting connections. We are very proud of the inspiring work that the Hive Helpers have accomplished and cannot wait to see how they continue to grow in the years to come.
