Who We Are

At the heart of the matter, Students of Sustainability is a student-led club at PTHS with intentions not too different from most general citizens of Port Townsend. Members of the club care deeply about the environment and are actively coming up with innovative ways to preserve the wildlife and ecosystems in place here in the Pacific Northwest. Especially as a result of a variety of partnerships with organizations and benefactors, SFS has been able to maintain its reputation as a productive and focused club. It is always on the lookout for new members, although many members of the club have been participating for years.

A central theme of importance within SFS is the stress that members put on its youth demographic. Although community members Lolo Sherwood and Laura Tucker occupy devoted roles and advisor Tim Behrenfeld works directly within the club, the true pioneers of every SFS project thus far have been the students. Leadership and project ideas have shifted often, but currently, co-presidents Hailey Gallagher and Lochlan Krupa are each directing their own environmental game plan.

SFS is as much a community-dependent project as it is a youth-initiated one. The collaborative aspect of the club is the entire reason members have been so successful with projects such as the straw ban, which has been in place for the past few months and affects the plastic that businesses around town are producing. Due to the concurrent overlap between environmental and social justice issues, the two undeniably go hand-in-hand. SFS has made sure to support outreach in the community whenever there are marches or protests, like at the women’s march several years ago where a few members gave inspirational speeches.

The legacy of Students for Sustainability is dependent on these ideals. We would not be where we are today if it wasn’t for the incredible support of our community, the optimistic and progressive nature of this town, and most importantly, the ardent and creative efforts on behalf of students.