MALVERN, PA — A student-led environmental organization at Great Valley High School has collected 62 bags of litter from two Chester County parks and contributed an estimated 350 to 400 volunteer hours since its founding in September 2025, expanding its local cleanup operations through partnerships with community and environmental organizations.
Go Green Great Valley, founded by student Srida Sreejith, has grown from two students to more than 40 active members. Its activities include park cleanups, invasive plant removal, environmental education, and volunteer work with the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society.
The organization conducted a cleanup at Millers Park on October 25, 2025, followed by another at Exton Park on May 31, 2026. Together, the projects yielded 62 bags of collected litter, according to Sreejith.
Club officers also participated in an invasive plant removal project along the Chester Valley Trail. Members have contributed more than 10 volunteer hours each over the past year, Sreejith estimated.
The group’s expansion reflects an effort to move environmental education beyond the classroom and into local conservation work.
“This generation is the one that is going to be living through the environmental issues we are talking about today,” Sreejith said. “Classroom learning teaches us what the problems are, but direct involvement teaches us how to solve them.”
The organization began after Sreejith, then a sophomore, discovered that Great Valley High School did not have a sustainability club.
Sreejith, who first became interested in climate change after reading a National Geographic magazine at age seven, established the group to address litter, pollution, and environmental awareness in Chester County.
Membership growth was initially slow.
“The club started out with me and one other friend I started it with,” Sreejith recalled. “It was hard building it from the ground up, and there were several meetings when my friend and I would sit there with a full box of donuts, waiting for people who would never show up.”
The club eventually attracted more than 40 members, with Honors Biology and Environmental Science teacher Thomas Juelke serving as faculty advisor.
Beyond its Chester County projects, Go Green Great Valley has established a volunteer relationship with the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, which organizes the Philadelphia Flower Show.
Approximately 25 students volunteered at the event, primarily assisting with customer service and supporting horticultural businesses participating in the show.
Sreejith said the relationship began after an inquiry to the horticultural society about volunteer opportunities. The organization subsequently invited students to assist at the Flower Show.
The club intends to continue participating in future shows.
Its local activities are also expanding through municipal cooperation.
Most recently, Go Green Great Valley held another cleanup at Millers Park on Sunday, October 11, with approximately 30 students participating.
The organization is also planning a recycling event in partnership with West Whiteland Township on November 14 at the township building.
Additional relationships are being developed with Stroud Water Research Center and French & Pickering Creeks Conservation Trust, including potential volunteer activities associated with World Water Day.
Those partnerships remain tentative, according to Sreejith.
The group’s activities are intended to provide students with practical experience in conservation while increasing participation in environmental projects across Chester County.
“I’ve learned that you don’t have to wait for someone else to fix a problem, and you don’t need a massive corporate budget to make a difference,” Sreejith said.
The organization also conducts environmental awareness and research seminars and encourages Great Valley students and community members to participate in its volunteer projects.
Interested participants can contact Sreejith through Great Valley High School administration for information about upcoming activities.
Support the local news that supports Chester County. MyChesCo delivers reliable, fact-based reporting and essential community resources—free for everyone. If you value that, click here to become a patron today.