On Jan. 25, members of Project Moana picked up trash at Deerfield Beach to help the planet and marine life by lessening pollution and removing harmful toxins and microplastics.
“I love cleaning up the beach and helping the environment,” freshman Perrey Gold said.
The founder of Project Moana, senior Romi Samara, started the club last year after realizing how pollution has affected areas both nationally and abroad.
“During my sophomore year I went to Hawaii for a semester. When I was there I discovered that there was a lot of pollution, and it was really sad to me,” Samara said. “After that, I promised myself that when I got back to Florida I would do something about it and hopefully clean up the oceans all around the world if I can.”
Samara called the club Project Moana because Moana is a Hawaiian word for ocean. Now, once a month, the club goes to local beaches to pick up trash and give back to the community.
“Romi told me about her idea to help our beaches and I wanted to help out,” marine science teacher and Project Moana sponsor Bryce Robinson-Burgess said. “Also, I’m a marine science teacher, so I do have a passion and a love for this idea and to help the beaches.”
Through Project Moana, Samara and Robinson-Burgess aim to inform students about how they can keep the environment clean, as well as give them the opportunity to do so through monthly beach clean-ups. Other groups, like Key Club and National Honor Society, frequently join Project Moana on their beach clean-ups.
Project Moana’s next meeting has yet to be announced, but when it is, members will be able to find that information on the club’s Remind and Instagram.
