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The Little Green Giants: Making a Difference in Their Community

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Category: Community News

Published on Thursday, 17 October 2013 15:39

Written by Chelsee Lowe

You don’t have to be big to make an impact. That’s one lesson to be learned from The Little Green Giants, an environmental group in the Country Club Park neighborhood in Mid-City. The club, founded in 2009 and made up of children ages three and up, sprouted from the honest mind of then five-year-old Diego Marques. 

“On the south side of Country Club Park, a lot of trash blows in from Pico,” said Felippe Marques, Diego’s father.  “We’d have some on our lawn every day. Often I’d have Diego outside with me, participating in family chores. Then one day he was picking up garbage and he said, ‘Papa, I’d love to have some help.’ He wasn’t just picking up the trash in our yard – I had him picking up trash in the street, too.”

Soon after, Felippe reached out to other parents in the area via a list of names and phone numbers gathered by the neighborhood association. 

“It started to resonate with me,” said Felippe. “Perhaps this could be an environmental kids’ club. My wife, Gabriella who’s far wiser than I am, suggested that we expand it past clean-ups – make it more comprehensive by incorporating science, energy efficiency, renewables and so on. I happen to be a director of energy solutions, so I’m pretty aware of environmental concerns.”

At the club’s first meeting, the group didn’t collect garbage. Instead Felippe scheduled a guest speaker from The Discovery Channel to talk about healthy, organic foods and the importance of buying local goods. About 20 neighborhood kids showed up with their parents.

“I was amazed at the response. From there, it started to grow.”

(photo by Holly L. Eubanks)
A steady rotation of clean-up events, field trips and presentations followed. And then, the Country Club Park Neighborhood Association took The Little Green Giants under its wing. 

“I approached the association about adopting the club, and they were wild about the idea. They wanted to support the kids. They paid for the meetings and refreshments, the trash bags and the gloves, and we started to work on a logo.”

Diego hand drew an emblem that eventually made its way onto water bottles and bright yellow T-shirts. 

“When we do a clean up, you can see us coming. There’s a pack of kids wearing these shirts, and they wear ‘em with pride. That was a year after the club started.”

It’s not all about the gear, of course. What makes the club special is the lasting effect parents are seeing in their children. The kids aren’t just helping the environment during Little Green Giant get-togethers – they’re lending a hand on a daily basis. And younger siblings are joining the ranks, like Diego’s little brother, Matteo.

“The kids clean up wherever they go, whether it’s their school- yard, or if they’re out shopping. They pick up trash and they race each other to do it. It’s gratifying to hear that.”

Club members are also teaching their peers via “green show-and-tells,” member-created presentations focused on a range of environmental topics. Diego, who is now nine and co-president of the club, taught fellow club members about the differences between incandescent, halogen and LED lighting. Brother and sister members Spencer and Eliana led a lesson on distinguishing trash, recyclables and green trimmings. 

Felippe attributes a lot of the club’s success to the fact that the kids make a lot of the decisions. In 2012, The Little Green Giants held an election at the same time as the presidential race, voting kids into the offices of president and vice president. The result was a tie: Diego and Matteo were elected co-president. Co-vice-president went to siblings Asha Goyal and Ramsay Goyal. Their father Prem Goyal now assists Felippe as well. 

"I make sure everything runs smoothly and I organize the cleanups and meetings with my dad,” said Diego. “Sometimes I make speeches for the neighborhood. Ramsay and Asha are a big help.”

“I help my brother and my dad and all of the Little Green Giants have fun. I want to help mother nature. I know how to save water when you’re brushing your teeth, too,” said six-year-old Matteo.

Though the club focuses on the Country Club Park neighborhood currently, kids outside of the area are welcome to join. Better yet, Felippe hopes the success of these Little Green Giants can inspire the formation of similar clubs in other parts of the city. The Little Green Giants plan to lend a hand in the Korean Youth Community Center's neighborhood tree planting campaign. Club members will take tree maintenance and care classes and will likely help on tree planting days.

“Every neighborhood can appreciate the sense of community and responsibility that comes with a club like this,” said Felippe. “It’s a lot of work, but it’s also a lot of fun.”

Photos by Chelsee Lowe 

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