A small group of NIU students have organized an environmental group at Douglas Hall in order to help people become aware of the problems facing the environment.

The group is called Geo Force and its mission is to make people appreciate the environment around them, said NIU sophomore Christy Kret, political science/history education major and president of the group.

“We want to motivate people by promoting awareness of environmental issues and we want to let people know that they can do something to help the environment,” Kret said.

The group has created Conservation Awareness Week, Jan. 19-26, to help educate and inform students about environmental concerns.

Last night the group presented a movie about the demise of the wolf and Wednesday night NIU geology professor Ronald Kaufmann will lecture about conservation and what students can do to help the environment.

In addition, members of the group are decorating bulletin boards with information about recycling and they are asking students questions about what they know about conservation.

“People don’t believe they can make a difference in the environment,” Kret said. It is our goal to make people aware about how precious the world is that we live in, she said.

The group’s adviser, graduate student Chris Wasicke, said students should get involved in conservation because if nothing is done soon, the planet won’t be able to support us.

“I believe man is very destructive to the environment. We have to stop pollution and start conserving the resources we have left,” Wasicke said.

NIU sophomore Jennifer Vosyka, an international relations major and secretary of the group, said she felt that being a member of Geo Force has helped her become more informed about the environment. She said everyone should be involved in saving the environment and that every little bit of recycling and conservation helps.