On Aug. 5, the student-run group will travel to Washington, D.C., to receive the President’s Environmental Youth Award from the Environmental Protection Agency in Region 1, a prize more often won by their Massachusetts peers.

The last Rhode Island team to win the PEYA award did it in 2010, when Westerly Innovation Network/Westerly Middle School’s Project T.G.I.F. won for their project, “Turn Grease Into Fuel.”

Pautz and Goblick, who are going to be seniors this fall, spoke with the Globe ahead of their trip to the nation’s capital about the inspiration for their activism, their work to combat climate change and educate the public, and their goals for BEE.

Q. What inspired you to found the Barrington Environmental Establishment?

A. Abi and I started in seventh grade. There were protests in 2018 and 2019 led by youth advocates. We were inspired and met with our middle school principal and started a club. Once we got to high school, we branched out to more things — a sapling sale, a compost station, community cleanups — that all accumulated to BEE our sophomore year. We noticed when we hosted environmental weeks at our school or club that not a lot of people knew about climate change. There were a lot of misconceptions and we realized, even in the broader community with adults, they also had a limited understanding. We created an organization that works to provide educational opportunities without shoving it down people’s throats. — Pautz

What do you think made your PEYA application stand out from the rest?

We took on a difficult issue and found ways for people to feel empowered in such a complex and overwhelming situation. We focused on straightforward actions that anyone could feel comfortable participating in: education, opportunities for action, and community engagement. Being entirely student-led, our club demonstrates the proactive spirit of young people taking charge of their future, which can be empowering to both peers and adults, knowing that ‘if they can do something, why can’t I?’ Additionally, we focus on action, like the public compost drop-off and sapling sales, modeling that change can start at the local level. — Pautz and Goblick

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What inspired you about Greta Thunberg’s protests?

She showed that someone who is an underdog can rise up. You wouldn’t expect a shy, more reserved person to do that. It showed adults that if someone so young is trying to do something about climate change — and it’s important to someone so young — it should be important to you, too. Everyone should be doing something about the climate crisis. — Pautz

Thunberg, who has been detained twice in the Netherlands, has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize every year since 2019. How do you apply her activism to BEE?

For us, what we realized, is that we needed to be less aggressive. We felt that when we took that aggressive approach, people were more resistant and decided to deny what we were saying, or were like, “Oh, its not that bad.” We chose to go a different route than how I interpreted Greta Thunberg’s message. It’s important that she is out there confronting people, and spreading more information about how severe climate crisis is. — Pautz

What does “environmental activism” mean to you?

Environmental activism means spreading the message to people who aren’t aware of environmental issues. What we aim to do through biweekly newsletters and our once-a-month events is raise awareness. We take a more collaborative approach where students can make posters or do something creative, more than just talking to them. Environmental activism is bringing the community together, so we can all work to educate people about climate change. — Goblick

When I saw what Greta Thunberg and other students were doing, it scared me and that fear drove me to do something. Some people don’t want to confront fear. We wanted to provide the opportunity to do something. Our newsletters give people more knowledge and our events allow people to do a cleanup that helps you feel empowered and less helpless about climate change. — Pautz

What worries you most about climate change?

I’m afraid what my future will look like is not going to be anything like what my parents or grandparents experienced. With climate change everything is uncertain. I might not be able to live in certain places or I won’t be able to have children. Maybe I’ll experience a natural disaster. I think on a less severe scale, watching your world change is scary. — Pautz

How have students and community members reacted toward your club?

Most of our event attendees have been middle and high school students, who are eager to learn and act through our more creative projects. For example making tote bags, speaker events, and our beach cleanups. Adults and students alike have been supporters and readers of our newsletters. A big focus is getting information and opportunities to act to students. However, adults in our community have also been incredibly supportive. They’ve helped us host events and even contributed as speakers. Tanya Paglia of the Barrington Public Library has been instrumental in helping us organize many of our events at the library. Save the Bay has generously provided supplies for our beach cleanups. Additionally, Professor Emanuele Di Lorenzo and Professor Kim Cobb from Brown University have led informative presentations. — Pautz and Goblick

What is your goal for the club after you’ve graduated?

We want to ensure its continuity and growth. We are looking for new, younger leaders, who can continue BEE’s legacy long after we graduate. Our long-term vision includes more community projects, more newsletter readers, and more partnerships with other local environmental organizations. We believe that Barrington Environmental Establishment is an organization that will continue to be influential in our community for many years. — Pautz and Goblick

Carlos Muñoz can be reached at carlos.munoz@globe.com. Follow him @ReadCarlos and on Instagram @Carlosbrknews.

WESTERLY, R.I. (WHDH) – A huge swarm of dragonflies had beachgoers running for cover on Sunday as they buzzed a beach in Rhode Island.

An otherwise peaceful day at Misquamicut Beach took an unexpected turn when hundreds of thousands of the insects suddenly flew through the area around 9:30 a.m.

“There were thousands, they were swarming, they were flying all around,” said Rose McGowan, who was among the thousands of beachgoers who found themselves in the middle of the swarm.

“There were some around but then around 12:45 p.m. there were thousands,” she said.

Some beachgoers ran for cover, others sat calmly and enjoyed the unusual sight. Others pulled out their phones to record the beautiful, once-in-a-lifetime experience.

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