The CrocHunter Crew of Woodcreek High School have a beef with beef.

The “crew” is comprised of five seniors who have been participating in the Lexus Eco Challenge, a national competition to promote environmental awareness.

To inform their classmates about ways to reduce their carbon footprint, a “meatless Monday” event was held throughout the campus.

Students were asked to participate in the lunchtime festivities that included a ToFurkey pie-eating contest and samples of vegetarian meals for students who logged onto the Croc Crew’s Web site and pledged to reduce their carbon footprint.

For the 75 students who found cow pictures hidden around campus, the school’s TimberRock Café was the site for a special vegetarian luncheon. According to Woodcreek science teacher and CrocHunter mentor Kendra Grinsell, said a major part of the event was not only informing the students of the impact of beef production, but also showing how appealing vegetarian meals can be.

“It’s not just about eating tofu. If you don’t like tofu, don’t eat it,” Grinsell said. “Being a vegetarian doesn’t have to be a sacrifice.”

According to Grinsell, one pound of beef uses 2,000 gallons of water and enough fuel to drive 20 miles.

Students who logged onto the Croc Crew’s Web site during the lunch hour on Monday could sample vegetarian foods like twice-baked potatoes, stuffed pasta and quesadillas prepared by Woodcreek students.

“There’s little changes that people can make; it’s not just about going vegetarian,” said Croc Crew member Hannah Haakenson. “Turn off the water when you brush your teeth, or pledge to watch less TV or spend less time on the computer. Those may seem like little things but they make an impact.”

During the lunch hour on Monday, nearly 600 Woodcreek students pledged to make a change in their daily life and reduce their impact on the environment.

Sophomore Kim Lokey pledged to “unplug her life” by turning off lights in rooms not in use and use less water. She also pledged to help the Croc Crew in their mission to spread the word about carbon footprints and ways to reduce them.

The Croc Crew’s mission for winning one of two $50,000 grand prizes is to spread their message to as global of an audience as possible.

“We have a Facebook (page), the kids made great YouTube videos and we have our new Web site,” Grinsell said. “We also have been doing mass e-mails, which I think is really effective.”

The hope is that the e-mails will be forwarded and have a chain-letter effect to reach a wider audience than just immediate family and friends.

“It’s important that we reach all age groups, but kids our age are the ones who will be making their own decisions in their own homes very soon,” Haakenson said. “So it’s important we really make sure that they understand that the decisions they make have an impact.”

The final project, a 15-page power-point presentation outlining the Croc Crew’s objective with evidence of their success in reaching a wide audience, is due at the end of March. The winners will be announced on Earth Day.

For more information on the Croc Hunter Crew visit http://crochuntercrew.com.