Help with "greening" school, please!!?
Anyone have any ideas on how to increase how "Green" the school is? Such as addressing different environment issues (habitat restoration, etc) or energy/water conservation? The main problem is finding activities that will help, so to say, spread our wings and cover more environment issues.
Answer:
Are there lawn spaces that could be changed to native plant gardens? This provides an opportunity for students to research native plants to their area and the animals that depend on them and create a space that uses less water, fertilizer, and fossil fuels for mowing. It may also provide habitat for birds and butterflies. Students can be involved in creating signage that identifies the plants and animals seen there, as well. Mulch and compost can often be obtained through local recycling centers, as well, further reducing water needs. You may even be able to get a local landscape designer (one with a native/xeriscape focus) to donate a few hours to help with the design to make sure it all comes together well.
I find this collaboration between a ranch and urban youth really inspirational:
http://www.pieranch.org/
Some of the answer depends on age of construction of your school building. For instance, if the school is old enough to have been built before low flow showers, faucets, and toilets, there is a way to save water. If you are in an area that is hot, the air conditioning can be turned up a few degrees to save energy and likewise, students can wear a sweater and the thermostat can be turned down a few degrees in cold areas. How many students walk or bike to school (most likely a small percentage). Many American students are obese from lack of exercise. If you live close enough to school to make it possible, get out there and walk to school and save energy. Go look at the drainage system for the grounds. Where does storm water end up? Is the school using excessive fertilizer on grassy areas? Are chemicals being used to control weeds that end up in the local watershed? Many newly constructed buildings use detention ponds to slow surface water from roof, parking lot, or grounds. Water drains more slowly and solids are likely to stay right in the pond. Is solar power possible in your area? In places like California, solar power has been used for hot water heating.
Hope this helps.
Make everyone turn lights off in empty rooms. Electricity in the US is about 51% made from burning coal, which pollutes the air. Therefore when you use electricity you are burning coal and polluting the air. Encourage drinking tap water rather than bottled water. The problem with bottled water is all that plastic that ends up in landfills. Place signs over paper napkin dispensers in the cafeteria that say "take just one, but slobs may use more". Instruct the students against the waste of water. Daily showers and baths are not necessary unless you work in a coal mine.
Lots can be done in the school. Our cafeteria uses disposable trays and almost everything else is disposable, too. They used to wash they trays and the silverware, now they use plasticware that gets thrown away.
my high school had motion sensors for every room and we also started a once a week program that asked everyone to bike to school instead of taking a car... it would be a "green" day and they'd have contests to win prizes that day too..
and every club at school participated in community clean ups.. especially around the creeks and parks... we would also plant and take care of community gardens
support farmer's markets and local products... talk to companies like method and seventh generation.. see if they can give you discounts on cleaning products taht are environmentally friendly. instead of napkins in bathroms, have the air dryers installed
oh yeah and you can always google how to make a school green =)
At my school last year, our AP Enviro teacher started a recycling program, and an award winning one at that :)
Rather than just putting out recyclable rubbish bins, we gave each teacher a 'Blue Bin' to put next to their own trash cans, and asked the teachers to encourage students to separate the trash. Every day, as part of our grade, one lab group from our class (about 3-5 people) would pull around wheeled bins to collect the recyclables in the bins the teachers would leave outside their doors after school. We now recycle almost 1/3 of our cities trash, just from our school's waste alone!
Another idea is to arrange Extra Credit cleanups; take a group of students to a grassy field/nearby roadside to pick up trash. This way, students can earn extra credit, community service hours for college, and find some, erm...interesting things about human behavior (I once found a couch, a shopping cart, a domino, and a fire extinguisher all in one day~).
But an important thing to do is to use your surroundings. Example; I go to school near a nuclear power plant and next to a water treatment plant. Our science classes are often in contact with these facilities through feildtrips, projects, etc. (although i will rabidly deny that nuclear power is "clean" :D)
Hope that helped some, from an environmental student
~Nikooru~
try this site, very helpful in getting started on a green school.
http://greenschools.net/
i'd also recommend getting students involved.
what about creating a composting area and compost veg waste from canteen
Well, I am working to make my school green too. We are getting solar panels
Thats right up my alley since I run an environmental educational website! check out planetpalsfriends on yahoo it's full of ideas:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/planetpals...
and look over the website its full of fun facts and activities to download.
But here is what a lot of our teachers do. Many have a "Planetpals day" at school once a week or once a month. Incorporating one or more of the ideas below:
-Discuss a different topic once a week
-Encourage children to recycle everything used at school-by setting up a system for them to recycle -they could be responsible for their classroom or the entire school.) OR Have each grade take a different day of the week!
-Have a "fast" day from using paper and other resources to teach the classroom to be resourceful and conserve
-Have environmental lessons and/or activities (ie have kids read a story, make recycle signs, write a story about recycling or environmental issues,
-Plan an America Recycles Day or Earthday event or collection
-Put on an Earth Friendly play
-Discuss what other schools are doing
-Plant an organic garden or trees at school (get the home depot or other company to donate the needed items). Not only will they learn something valuable they can enjoy the fruits of their labor!
-Get a field trip to the RECYCLE center! For instance the sorting/reclamation center where the trucks come in is particularly interesting!
-Have them do a school or class swap! Yankee Swap. Have student bring in something they no longer use and trade for someone else's (ie toys, books, etc)--This give things a second life and teaches conservation
-Have an Earth Friendly lunch day where they have to bring in healthy lunch and nothing prepackaged-no bottled drinks- only reusable containers and a reusable lunch bag.
-Get local GREEN businesses involved and have them come in and talk about their products or about being Earth Friendly
-Have a poster contest - get local businesses to allow the kids to paint their poster (or hang up) in shop windows--which will inspire others to be more green, too!
-Have the children put on their thinking caps!
Hope this helps!
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