Around the Schools
Arbor Heights named winner in Earth Day program for efforts in recycling and waste reduction
Seattle Mariners and Nikon representatives named Arbor Heights Elementary school last month as the winner of its first-ever Mariners-Nikon Earth Day Program. Arbor Heights was recognized for the school’s “green initiatives” relating to its recycling and waste reduction program.
Several Arbor Heights students and staff members participated in a special on-field ceremony at Safeco Field, right photo, before the Mariner’s first pitch and were also presented with a Nikon D3100 Digital-SLR camera.
Two other schools: Lawton Elementary and Viewlands Elementary were named finalists. Lawton was honored for its water conservation and quality program, and Viewlands Elementary was recognized for its planting and campus greening program.
The Seattle Mariners partnered with Nikon this year to host the Earth Day Program in order to motivate children to think more about how they can better the environment and recognize Puget Sound-area elementary schools for their green initiatives.
Students and teachers submitted details of how their schools were working to better the environment through conserving water, conserving energy, using alternative modes of transportation, planting trees and other plants, and recycling.
Listed below are the schools and their programs:
Arbor Heights: Recycling and Waste Reduction (winner)
Arbor Heights' waste-reduction program included a focus on recycling and compost, and students were educated on the ways they can reduce waste by composting. Each classroom adopted a day that students were responsible for taking out the school's compost. The motto of the composting program – “Stop. Think. Sort." – helped make them think about what they were throwing away.
Arbor Heights also "upcycled" their refuse. The program diverted waste products and created new products out of what would otherwise become garbage. The company they worked with in this step, Terracycle, used the student-gathered waste products to produce pencil pouches, folders, benches, lunch bags and other items.
Additionally, the program helped raise money for the school, receiving 2 cents for each item that students collected and sent in. To further this program, Arbor Heights created a Green Team and participated in the collection of refuse items that will be “upcycled.” In its first year, the Green Team program at Arbor Heights raised several hundred dollars.
Lawton: Water Conservation and Quality (finalist)
Lawton Elementary educated students about ways not to waste water, as well as new and better ways to use and manage water in their community. Students learned how to use native drought-tolerant plants for landscaping, found alternatives to traditional irrigation, and found new ways to clean their campus using less water. They were also educated about the regional watershed, the source of the school's drinking water, and where it drains.
Viewlands: Planting and Campus Greening
To help prepare for Viewlands reopening, students, parents, teachers, staff and other volunteers spent several weeks planting new greenery on and around the campus. The new landscaping featured plants native to the Pacific Northwest, and helped make Viewlands a more lush, green and environmentally friendly place.