Environmental Activism and Revitalization Toward Habitats

Transcription

1 Student Organization E A R T H Environmental Activism and Revitalization Toward Habitats Wayzata High School Leader: Saee Patil

2 Summary E.A.R.T.H.- (environmental activism and revitalization toward habitats) is a student organization registered and based in Wayzata High School. We are a 70 member group of students led by me, Saee Patil. We have three committees, Research, Volunteering, and Promotion. Our Research committee has been at work since November finding statistics on our school Wayzata High School s (the largest in Minnesota) resource use. We wrote a paper on their findings and ways to make the school and community greener, and presented it to Principal Gengler and WHS Staff, as well as the City of Plymouth volunteering coordinator in the City Hall. EARTH Volunteering Committee members presented the Research Committee's findings on how to make the school environmentally friendly to many classes. This way the students at our high school understood the issues and how they can be solved. I presented to the entire high school s staff as well, and explained how their influence and help can truly make a difference. Our promotion committee led a competition for recycling and promoting being green, saving the school resources. Then through the community, we gathered volunteers for flower planting at a city park, as well as reconstruction of trails at the Eastman Nature Center. Head principal Mr. Gengler, the district s PowerEd company, City of Plymouth Volunteering, Minnehaha Creek Watershed District, the 700 member volunteering club YES, and the newspapers Sun Sailor and Lakeshore Weekly are the community organizations we worked with to spread the word and increase awareness for going green.

3 Goals -Establish a large base of members interested in the environment, based and registered in Wayzata High School -Significantly decrease use of paper, promote recycling -Educate students on composting to reduce the shocking 11 tons of annual compost that WHS students put in trash bins instead -Work to keep a clean and green community -Grow a partnership with the district Mckinstry PowerED company to reach more people -Use the media to keep our community green

4 Establishing a Registered Student Led Organization Based at WHS I spoke to the head principal and custodial department, and obtained energy and paper statistics. I found numerous things such as 11 tons of compost are annually thrown in the trash instead of compost bins in WHS. I gathered information like this and presented to the activities office, that let me begin this student organization. I spread the word through the volunteering club I help lead with the advisor Ms Badger, which has 600 members. I also spread the word through biology and environmental science teachers, and in only two months EARTH had 80 members. (Our most involved members)

5 Promote Recycling and Decrease the use of Paper We presented to the entire staff of WHS in the auditorium, with the help of head principal Gengler. They began to make more use of the ipads, and the copy room began receiving less orders for copies as well! I printed green signs with reminders to recycle and with the help of my club posted them all over the school. We learned through the janitors that the recycling bins are filled up more and there is much less paper in the trash.

6 Clean and Green Community Club YES, youth extending services, is the largest club in my school. I am a member of the advisory board. Through my advocacy for more environmental volunteering projects, we now have more volunteers for projects such as Buckthorn Busts (helping to safely weed out invasive species Buckthorn), and Plymouth Flower Planting Day. These projects are now quite big in the community.

7 Educate Students on Compost We wrote EARTH talks and with the permission of WHS teachers presented in many of the classrooms. We tried to educate students on compost and how vital it is. Video:

8 Media Initially we presented and had talks on our school s TV and educational channel. Once we had spread our initiatives through the school, it was time we spread through our community. Newspapers like Sun Sailor and Lakeshore Weekly printed articles on what we had done in our school. This sparked interest in our community, and I started getting s from more organizations such as Minnehaha Creek Watershed District that we now work with.

9 Partnership with Mckinstry PowerED The district hired an energy company, that works from above in the district offices. We partnered with them with our grassroots approach reaching students and kids in our community directly. I am part of their Steering Committee and I attend their meetings and contribute ideas.

10 Interview with Head Principal Scott Gengler Saee: To what extent was there a need for project EARTH? Principal Gengler: There was a large and important need for Project EARTH and your student organization. I used to see students throwing recyclable materials in garbage cans even when there is a recycling bin right next to it. Students were not clear between what is compost, recycling, and garbage. There was a significant need. Saee: Do you think my student organization is fulfilling that need? Principal Gengler: Yes. it most definitely is. It can have a very long lasting effect. Saee: Do you believe there are benefits of this organization being completely student led? Principal Gengler: I always believe that any grassroots efforts and more effective than top down. Motivating students and teachers like you do makes all the difference. We had hired a company to work top down, but this student organization feels closer and everyone in the school actually listens to you all. Saee: What are your thoughts on our EARTH talks in classrooms? Principal Gengler: They are having increasingly positive effects. Students are hearing these things from their peers and are now motivated to recycle, compost, save energy, and so on. Saee: Do you believe that my organization's work with the community such as PowerEd and City of Plymouth Volunteering have helped us with the positive impact? Principal Gengler: Partnerships always have a greater impact on results. You have helped incredibly.