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EcoKids Green up the Garrison School
Captain Recycle, an environmental super hero for the new millennium, burst onto the scene January 18th to kick off the school-wide recycling program at the Garrison Union Free School. Members of the "EcoKids," the school's environmental club, played the parts of students yet unaware of the value of their "trash" while Captain Recycle, aka Pete Salmansohn, enlightened them as to the importance of recycling.
Astounding facts were dramatized, such as that for every ton of paper recycled, 7000 gallons of water is saved, 380 gallons of oil is saved, and enough electricity is saved to power an average house for 6 months. And did you know that every can recycled, enough electricity is saved to run a TV for 6 hours? Or that the petroleum used to make 14 plastic bags could drive a car for 1 mile? Playing herself, the inimitable Mrs. I (Principal Impellittiere) encouraged the students to develop awareness and life-long habits that actively support our environment.
"The EcoKids" have been studying the benefits of recycling and have set up a system with bins and exuberantly illustrated posters in all classrooms, offices and in the lunchroom. The Maintenance Staff, the Administration and the students have worked together to craft a school-wide system of collection and pickup for the school's office paper, magazines and catalogs, and commingled cans, bottles and 1 and 2 plastics.
Formed just this past year (Spring 2006) by a group of mothers and Pete Salmonsohn, the school's newly appointed forest education coordinator, the Garrison EcoKids have been inspired to appreciate and respond to current environmental issues with great, creative vitality to resolve some of the issues at hand.
The EcoKids raised money by illustrating and selling "The Green Book," a guide to greener living, and have set up a battery recycling program with the proceeds. The kids spent an afternoon doing a thorough litter and garbage sweep of the school campus, and were triumphant with their haul! Another session was spent making recycled paper objects out of mushy paper slurry. The ecokids played an "eco footprint game" in which they were required to pick up cards for each unit of energy usage in their daily lives. They became aware of how their energy use patterns impact the environment and ways they could conserve.
The Garrison Union Free School has joined the Go Green Initiative, a nation wide program endorsed by the New York State PTA, and is working in partnership with Walt Thompson of the Keep Putnam Beautiful initiative. Mr. Thompson has consulted with the school on its recycling program and has provided information and support throughout the process.
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