School News You Can Use – March, 2016
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE
- Conference News – Conference Brochure & Online Registration
- CLUB News – BCSW Alliance Website Up
- In The News – Chickens & Eggshells
- Contests, Scholarships & Fundraisers – Sunoco Scholarships
- EPA & NHDES News – Wild NH Day
- Activity – Leprechaun Rainbow Seeds
- Green Calendar
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CONFERENCE NEWS
Presenting … The Conference Brochure!!!
The Conference Brochure has been completed and is ready to view!
SAVE TREES! Here’s the link to our OnLine Registration Form.
And for those without on-line capabilities, here’s the link to Conference Registration Form.
Time Is Running Out!
School Award Nominations Needed!
This year’s Conference theme is “It’s Not Easy Being Green.” Despite the challenges, we know there are teachers, students and staff who are fighting to stay green.
Does your school have an individual, program or event that deserves special recognition for outstanding work in recycling? These are just some of the award categories to be considered:
Choose one of the above, or come up with your own category.
Winners will be announced and recognized at our Conference Awards Luncheon on May 17.
Please follow this link to the nomination form. Deadline for nominations is March 18, 2016. However, if your nomination form will be delayed for any reason, please let us know so we can grant a short extension.
relevantclassroom.com
The Conference is Right Around the Corner!
COME TO THE CASTLE FOR ROYAL TREATMENT !
May 17, 2016
NRRA’S 35TH EMERALD ANNIVERSARY CONFERENCE & EXPO
May 16 and 17, 2016! NRRA announces it 35th Anniversary Emerald Jubilee Conference …..“It’s Not Easy Being GREEN!!” We are moving south from Manchester to Nashua, NH. The Castle is rolling out the emerald carpet for this very special, first in the nation conference and exposition. Stay tuned, as we ramp up even earlier than usual with workshop proposals and exhibit opportunities that cannot be missed. Once we
go live for registration I encourage all to sign up early to take advantage of the Early …Early Bird Discounts and the Special Value Package. The line-up for next spring will include Nationally Recognized Experts in this ever changing field and as usual, NRRA will be leading the way with the most up to date and cutting edge information you can use. You won’t want to miss this historic event.
SCHOOL CLUB CONFERENCE
The School CLUB will host our 7th Annual Conference on Tuesday, May 17. By offering this annual event in May, we hope more students and teachers will be able to attend. If there are specific workshops you would like to see, please let me know. We are already planning a number of activities, games, scavenger hunt and surprises to make this a memorable event. Check our Conference Brochure for information on our workshops and to register.
NH schools may apply for financial assistance for the Conference through NH the Beautiful. Here is their Grant Application Form.
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CLUB NEWS
BCSWA Website Up and Running
The Bennington County Solid Waste Alliance website is now up and running. Here is the link to the Alliance Webpage.
Work for the BCSW Alliance continues with surveys being sent to regional businesses and institutions. We are also prioritizing the schools to begin our outreach efforts.
The three lucky schools who won our raffle are: Molly Stark, The Dorset School and Sunderland Elementary!
Our winners will receive a free Conference Pass for the CLUB’s School Recycling Conference on May 17.
NRRA’s USDA Grant Work Continues
dunnscornerschurch.org
As part of our USDA grant initiative, NRRA is seeking assistance from teachers and school administrators in the targeted regions of Carroll, Coos, and Grafton counties in NH, and Bennington, Caledonia, Essex, Franklin, and Orleans counties in VT.
NRRA is updating our Recycling Curriculum to meet the needs of Common Core. We need your help in providing professional development workshops for in-service teachers, decision makers, and department professionals to present these revisions and get your feedback.
If you or your school is interested in assisting with this project, please contact NRRA’s School CLUB at [email protected].
NRRA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD).
To file a complaint of discrimination write, USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 14th and Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (202) 720-5964 (voice or TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
Would you like to host a TOLD, Garbage Guerrillas or another Workshop at your school? Let the CLUB Help!
- Improves academic performance, especially in science and math
- Can lead to financial savings for schools
- Decreases the school’s carbon footprint through practical solutions that reduce energy and water consumption
- Reduces school waste and conserves natural resources
- Encourages student environmental awareness and stewardship
- Increases parental involvement
- Helps students and teachers develop stronger relationships with their communities
Previous EPA EE-funded research at over 200 New England schools completed by the NRRA School Recycling CLUB (the CLUB) found that the single most challenging area for school recycling programs was in providing curriculum integrations that brought recycling and sustainability into classrooms to be used as the subject matter for meeting state and local curriculum standards. The intention of the CLUB programs is to address just that issue in schools across all six New England states. Our goal is to use the CLUB’s workshops and technical assistance programs, all experiential and hands on, as a tool for educating K-12 students about consumption, proper diversion of waste, the resulting impacts on climate change and what they can do to change it. Through these offerings, we are also afforded the opportunity to link these priorities to curriculum standards. In addition, these workshops will model, for educators or community leaders, exemplary ways of teaching in creative, effective, and efficient methods about human health threats from environmental pollution as well as how to minimize human exposure to preserve good health. Click here to learn more or contact us at [email protected] or call 1.603.736.4401 ext. 19
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IN THE NEWS
From our friends at University of New Hampshire
UNH Class Repurposes Campaign Signs
Trash to Technology
Tuesday, February 16, 2016
youtube.com
In Therese Willkomm’s classroom, occupational therapy students are turning campaign signs into assistive technology, with great results.
For a complete video, go to this link: http://www.unh.edu/unhtoday/2016/02/trash-technology
Which came first, the chicken . . .
From our friends at USDA
Chicken Ranching Boosts Pasture Soil Health on Iowa Farm
Posted by Laura Crowell, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Iowa, on January 27, 2016 at 12:30 PM
The hens rotate 72 hours behind the cattle herd to provide insect control, and the bus provides easy mobility from paddock to paddock.
When bison roamed the Great Plains, prairie chickens and other fowl played an important role as the clean-up crew. They would follow the herds feasting on the larvae in bison manure.
In Doug Darrow’s 160-acre mob grazing system near Oxford, Iowa, his 300 chickens have the same job, but they ride in style from paddock to paddock in an old school bus that doubles as a chicken coop. “This means there are fewer flies to pester the cows,” said Darrow. This natural form of pest control, improves herd health and rate of gain, while providing another income source from the eggs laid by the clean-up crew.
Along with serving as mass transit for the chickens, the bus doubles as a nightly shelter protecting them from predators. “Grazing experts from the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) visited with Darrow about grazing systems in 2004,” said Jess Jackson, former grazing specialist and current NRCS National Partnership Liaison. “Years later when he was ready to move to a high-density grazing system, we met to lay out the fences and watering system, and developed a plan to implement the new system,” he said.
About a year after converting 80 acres of cropland into pasture, Darrow was approved for a 2014 Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) contract through his local NRCS office in Johnson County, Iowa to install fencing and the watering system. The fencing was used to divide his pastureland into 2.28-acre paddocks. The cows are moved from pasture-to-pasture on a 60-day rotation.
Each pasture is grazed for one day, and rests for the remaining 59. Darrow’s chickens follow in the same rotation, but three days behind the cow-calf herd. The high-density, or mob grazing system, also promotes soil health and nearly eliminates erosion by preventing overgrazing. “By only grazing one paddock per day, the cows don’t have time to overgraze the grass and clover pastures,” said Jackson. “With all the roots and many of the leaves intact, the plants have the strength to quickly replenish themselves.”
“And, the undisturbed root system of the continuous pasture allows microorganisms to flourish, improving soil health and increasing organic matter,” said Iowa NRCS State Soil Scientist Rick Bednarek. Darrow made a choice to convert all his cropland acres to a mob grazing-chicken ranch, a time-intensive system requiring daily attention. But for Darrow the benefits far outweigh the time requirements.
“I’m trying to mimic nature,” said Darrow. The system eliminates his need for fertilizer and other inputs, saving costs, machinery time, and preventing runoff of commercial inputs.
Producers interested in NRCS technical and financial assistance are encouraged to contact their local USDA service center.
The bus contains 300 laying hens purchased from local confinements.
. . . or the Eggshell?
We found this link through Pinterest:
How to Reuse Eggshells
We go through a lot of eggs around here on it used to be that I would just toss the shells in the trash without thinking. Finally, after doing some toxic free pest control research for my rhubarb, I discovered that eggshells were not only a great way to keep pests like snails and slugs away, they are also very beneficial for the soil if you’re planting a garden or just want to better your soil for plants.
Needless to say, I stopped throwing away all our shells and started saving them. That resulted in boxes and boxes of shells since I left them uncrushed. As we were decluttering the laundry room to make room for our 5 gallon storage unit, my husband brought the boxes down and started dumping the shells into a 5 gallon bucket. The kids, in turn,started crushing them (great way to keep hands busy, by the way).
I now store our eggshells in a 5 gallon bucket, where they are ready and waiting for spring to come and the fun but pesky snails and slugs to make their debut. I have had great success in saving my rhubarb by sprinkling a nice coating of shells around the base of my rhubarb and a few other plants every year.
10 Simple Ways to Reuse your Eggshells
I know there are tons of ways to reuse things like eggshells but here are just 10 simple ways on how to reuse your eggshells:
1. Composting: eggshells will add calcium and other minerals to your compost pile
2. Pest Control in the Garden: this worked so well for us in our garden – the slugs left our plants alone, giving the seedlings a chance to grow
3. Seedling Starters: Just add a little dirt to a mostly intact shell and plant a seed in it and just think, you can reuse your egg cartons to hold the starters – all biodegradable!
4. Abrasive Cleaner: Crush the shell and add to some soapy water to use on things like stainless steel sinks, pots, etc
5. Drain Clearer: Finely crushed shells will help keep your drain clear
6. Smoother Coffee: Adding crushed shells to your coffee grounds helps with the acidity in the coffee*
7. Boiled Egg Water: After boiling eggs, use the water in your garden or around your plants to add calcium and help build up your soil
8. Feed the Birds: Birds will love the shells (you can also feed them to your chickens, just crush them up first)
9. Gardens: Just like shells are good for composting and pest control, they are also good just to add to the soil around your tomatoes and peppers so even if you don’t have the insect/bug pests or compost pile, they are still good to add to your plants!
10. Crafts: You can try to keep the egg whole by blowing the white and yolk out (I remember watching my mom do this when I was little) or you can crush the shell to use for mosaic pieces
*Remember: if using shells in something you will consume, only use boiled shells, otherwise you run the risk of a salmonella infection.
There are all kinds of ways to reuse eggshells! I wish I had discovered this years ago but now that I know, we’ve been saving our shells for months now and have quite the collection. Have you discovered other ways to use eggshells?
Terracycle Becomes a Staples Item
From our friends at Waste 360
Staples Now Selling Recycle-by-Mail Boxes
Feb 18, 2016 Robert Carr
Office workers across North America know that a lot of their daily waste is recyclable—those leaky pens that don’t write, reams of office printouts, plastic bottles from rushed lunches—but it’s been a hard sell to get near full sustainability.
Landlords have slowly come around to offer recycling bins and other methods, though at times only to appease green-minded CEOs. There’s also the sneaky suspicion that janitors just empty it all into the same bin at the end of the night. More frustrating, however, is that there are more rules for what can and can’t be put into the office recycling stream than most people are used to at their homes. A few offices, however, have decided to just box up their recyclables and ship them away. No, not to the competitor down the street—recycling by mail programs are popping up online, through major waste haulers and now, even at retail stores.
It’s a simple process: An office manager orders a specified box for the particular material, and the empty box arrives with return delivery already paid. The standalone box is put in the corner and workers feed that material into the box until full. The manager then just tapes the box shut and carries it out with the rest of the outgoing mail.
The option has been offered for a few years now by start-up Web firms or industry stalwarts. Waste Management, for example, offers recycling by mail for items such as fluorescent lamps, dry cell batteries, computers and electronics, and even the usual items such as bottles, plastic bags and shrink wrap. Manufacturers also offer free recycling of their items. Dell, for example, partnered with Fed-Ex to take back all computers (not just their own) and printer cartridges by free shipping. LG will send a free package to return an old phone.
However, office managers have enough to do, and they prefer to keep their ordering off of one catalog. To help out, Trenton, N.J.-based TerraCycle recently started offering their “Zero Waste Boxes” to U.S. customers through supply giant Staples.com. At first, the retailer only offered the program in Canada, says Colleen Duncan, a spokeswoman for TerraCycle. “We started a couple of years ago, and noticed that we had a lot of positive feedback,” she says.
Duncan says TerraCycle, known for taking in products many material recovery facilities won’t touch, is able to repurpose the office waste. Plastics, for example, are turned into items such as benches, bicycle racks and watering cans. Her firm has recycled more than 2.5 billion pieces of waste from all walks of life, she says.
The Staples site already has Canadian reviews of the boxes. Trisha Henderson, environmental policy coordinator for the Town of Oakville, near Ontario, Canada, said the recycle-by-mail program is much needed. “(We’ve) implemented this into four facilities and eight different departments to further increase our waste diversion rates across the corporation,” she said in a review for the Terracycle coffee pod recycling box.
Duncan says the need is there because a lot of business recycling programs won’t take certain items, such as the coffee pods, spray bottle heads, plastic packaging and certain pens and markers. While it’s an eco-friendly solution, her firm’s boxes certainly aren’t cheap. Prices range from $79.99 for a small box from a small office party, to boxes for arts and crafts, binders, mailing and cleaning supplies, to $373.99 for a large box that can take just about anything not toxic or hazardous.
“It’s important to provide options to companies to have somewhere to put this waste, so they can reach their sustainability goals,” Duncan says. “Also, by bringing it through Staples, it allows them to offer another green product for their customers.”
From our friends at Plastics News
Using plastic to save trees
January 8, 2016
By Catherine Kavanaugh
Terrecon Inc. Terrewalk pavers made from recycled low density polyethylene allow Culver City, Calif., to trim back the roots and save the tree.
Large old trees give so much. They provide beauty and shade, raise property values, remove pollutants, and have even been shown to bolster mental health. However, their sprawling roots tilt up concrete sidewalks, posing physical risks in the form of tripping hazards that can open cities to costly lawsuits.
What’s an environmentally conscious and legally liable community with mature trees to do?
In Logan, Utah, they are looking beyond the age-old solution of getting out the chainsaws. Instead, they have replaced some buckling slabs of cement with paving tiles made from 100 percent recycled low density polyethylene. Called Terrewalks, the 24-inch-by-30-inch tiles are 35 pounds each and can be easily removed to trim tree roots and then set back in place.
Not only have Terrewalks saved trees in at least 200 U.S and Canadian cities, the raw materials for the synthetic squares come from some of the lowest grades of LDPE. We’re talking dirty agricultural film that previously had little if any demand, as well as by-products from composite wood deck maker Trex Co. Inc. And, that solves another issue of what to do with some problematic post-consumer waste.
Terrewalks are sold by Terrecon Inc., which is based in Fountain Valley, Calif. CEO and founder Lindsay Smith got the idea for the business in 2001 after seeing red Xs painted on 26 ficus trees marked for removal in her California neighborhood. Her company started out using rubber for the flexible sidewalks but added recycled plastic in 2007. The raw materials, such as plastic wrap used to bale hay for dairy cows, are converted into Terrewalk tiles through a process called thermo-kinetic technology, which, unlike injection and extrusion molding, does not require plastic to be clean, sorted or pelletized.
“It’s a form of compression molding that allows the plastic to be coarse and diverse,” Smith said in an email. “This contributes to the concrete-like appearance of Terrewalks.” Terrecon has partnered with three different manufacturers in the western United States to date. But starting in April, Lehman & Sons Enterprise LLC of Bristol, Ind., will exclusively handle production. Smith said a central location is needed as plastic sidewalks make inroads across North America.
“This is part of the evolution of the company and a desire to lower costs of the products,” she said. “Being in the central U.S. will reduce the cost of shipping, but most importantly, it’s because there is so much ag plastic in the Midwest. Before, we were spending a lot on moving plastic.”
Terrecon Inc. Installing Terrewalk pavers in Buellton, Calif.
Root of the problem
Logan, a college town in northern Utah, has won Tree City USA awards for 28 years and counting, so when some giant willows, cottonwoods and London planetrees were facing the ax in 12 residential and high-traffic areas, some people cringed. “Public safety is at the top of the list for the city of Logan, so the tree often loses out when these conflicts arise,” Megan Dettenmaier, the forestry extension educator at Utah State University, said in an email.
She and her colleague had heard about plastic sidewalks being used to leave problem trees in place and they checked into it. Dettenmaier talked to local officials in Alaska and Wisconsin and after getting positive reviews she applied for and received an $8,000 state grant to try Terrewalks in Logan. The city matched the grant with $10,000 and provided the labor to install the tiles.
“Trees in Logan will be spared, and if they become a problem again, the tiles can be uplifted, problem roots can be trimmed, and the same tiles can be re-laid,” Dettenmaier said in an email. “This is a unique product that reduces waste, helps cities retain mature trees, and creates safe walkable sidewalks. And, even better, the construction can usually be completed in a day.”
Plastic sidewalks are more expensive than concrete — initially, she added. “But there are high costs associated with the business-as-usual model, where trees that have buckled sidewalks are removed, new sidewalks are poured and new trees are planted, only to have the cycle repeated in the future when that new tree becomes a problem again.”
Terrewalk pavers, which have a 20-year warranty, were installed in Logan last summer and are being monitored as to how they hold up to heat, harsh winters and different snow removal methods. “Weather is the biggest unknown at this time,” Dettenmaier said.
Branching out
While some municipalities consider themselves in the test stage for Terrewalks, Smith said the product is “tried and true” and gaining popularity for commercial, corporate and university applications. The plastic tiles can replicate the look of granite, marble and stone and they are promoted as slip-resistant and compliant with the American with Disabilities Act.
“They’ve been installed throughout the country since 2008,” Smith said. “They are unbreakable — even when they are frozen solid. They’re long lasting and pretty much indestructible. … They are also safer and more comfortable to walk or run — or fall — on.”
Terrecon recently announced that its paving tiles also will be specified for tee pads by Houck Designs, which it says is the No. 1 disc golf designer in the world, because they are easy to install, durable and cleanable.
The paving tiles also qualify for green building credits because they are made of recycled material and resist sunlight, which reduces the heat-island effect brought on by cement. In addition, the polymer pathways can play a role in storm water management. The bottom sides of Terrewalks have channels that serve as reservoirs and can hold 2.3 gallons of rain per paver. That allows storm water to slowly percolate to the soil below.
“Certainly preserving and maintaining the urban forest is its main benefit, but capturing storm water is a very big consideration these days,” Smith said. Terrewalks also are good for construction sites, where they can’t be marred by heavy equipment like poured concrete, she added.
With the benefits plastic sidewalks offer, Terrecon is on the path to wider acceptance but will it change our landscape underfoot? Smith said displacing concrete as the main material for sidewalks will take a paradigm shift.
“The greatest challenge is overcoming the habitual use of concrete for sidewalks,” she said. “The infrastructure for concrete is highly evolved with contractors, installers, internal and external relationships, and red tape. Change meets resistance — even when everyone knows that concrete breaks, causing trip hazards and lawsuits, and it cannot coexist with the urban forest.”
Can Roundup Continues
As the Great American Can Roundup School Challenge celebrates its 6th year,
the Can Manufacturers Institute* looks forward to recognizing the top recycling per capita schools in each state and the District of Columbia with $1,000. The school that earns top recycling honors nationwide receives an additional $5,000. There is a total of $56,000 intended to be awarded. This is a CANtastic way to show your true green spirit.
Register today at http://www.canroundup.com/login/, if you have not already. Raise money for your school/activities, score for the planet and recycle your way to the GACR leader board. It is easy, fun and there is time. The School Challenge runs from America Recycles Day (Nov. 15) to Earth Day (April 22) for collecting aluminum cans. Take your cans to the recycling center and upload your receipts by April 28, 2016. Winners will be announced in May.
*Can Manufacturers Institute (a national trade association representing can manufacturers and suppliers to the industry)
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Contests, Scholarships & Fundraisers
Sunoco Rewards Scholarships
We are now accepting applications for our 2016 Sunoco Rewards scholarships. This year, Sunoco is offering two $1,000.00 scholarships to two future marketers.
Creative Design Scholarship
One of the ways that we communicate with our customers at our Sunoco stations is through point-of-purchase (POP) signage.
Two of our highly visible POP are the Perimeter Pole Sign (PPS) and the Pump Topper Sign (PTS). The PPS is placed in large frames along the exterior of our station lots. The PTS sits in a frame on every pump at many of our stations.
As future graphic designers, we would like to see what type of creative concepts you can develop for our retail POP around our high quality fuels.
Learn more about our creative design scholarship.
Digital Marketing Scholarship
With nearly 75% of adults in the United States using sites like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest, it is no surprise that Social Media has become an integral part of brand marketing. Marketers around the world continue to grapple with how best to use these evolving networks to reach the markets where they operate daily.
Digital Marketers are always looking for new tactics and platforms to help them connect and communicate with consumers. We would like to see a digital marketing campaign that could be implemented for Sunoco Racing.
Learn more about our digital marketing scholarship.
Scholarship Rules
The deadline for both scholarships is May 31st, 2016.
Each scholarship will be issued in one installment of $1,000.00, to be applied to qualified academic expenses, including tuition, fees, books and on-campus room and board. The funds will be sent directly to the accredited college as designated by the student.
To be eligible for the Sunoco Rewards Scholarship:
1. You must complete all of the required steps.
2. You must be a U.S. Citizen or Permanent Legal Resident of the U.S.
3. You must be a graduating high school senior or a full-time college freshmen, sophomore or junior.
4. You cannot be a Sunoco employee or related to any Sunoco employees.
5. Only one submission per student is permitted.
6. We reserve the right to verify the date of high school graduation and/or college enrollment.
To receive the Sunoco Rewards Scholarship:
1. You must provide Sunoco with written proof of enrollment from an accredited college.
2. You must provide Sunoco with the address and contact information for your school’s Financial Aid Office.
3. You must provide Sunoco with your college student identification number or Social Security number.
Legal
By submitting your work, you hereby certify that this is your original work and is not a copy of published photographs, magazines, book illustrations or other materials protected by copyright laws. You agree to provide Sunoco with full license to use all materials. You certify that you have read, understood, and are abiding by the rules of the scholarship.
If you have any questions, please contact us at [email protected].
Here is the link to the Sunoco Scholarship page.
Team Earth Poster Contest
Having updated the Team Earth Program Manual, the CLUB is in search of a new poster that relects those revisions. All CLUB artists are welcom to compete in the Team Earth Poster Contest (see below) that will run through April 15, 2016.
DEADLINE: Email a picture of your entry to [email protected] by Friday, April 15, 2016 to be eligible!
$$$$$$$$$$ Other School Grant Opportunities $$$$$$$$$$
(Collected from NWF Eco-Schools Newsletter – August, 2015)
http://www.nwf.org/Eco-Schools-USA/Newsletter.aspx?s_email_id=20150819_ECO_ENG_Educators|#schoolyardhabitats
DonorsChoose.org – Can list on site up to 4 months
http://www.donorschoose.org/about
Helps classrooms and students in need
DoSomething.org offers many ways to earn scholarship money.
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EPA & NHDES NEWS
Celebrate Wild NH Day!
Courtesy of NH Fish & Game
NH Fish & Game will host Wild NH Day on Saturday, April 16, from 10 am – 3 pm. Admission is FREE and will be held at 11 Hazen Drive, Concord, NH.
Discover WILD New Hampshire Day is a fun way for the whole family to explore New Hampshire’s wildlife resources and legacy of outdoor traditions. Browse educational exhibits presented by environmental and conservation organizations from throughout the state. See live animals, big fish and trained falcons. Try your hand at archery, casting, fly-tying and B-B gun shooting. Watch retriever dogs in action. Get creative with hands-on craft activities for the kids. Plus, check out the latest hunting and fishing gear and gadgets.
For more information, visit Wild NH Day
This is for the birds!
NWF has come out with a Bird Identifier Poster for it’s Eco-Schools program.
Red-winged Blackbird
For the printable PDF, click HERE.
Click here for the latest NH DES Newsletter – March/April
EPA Region 1 Welcomes First K12 School to FRC
Here is the link to EPA Region 1 tweet…just went out 3/1 – first New England K12 school in MA joins Food Recovery Challenge-would love more k12 schools to join!!!! Feel free to re-tweet
Tweet
Welcome Katharine Lee Bates Elem School in Wellesley MA, 1st k12 school in NE to join EPA’s Food Recovery Challenge! http://go.usa.gov/cv3Y9
Tweet link: https://twitter.com/EPAnewengland/status/704712263412883460
NH Envirothon 2016 – Invasive Species
2016 NH Envirothon is here!
Training Day will be Saturday, April 9 at Seabrook Station, Seabrook, NH.
Competition Day will be Tuesday, May 24, at McLane Audubon Center, Concord, NH.
Current Issue Challenge: Invasive Species
Registration Form
From our friend Janet Bowen at the EPA Region I:
If you want to see what schools are doing in Massachusetts, here’s the link to Green Team Newsletter!
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ACTIVITY
We found this through our friends at AllFreeKidsCrafts:
Leprechaun Rainbow Seeds
By: Jill from Every Day is an Occasion
Updated January 27, 2015
Leprechauns are known for their pots of gold, but did you know they also have
another treasure? If you’re feeling lucky, you might just find these Leprechaun’s Rainbow Seeds popping up in your house! These St. Patrick’s Day crafts for kids are such an easy way to celebrate the holiday, and since they come with free printables, they take only a few minutes to make.
Give Leprechaun’s Rainbow Seeds to your child’s friends on St. Patrick’s Day to share your good luck. You’ll love this St. Patrick’s Day craft idea so much that you’ll want to recreate it every year.
Materials: Paper Crafts, Food Crafts
Age Group: Preschool & Kindergarten, Elementary School, Pre-Teens
Time to complete: Under 30 minutes
Click Here for Kids’ Craft Project
CLUB Note: You could easily substitute stickers, colored paper clips, or other novelties if candy is not allowed at your school.
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GREEN CALENDAR
03/20/16 – First Day of Spring
03/22/16 – World Water Day – To plan your event, visit www.unwater.org.
04/07/16 – Vermont Organics Recycling Summit – Held at Vermont Technical College in Randolph, VT; for more info, visit: www.compostingvermont.org/vors/
04/16/16 – Wild NH Day – For more information on this FREE event, visit: Wild NH Day.
04/22/16 – Earth Day – To plan your event, see future newsletters and visit www.earthday.org.
04/29/16 – Arbor Day – To plan your event, visit www.arborday.org.
05/17/16 – NRRA School CLUB Conference – Come join us in celebrating NRRA’s 35th Anniversary at the Radisson in Nashua! Check out our Conference Page for more information.
06/05/16 – World Environment Day – To plan your event, visit www.unep.org.
06/08/16 – World Oceans Day – To plan your event, visit www.worldoceansday.org.
Have a Happy St. Paddy’s Day!
planetpals.com
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WHAT IS YOUR SCHOOL CLUB UP TO? The NRRA School CLUB always loves to hear what its members and other schools are doing to recycle and help the environment so we can share it through our newsletter. There are so many different things being done, and you are our best source of information about what is working in your school. It can be a new program, a long-term project that’s been proven over time, a field trip, etc. Always feel free to contact me or submit something and you may see it in the next School News You Can Use! – Gwen Erley, [email protected] 1-603-736-4401 Ext. 19