SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE

2023 Sustainability Committee Highlights and Plans for Next Year

The Sustainability and Garden Committee kicked off the school year with activities and events that helped instill a sense of environmental stewardship in our school community and foster a connection to nature. Key highlights included:

Raised Garden Beds at Enfield

Thanks to the support of Assistant Principal Mr. Curtis Fleming, teachers Ms. Tara Grow and Ms. Teresa Straffin, and the generous contributions and guidance from Backyard Eats, raised garden beds were installed in April. The garden provides engaging, hands-on learning experiences to understand the process of growing healthy foods. Green beans, tomatoes, carrots, and herbs are just a few things popping up in the garden beds. Check out the gardens, which are near the walker door! We’re currently working out logistics and assessing the available space to implement a similar garden set-up at Erdenheim next year.

Assembly on Shelter Building

Also, in April, Enfield welcomed representatives from the nonprofit organization 4 Elements Earth Education (4eee.org) to share some of their earth skills with our students. The topic was shelter, specifically how to make a natural shelter using nothing but forest debris to keep warm and dry in even the coldest and wettest conditions. The presentation included a brief history of the organization and its lineage to a Native American society. It also included an engaging story relaying how humans learned this type of shelter from the squirrels. In the afternoon, students got time in the courtyard to do just that – build a shelter for a squirrel using sticks and leaves to construct a “debris hut.”

BIC Stationary Recycling Program

Enfield and Erdenheim participated in the BIC recycling program this year, and teachers and students gathered nearly 17 pounds of writing instruments that would have otherwise been thrown away. Unfortunately, the BIC recycling program is being discontinued, but we’re looking at other available recycling programs for the next school year to help minimize our impact on the environment. Special thanks to the Green Team at Erdenheim for getting the word out and helping with the collection effort!

As we close out the school year, we’re glad that the programs introduced give students a sense of their relationship to the natural world and how they can play a part in making the world a better place. Our committee looks forward to continuing to work with school administration and teachers, the Erdenheim Sustainability Spartan Choice, the High School Sustainability Club, and local businesses. If you have any ideas or want to be involved, please contact us at sustainability@eehsp.org.