Walkerton School began their green efforts three years ago and has continued to make great strides. Three years ago, two staff members began a recycling program working with our local waste management service. Since there was no money for recycle collection, we were excited to have collection bins donated for each office and classroom, totaling 40 indoor collection bins. The first year we did not keep track of how much we recycled, but last year we weighed what we had collected and discovered that we saved over 4 tons of recyclable materials from ending up in a landfill. This year, we have noticed a significant increase in our staff and students reusing materials. For example, copying on the second side of a piece of paper instead of just one. As a result, we have seen a slight decrease in the amount of recyclables we collect each week and a greater awareness of our consumption and what we can do to reduce and reuse items.

Each year, we have worked at educating our students and staff about the important of reducing consumption, reusing materials and reusing items. Our goal is to educate our students and parents regarding the impact each of us has on the environment and how we can each contribute toward a healthier world. This year was the second year we held an Earth Day Expo where we invited members of our community who working toward this goal to share what they doing and what kind of positive impact it is having on our environment. Participants set up displays exhibiting their unique contribution toward going green. Students, parents and community members are then invited to come and browse the displays, learning through direct conversation with the presenters and through interactive activities.

From the two staff members who first stared this venture, we have grown to include students from several grade levels who help each week to collect recyclables from the offices and classrooms. The interest and excitement appears to be contagious as students are continually asking if they can help.