Impressive gardens help Ventura campus win Green School Award
By Alex Wilson 12/03/2009
Students, faculty and parents at Ventura’s Lincoln Elementary School won the city’s 2009 Green School Award for their recycling efforts and green thumbs.
The small campus visible from Main Street, just east of downtown has long been known for successful recycling efforts. They’ve been recognized by the State Department of Conservation for two consecutive years for the large amount of the material they’ve diverted from landfills, and were a finalist in a nationwide recycling contest sponsored by “All” brand laundry detergent.
Judges in the local contest were also swayed by the numerous gardens dotting the campus, where students learn about earth science and even social studies.
Some of those colorful gardens surrounded students in the school courtyard as dignitaries including Ventura Unified School District’s president and superintendent, and Mayor Christy Weir, assembled for an awards ceremony, which included cheers and a spirited rendition of the school song.
Mayor Weir said she’s excited by the student’s amazing efforts, and noted that the money raised by recycling funds an art program the district would be unable to afford because of tight budget times. “We know you use the money from recycling to fund your wonderful art program,” said Weir. “You should be proud that your recycling efforts help our earth, and our community, and give you a fun, educational art program.”
The ceremony included the presentation of a translucent trophy made of recycled green glass, and a $500 check from sponsor Agromin Premium Soil Products, which processes the city’s green waste into compost and mulch.
Principal Lee Warner told the students that other educators have taken note of their success. “Many other schools are calling us because they’d like to duplicate what were doing. It catches on. Remember, we started small and now were getting bigger and better,” said Warner.
Ventura Environmental Services Specialist Christine Wied said she created the annual contest to encourage students to think green. “I also wanted to start a little competition between the schools to get them motivated to do more things,” said Wied “This award is to give acknowledgement to at least one school doing an exemplary job in helping out the environment.”
Wied says that in addition to growing plants, kids at Lincoln also raise butterflies, and soil enriching red wiggler worms. “You set up a worm bin, and put bedding in there like shredded paper, and you put your food scraps, apple cores, and peels from things, and the worms will eat that. It’s worm poop that’s actually compost and has a lot of nutrients, and you mix that back into the garden and it replenishes the soil so the kids can see the process,” said Wied.
Some gardens also help illustrate lessons in social science around Cesar Chavez Day by showing the hard work performed by farmers and laborers who help make food appear on dinner tables according to Wied. “The kids were pulling weeds to see how labor intensive it is, and where our food comes from, and who has to do the work to get the food produced. So they did a really great lesson with the whole thing, and the science, and the social aspects,” said Wied.
Third grader Eugene Gao, 8, said watching butterflies emerge from cocoons is one of his favorite things about the school’s gardens. “When they hatch they have a spark of gold,” said Gao.
Third grader Emily Reed, 8, also expressed gratitude that her campus does so much to improve the environment. “It’s very fun, and I’m proud of the school,” said Reed.
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