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Environmental Studies...
Current Activities
Maryland Green School
"Green Team Gazettes"
Eagle Cove Green Pages
Where to Recycle What
Past Activities: Earth Hour March 2009
Past Activities: April 2008 - Jane Goodall Visit
Past Activities: More Jane Goodall Photos
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2009 - 2010 Green School Activities
Preserving and Enriching Our Environment
We take our Green School Status very seriously
here at Eagle Cove School. Following are just some
of the many ways that we work to make our earth a better place to
live.
Be sure to check out our new
Green Pages Directory
- an extensive directory of local and global organizations and
businesses that promote environmental awareness - rather like an
"all things eco" directory! Also available, an
Earth911 widgit
that will help you locate locale recyclers of various materials.
Enter your material and zip code or city/state and the widget will
do the search for you!
| Recycling on
Campus
We all recycle, Pre-K through 5th. Cardboard, paper,
bottles, glass, plastic, compost, glue sticks, Capri Sun
juice containers, compact fluorescent light bulbs, ink
cartridges... |
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Paper, cardboard, plastic, glass |
Special bins are clearly labeled and present in every room. |
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Compost |
There is a compost bin in every classroom and there is one
at the end of our driveway's circle as well.
All teachers
and students use the compost bins, and families are
encouraged to drop off compost from their homes too, using
the compost bin at the end of the circle.
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Glue sticks |
We are starting to collect glue sticks now in preparation of
the Wal-Mart and Elmer's Glue recycling program that is
scheduled to begin in the Spring of 2009.
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Capri Sun containers |
Third grade is the class in charge of this program,
collecting, cleaning, counting, and sending in Capri Sun and
similar juice containers for recycling.
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Compact fluorescent
light bulbs |
The mercury in the new light bulbs should not end up in our
country's landfills, so they are being recycled here also.
Just as friends and families are welcome to bring in their
compostable items from home, they are welcome to bring in
these light bulbs as well.
The bin for these items is
kept in the Science Room -- bring in your bulbs and we will
take care of the rest.
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Batteries |
New for 2009-2010 - We are now
collecting non-rechargeable batteries for recycling.
Drop off containers are available on campus, or students can
bring them to school for you.
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Ink cartridges |
We print double-sided when we can, we use 1/2 sheets of
papers when possible, but we do generate some used ink and
toner cartridges. These are saved and sent in to proper
recycling facilities, and the community is welcome to drop
off their empty cartridges to us also. There is a green Ink
Cartridge bin outside the Office Door under the Announcement
Board.
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Energy Use
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We leave a room, the lights are turned off! We go home
for the day, computers and monitors and printers and
speakers are turned off.We used 3000 less kilowatts in
September 2008 than we did in September 2008, and we hope to
improve even more in 2009!
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| Recently Completed
Projects |
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Geodesic Green House |
Students in all grades helped during the 2008-2009 school
year to erect our new geodesic dome greenhouse on the campus.
A site was measured and prepared, materials purchased,
examined, sorted, and arranged, the base assembled, and the
walls erected. What a cooperative learning experience
as well as a great environmental learning facility! The
2009-2010 school year will find us excitedly exploring the
many uses for this wonderful building.
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| Environmental Efforts |
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1st Grade
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The 1st Graders will spend the year raising and measuring
two diamondback terrapins. Each year about 200 of
these turtles are raised by schools in Anne Arundel County
to increase their numbers in the Bay. In the spring,
they will take a field trip to Poplar Island to release the
terrapins.
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2nd Grade |
The 2nd Graders are in charge of the Nature Trail.
They keep it clean and groomed and learn about the trees and
the birds that live there. This year they will also be
raising American Eels to release into the Magothy
River.
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3rd Grade
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The 3rd Graders raise oyster spat. Oysters are
extremely good at filtering out impurities in the water.
In the spring, they will take a boat trip out into the Magothy River to release the young oysters.
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4th Grade |
The 4th Graders raise bay grasses. Bay grasses trap
sediment, provide shelter for fish and crabs, and add oxygen
to the water. This year we will be working with the Magothy River Association to raise grasses to be
planted in the spring.
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5th Grade |
The 5th Graders learn about environmental studies.
They look at the school as a whole and try to figure out
ways to improve our “greenness.” The students come up
with their own area of concern and spend several months
monitoring or taking data. These findings and their
recommendations will be presented during Bay Week.
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School Partnership |
One of the presenters at this year's FallFest was Riley
Hofer of
CynerGreen Kidz. She had heard of GICS'
environmental efforts and came to our school to talk to our
students and community about ways that everyone can make a
difference.Since then, we have continued our relationship
with CynerGreen, and one of the amazing things to evolve
from this was a chance to partner with a school in New York
City that is beginning an environmental awareness program.
Two of our teachers traveled to Harlem in December and
met at the Alain L. Locke Elementary school with Riley to
talk about our efforts and help the NY school begin their
own efforts.
We are very pleased that we are now a mentoring and
partner school with Alain L. Locke Elementary and hope to
continue to help them find ways to make the earth a greener
place.
Read about our visit with Riley to the NY school and our
mentoring
on
GreenVitals.net and
Forbes.com
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| Upcoming Projects |
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Green Roof |
We now have two bidders on the
Green Roof! This roof will absorb most of the rainfall that hits
it, provide added insulation to the building, absorb carbon
dioxide, and give off oxygen. And it will look really cool.
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Green Wall |
The 5th Graders will also be
building a small green wall for the office. A green wall is a
vertical garden that circulates the air through the roots of the
plants growing in it. The plants absorb any VOC’s (volatile
organic compounds – like what comes off new carpet) and add
moisture to the air.
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Solar Tubes |
A solar tube collects natural
light from the outdoors and channels into the interior of a
building. These could be used in the hallways, the bathrooms,
and the main office. The natural light is easier on the eyes and
no electricity is needed.
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Hands-free Faucets |
These faucets only work
when hands are placed beneath them. This will not only save
water but will also mean less contact in high bacterial areas.
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Insulation |
Our school is a cement block
structure with very little insulation. A cement block has an
R-value of 1.3 (for comparison, a single pane of glass has an
R-value of 1.1). The Science Teacher has contacted a parent
about the possibility of adding 2 ˝” to 3” of insulation to the
outside of the buildings which increase our R-value to 13 to 16.
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