ENSS Environmental Club
Written by Gwen McConkey
Five years ago, a group of students from East Northumberland Secondary School In Ontario traveled to Ottawa to learn about school sustainability plans. Based on the students’ input, I wrote a sustainability plan for ENSS, then endorsed by the principal and department heads. The club has been busy implementing this plan ever since.
In an effort to help curb global climate change, we use a three-fold approach to address energy concerns – a carbon sink, energy conservation, and renewable energy. In support of a carbon sink, the club plants hundreds of trees annually by partnering with the Northumberland Stewardship Council. Over the years we have planted trees for individual landowners, the disabled, mentored kindergarten children in our elementary panel, planted trees for our wetland restoration project and much more.
In past, a minimum order of a hundred trees has been necessary to participate in the stewardship program. This year, thanks to the generosity of the council, we were given permission to break up the bundles and sell seven different varieties of trees and wildlife bushes to residents in our community, and at the same low prices. We teamed up with one of our elementary schools last fall to sell the trees, and after sales from several venues last fall, we distributed approximately 3 000 trees this spring to be planted throughout our area.
The demand for energy cannot be ignored. In support of energy conservation, we adopted LOCO (Lights Off, Computers Off) at our school. This program involved monitoring, tracking and recording the number of lights and computers turned off after school for several years. We were then able to estimate the total potential savings if all the lights and computers in the school were turned off when not in use. Our data suggests that the school budget could realize a $10 000 savings in energy cost annually by simply turning off all lights when not needed. Similar savings could be achieved by turning off unused computers. Finally, in support of renewable energy we plan to build a wind and solar renewable energy system accompanied by an educational component. Fundraising for this project began last spring with a semi-formal dance. Since then we have contacted and received donations from many community groups, businesses and students.
At ENSS, the Terry Fox Foundation plays an important role in daily life. ENSS is one of the top fundraising schools for the Terry Fox run in the country and holds this huge event annually. To help encourage recycling, we have linked our recycling program to the school’s fundraising efforts. The foundation granted ENSS permission to use the Terry Fox logo on special recycling bins. An art student designed the logo while other students came up with slogans for the bins. Any cans, plastic bottles and juice boxes recycled in these bins are counted and sold. All money raised goes to the Terry Fox Foundation.
Earth Week is another busy time for the environmental club. We run a series of events including our annual community cleanup. This year, a record 31 classes volunteered to clean up our surrounding area. Teachers are given bags and a map of the area their class is responsible for cleaning. The combined effort usually results in filling one to two dumpsters with garbage.
Last year during Earth Week we focused on sustainable transportation and held sustainable transportation relay racesduring the lunch break. It was both fun and educational. In connection with the school sustainability plan, our welding teacher and his students constructed a bicycle rack providing space for 20 more bicycles at the school. Among these many projects ENSS also maintains a wetland restoration project, organic and native gardens and much more. There is never a shortage of projects to keep us busy.
Students involved with the environmental club at East Northumberland Secondary School leave confident that they have the skills and knowledge to make a difference, and our planet more sustainable.
By Gwen McConkey
