Green-Ho! Green Belt Movement Trip Starts Tomorrow

 

Ms. O’Mara and I are headed to Kenya tomorrow.  We are excited to get involved in Wangari Maathai’s Green Belt Movement. We’ll be updating a blog for those of you interested in keep up with the trip – http://www.growkenya.wordpress.org.

Keep checking for information about our travels with Mutinda David and the GMB organization as we live and work with women in rural Kenya, as well as visit the famed national parks that make Kenya such an incredible symbol of why global sustainable development is critical to the future of a peaceful world.

“Speed is irrelevant if you are going in the wrong direction.” – M. Gandhi

Single Use Plastics are an incredible source of waste in our society.  Plastic sandwich bags, shopping bags, bottles, clips…the list could go on and on.  Many New Yorkers have tried to get rid of single use plastics in their lives, either by using a different product (like a re-usable shopping bag) or by re-using something that was only meant for one use.  Mr. Latimer has taken this to a new level with his well worn Metrocard!  Ask him to show it to you if you see him in the hallway.   He explains his philosophy about using things well here.

“When I was a child, it was the bane of my existence to be dragged all over New England by my parents, looking at “old junk.”  Over the years, however, it taught me to appreciate anything that was useful and well crafted. I hope to become a useful antique some day.”

Green Event Planning

Starting to plan events for 2011-2012? Check our guidelines for green event planning here: https://docs.google.com/present/view?id=df77vpz6_11grgw2xg4

TEKSERVE and the LESEC’s Recycling Events!

You may have a pile of old technology building up after the school year, or after several years of upgrades. Don’t forget that the downtown NYC neighborhood has plenty of responsible recycling events – bring old computers and more! Look for new collection events at Tekserve and the Lower East Side Ecology Center. Next big event is planned for July 10th.

Compost Goes to 10 GCS Gardens!

This year our Green Gremlins, Greenhouse, Faculty, and Lower School classrooms started and maintained 6 vermicompost bins. At the end of the school year, we brewed “compost tea” – a combination of rich compost castings and sugar that build a natural fertilizer and anti-microbial liquid for gardens and lawns. 10 faculty and family gardeners took some home. We look forward to finding out how their seasonal “crops” develop with their added boost!  Here’s a photo of one of our gardens – Ms. Adler’s tomato plants in New Jersey!  Beautiful!  It is a pleasure to see that our snack food wastes are being “recycled” to help grow more food.

Ms. Adler's Garden