Cover art by Madeleine Young; 1st grade

During this past year’s Earth Month Eco Program, all Edgemont students explored the challenges we face

in certain eco-humane areas on the earth. Then they discussed some positive solutions. This Earth Care

Guide reflects their ideas. We’ll be looking at ways we can continue to implement some of these solutions

throughout the 2014-2015 school year at home, school and in the bigger community.

*********

PROTECTING LAND Cut down less trees

Have less large developments

Water plants and don’t use fertilizer

Help animals and their habitats

Don’t use too much paper

Plant more flowers, trees and grass

Don’t take advantage of plants

Don’t mine; it takes up space

Use plant fibers to make things instead of rubber, plastic and other man-made things.

Invent a land purifying doll that cleans the air

Find a way to stop using chemicals (use all natural)

Start recycling your paper (instead of trash)

Social media page on conserving resources

Use reusable containers / food holders

Stop building roads and malls.

Build less big things.

Less internet shopping because they use fossil fuels to ship

PROTECTING AIR

Make less factories; produce more than one thing in the same factory

Make less highways and roads

Create more parks and forests

Don’t drive as much; carpool; use public transportation

Reuse bottles etc. for arts and crafts instead of burning them

Plant more trees so we have cleaner, fresher air

Stop cutting down trees

Throw less trash in the ocean because the air evaporates the water and then we have dirty water

Don’t use gasoline; use electric

Go on a local vacation; not far

Recycle more

People should stop smoking

Make planes and rockets that don’t pollute

Non plug-in computers and TVs

PROTECTING WATER

Don’t use pesticides and lawn fertilizers

Don’t buy as many products so factories won’t pollute as much

Stop dumping toxic products, oil, litter that pollute the water.

Don’t throw nets and other litter into the oceans and rivers.

Don’t leave the water on in your house or play around with too much water.

Stop overusing water sources

Do not litter in the water sources

Using fertilizers

Reuse rain water by filtering it.

Desalinization

Having / using less plastic toys

Use rain barrels

Use organic soaps

When it rains put your clothes outside and put soap on them instead of using the washing machine

Fix leaky pipes and faucets

Plant native plants

Don’t pour chemicals into the drain

Take shorter showers and bathes

If you don’t want the rest of your water, give it to someone else.

Don’t waste water by filling up your cup and not using it.

PROTECTING WILDLIFE

Don’t buy animal fur products

Eat what you hunt

Don’t eat with your eyes

Stop destroying animal habitats to make factories

Create safe spaces for animals to live

Don’t kill animals that are scary

Compost stuff

Protect endangered animals

Don’t cut down trees because there won’t be oxygen

Don’t pull out flowers because it will hurt pollinators

Don’t use pesticides

Don’t support habitat destruction

Don’t use animals for labor

Don’t pollute or litter; it kills the animals and ruins habitats

Help animals by protecting their habitats and building sanctuaries to protect the species

Build more animal shelters

Adopt endangered animals

Build new homes for animals who have no houses

Recycle so wildlife habitats don’t get polluted

Don’t litter in the ocean so animals don’t get stuck in litter

Reuse things so they don’t end up in the wildlife environment

Protect the forests

CONSERVING ENERGY

Play outside more instead of playing video games

Drive less; ride bikes more and take buses

Keep the heat low and wear more sweaters / sweat shirts

Turn off more lights and use book lights instead of lamps

Check your email once or twice a day

Read books more than watching T.V.

Keep the hot water heater at a lower temperature.

Use solar panels and solar powered robots

Drive air-powered or solar powered cars

Use solar energy for food machines and for T.Vs.

Hydraulic dams in man-made lakes

Use aquaponics instead of fossil fuels to make food

Use special, low energy light bulbs

Hang clothes to dry

Play less video games

Turn off lights when done

Use candles more than electronic lights

Limit screen time

Instead of treadmills, take a walk or run

Open window instead of A.C.

Only use renewable energy resources like solar power, geo thermal energy.

Wear a jacket instead of using the heat.

CARING FOR PEOPLE

Care for each other

Stop not respecting others and respect others and their ideas.

People should stop putting trash in the sea.

Think of others.

We can stop having wars with other places and stop using metals for guns and bullets

Conflict; petition to the United Nations

War; more peace treaties

Help pollinators

Care for animals

Don’t destroy their habitats

Plant more flowers

Don’t pollute

Don’t use lawn pesticides

Don’t use too much water

Make music that respects people

Make posters to save the earth

Stop bullying

Stop violence, fighting, arguing.

Be nice. Use words!

SOME OF THE WAYS EDGEMONT TOOK

ECO-ACTION in 2013-3014……………

Reduced incinerator waste in the cafeteria and classrooms by

educating on the benefits of reducing waste and recycling and setting

up recycling containers and signs.

EDGEMONT CARES ABOUT

THE PLANET!

Lunch Recycling Center

RECYCLING CENTER!

RESPECT

REDUCE

REUSE

RECYCLE

RETHINK

R

Ran a Recycling Challenge Contest. Ms. Fagan’s class was the winner! (Ms. Heuschkel

and Ms. Nevin’s classes were the runners up)

MEMO: CONGRATULATIONS MS. FAGAN’S CLASS AND THANK YOU FOR CARING

ABOUT THE EARTH AND ENVIRONMENT!

The good work you are doing is helping to produce less trash, cutting down less trees,

producing less toxic chemical emissions, using up less resources!

Did you know, since we began the Recycling Challenge:

- Edgemont has reduced its cafeteria trash bins from 3 per day on average to 2 bins per day on

average. That trash is now diverted from the incinerator to recycling plants.

- Edgemont threw away and now recycles 300 paper milk cartons a week, on average (K-12

students in the U.S. consume 6.5 billion paper milk cartons per year – that is the same number

of people on the earth)

- Edgemont threw away and now recycles 150 mixed juice cartons a week, on average

Keep up the great work and continue to be a role model for others in our school community!

~ Principal Hopper and the Edgemont Eco-Action Green Team

Collected close to 1000 bottle caps that would otherwise end up in the

incinerator or waterways.

MEMO: CONGRATULATIONS ON USING THIS ZERO-WASTE PARTY KIT!

By using this Zero-Waste Party Kit instead of the traditional party plates, cups, spoons and

napkins, you are:

- Saving Trees (paper plates, cups and napkins)

- Sending less material to the landfill or incinerator

- Using less plastic which never breaks down and which uses lots of chemicals to

product.

Used a Zero-Waste Party Kit in several classrooms this year

Demonstrated our desire to protect pollinators with Pollinator Pride &

Protection Day and the building of our certified Monarch Way Station and

Butterfly Peace Garden in the backyard.

"Those who dwell among the beauties and

mysteries of the earth are never alone or weary

of life." — Rachel Carson (was a famous

environmentalist and author)

“We travel together, passengers on a little

spaceship, passengers dependent on it’s

vulnerable reserves of air and soil, all

committed, for our safety, to it’s security and

peace. Preserved from annihilation only by the

care, the work and the love we give our fragile

craft.” - Adlai E. Stevenson (was an American

Politician and Diplomat)

"If a child is to keep his inborn sense of wonder,

he needs the companionship of at least one

adult who can share it, rediscovering with him

the joy, excitement and mystery of the world we

live in." — Rachel Carson (was a famous

environmentalist and author)

Back Cover art by Andreas

Beck; 1st grade