by Sally Janover
According to Pam Willison, a teacher at Bigfork, there are several green projects in the works at Bigfork Schools:
- School Garden: The Elementary School has a plot on their grounds for a veggie garden; the High School Bio Club is considering an offer of assistance.
- Earth Day 2009: The school is also making plans to celebrate Earth Day 2009: The Green Generation, on April 22. The Bio club is preparing a 30 minute power-point presentation that will be shown the week leading up to Earth Day. This presentation will cover garbage from the landfill backward to our school and what each student should be doing.
- Recycling: The students have contracted with the Green Machine, a recycling service in Kalispell, to pick up recyclables at the school. This probably does not include glass. The elementary, middle, and high schoosl will be working on the fund raising to pay the monthly fee for the service.
ESP is excited about these plans and offers our support. Does anyone want to volunteer to help with fund raising for these projects? Pam Willison and Rhonda White are the contacts for the Bio Club.
Permaculture at the Schools?
ESP would love to see permaculture principles incorporated into their garden plans and their Earth Day festivities. Permaculture doesn’t just concern a vegetable garden. It’s way more: a complex system that takes care of an entire human habitat, working with and within nature. We’d love to see a Permaculture demonstration project in our community. Perhaps the Bigfork Bio Club could create a Permaculture design for the campus, with a vegetable garden as the point of departure.
Upcoming Events:
Pam is excited about ESPs upcoming gathering on Making Bows and Arrows by Luc Tunkel, on Wednesday May 22, 7 PM at Clementines in Bigfork.
ESP also plans to mark Earth Day with a gathering on April 22, 7 PM at Clementines in Bigfork. The topic will be about Native Bees and Honey Bees, and their Habitats.
Mark these dates on your calendar and watch for a flyer as the events get closer.
Links:
- Excellent article by Alice Waters (of Chez Panise in Berkely CA), Slow Food, Slow Schools on the Edible Schoolyard web site to learn more.
- Earth Day 2009: The Green Generation, on April 22.