ECOS Team Organizes Earth Day Activities

Following spring break, members of the LaFayette Junior/Senior High School’s ECOS (Environmentally Conscious Organization of Students) club decided to shake off any post-break rust by participating in a series of eco-friendly Earth Day events throughout the week!

Students were able to participate in a variety of "green" activities, including an Earth Day cleanup, creating environmental awareness posters and dioramas, and repurposing non-recyclable materials into planters to give them a “second life” outside of a landfill. By organizing a wide swath of events, the ECOS team gave students the opportunity to chase any (or all) of their passions.

Participation in these events was not exculsivley its own reward, however. Competitions were built around teams of students earning points for different events and eco-friendly actions, such as wearing a green shirt to school to raise awareness. Rewards for winning teams included a pizza party, and even a couple of day passes to Destiny USA.  

By the time the dust settled and the trash had been collected, the winners from the different events were announced:

• Pizza Party Winner: The eighth grade class
• Environmental Poster Contest Winner: Jenna Sommers
• “Find the Earth Scavenger Hunt” Winner: Bella Shenandoah-Kurtz

Perhaps the most recognizable part of the the week’s events was the district’s participation in the Onondaga County Resource Recovery Agency’s (OCRRA) annual Earth Day Cleanup. A team comprised primarily of eighth and ninth graders combined their efforts to pick up multiple bags of trash around the surrounding high school area, which would later be collected by OCRRA as part of its greater county-wide effort.

A special thanks to the Watson Greenhouse, who donated seeds for the planter event, and to the Carol Watson Greenhouse for providing the live succulent plants. Thank you to the Sustainability Upstate Network as well, for donating the Destiny USA day passes!

(click on any image to enlarge)