Area Schools Get Environmentally Smart

By Rochelle Karina

All across the country, “green” is a trend, and one that seems to be destined to hang around, and rightly so. People are learning to think globally and act locally. In Maryland, even the school systems are getting involved. Many “Green School” programs exist in the US, most are focused on energy conservation. Maryland has taken things to a different level, creating a program that offers a holistic, integrated approach to authentic learning, incorporating local environmental issues and professional development and enrichment, while encouraging community stewardship.

To qualify as a Maryland Green School, certain criteria must be met and documented over a two-year period. Major components of the application include a one page cover sheet and one page summary, documentation of classroom integration of environmental instruction, professional development, celebration, demonstration of conservation best management practices and sustained school-community partnerships to enhance environmental learning. Schools must reapply and renew their Green School status every four years.

Another aspect of the Maryland Association for Environmental and Outdoor Education (MAEOE) program is “Schoolyard Habitats.” Educators are recognizing the value of encouraging students to learn outside. Integrating curriculum and habitat projects creates an “outdoor classroom” that is unique and engages children, getting them excited about learning. Schoolyard Habitats offer teaching and learning opportunities in multiple subjects and, if managed correctly, provide students with valuable lessons in stewardship as well as addressing local and global environmental issues.

Local schools holding Maryland Green School status are Chesapeake Bay Middle, Bodkin Elementary and Pasadena Elementary, all in the Chesapeake High feeder, and George Fox Middle, Riviera Beach Elementary and Sunset Elementary in the Northeast High feeder. Currently, 18 percent of all Maryland schools are Certified Maryland Green Schools; 52 of the schools are located in Anne Arundel County.

At Bodkin Elementary, 2011 brought recertification with new habitat restorations, a meadow, butterfly garden, “memory” garden and “unity” garden. Students also planted native plants in a bog, constructed and installed bluebird boxes, added more trees, held an environmental fair and produced a play called “Santa Goes Green.”

George Fox Middle earned its green certification this year thanks to an ongoing, 100 percent whole school, “Lights Out” initiative, running one of the county public school’s school-based environmentally themed summer camps, restoring and maintaining a Chesapeake Bay native plant rain garden on school grounds, fostering an environment of healthy living and deep concern for the environment among employees and students and successfully implementing the “Chesapeake Connections” curriculum at all grade levels.

Jacobsville Elementary went green in 2011 with a reduction in energy and water use, a commitment to recycling, visits from the Maryland Agricultural Science Mobile, professional development for faculty from Project Wild and habitat restoration on campus.

At Sunset Elementary, educating students, faculty and community to improve environmental literacy, teaching students to appreciate the outdoors, supporting local wildlife with school restoration projects, a school-wide energy conservation program and recycling earned them green status.

And those are only the highlights from a few of the area schools that went, or continued going, green this year.

The program also recognizes Certified Maryland Green Centers, facilities that implement and support environmental education. In Anne Arundel County, those centers are Arlington Echo Outdoor Education Center and the Annapolis Maritime Museum.

For more information about the MAEOE and the Maryland Green Schools program, check them out online at www.maeoe.org. Head to www.arlingtonecho.org for information about Arlington Echo and to www.amaritime.org for the Annapolis Maritime Museum.