Eco /ˈēkō/ adjective; not harming the environment; eco-friendly

Volume 25, April 2023

Eco Tips and More

—Gaylord Nelson, founder of Earth Day

Hope you are feeling rejuvenated and ready for the home stretch of SY22/23. 11 more weeks to work your magic!

I love April! Not only is it Earth day, but the spring season is just getting underway and there are so many changes to notice. Take a moment to visualize your students as spring flowers emerging after a long winter's rest. How have they changed since you first encountered them last fall, last term...? How have they grown? How can you help them blossom over these next weeks? Here's to reaping what we sow.

Happy Spring!

-Tana

In this issue:

• Earth Day 2023-Invest in Our Planet
• Eugene 4J Loves Food Not Waste
• Food Waste Prevention Week April 10-16
• Update: Love Food Not Waste SORT stations
• April 26 Stop Food Waste Day
• Garden Season is beginning!
• Get 'em Outside!
• Support Climate Education
• Green Schools National Network "Greenprint"
• Charles Eisenstein
• Interactive: Climate Time Machine
• Interactive lesson: OPB Observe Climate Change
• Eco Experience Newsletter Archive
• Sites: SPLASH!, 4J/EEP, The Salmon Spot

—Wendell Berry

EARTH DAY, EVERY DAY!

While I don't love token holidays that remind us to care, such as Earth Day, I recognize how important it is to be reminded and then to ACT, not only on Earth Day or World Water Day or...or...but EVERY DAY!

Visit the official Earth Day website to learn more about this year's theme- Invest in Our Planet. There are also links with ways to DO Earth day, such as Climate Literacy, participate in advocacy and more. They have a handy tool kit to help you get started.

EARTH DAY 2023

Check out the 4J Climate Education Hub's Earth Day page and Earth Action Week for resources.

And few other resources:

Subject to Climate Earth Day resources

Subject to Climate Earth Day Resource Guide

Earth Reminder: Earth Day Activities

Nat Geo Kids: History of Earth Day

WWF Tool Kits

ACT now Climate Action Super Heroes

—Leo Tolstoy

Did you know...each year Eugene puts 40 million pounds of food waste into our local landfill?

Thankfully there are many ways to prevent food waste.

In our fast paced way of living with all things conveniently at our fingertips, we have lost sight of what an important and valuable resource food is and where our food comes from. With K-12 food waste collection happening in our cafeterias across the district, the time is ripe to teach and promote food waste prevention. Food waste is wasted resources-water, land, cash. Preventing food waste and addressing food waste properly is one of the EASIEST things we can all do to help reduce carbon emissions immediately. Believe it or not, composting falls pretty low on EPA's food waste hierarchy, so understanding how food is wasted, why food is wasted and strategies to prevent such waste will help us all understand how we can do our part.

Wow- I think my mom was really was right about "all the starving kids in Africa"...

4J/EEP No Time to Waste

Eco Chick's No Time to Waste youtube playlist

Food Waste Prevention Week

WWF Food Waste Warriors

EPA Food Waste Hierarchy

—Jane Goodall

We have almost met our goal of 100% K-12 participation in the Love Food Not Waste Program! Congratulations to Monroe, Roosevelt and Madison for launching the program prior to break. The staff and student support has been PHENOMENAL! Only 4 schools to go!! 4J/EEP staff stands at the ready to assist the remaining schools with the implementation process.

And, people, it is a GREAT time to do a quick reminder with students after the break! (Resources below)

With successful up front training, students have been easily able to adapt to the change in waste collection. From September to January, our district kept 20,000 gallons of food waste out of our local landfill! This is enough to fill the entire lap pool at Amazon Pool!

Here are the Elementary Love Food Not Waste Resource and Secondary Love Food Not Waste Resource documents that include information, resources and more.

Here is the 3 Year Love Food Not Waste Plan for background information.

Thanks everyone for supporting this huge carbon emissions reduction effort. It takes a village to keep food waste out of the land fill. It is dreamy seeing the Earth flags flying across the district. 🌎🌏🌍

*SORT= Separate Organics, Reusables, Trash

And, yet another day to recognize the importance of food waste prevention.

Prevent, Inspire and Repurpose

1. Prevent food waste at source by storing food optimally, making use of every edible part of the ingredient and planning meals ahead of time
2. Inspire others to waste less, and repurpose more
3. Repurpose food by redistributing any surplus to your local community, or giving a second life to ingredients that most commonly go to waste

This is a pretty good resource and I especially like the tool kit.

STOP Food Waste Day

-Albert Einstein

As you begin to think about your yard and garden this season, keep conservation in mind. Drought tolerant, native plants can add much beauty, low maintenance and ta ta ta da...pollinators! And, don't get too carried away. All things in time, at the right time. Check out the OSU April Garden Calendar for some timely advice on garden chores, fertilizing, pest control and more. OSU Extensive Service encourages sustainable gardening practices.

Here are a couple of helpful resources to get you going with native plants:

Oregon Department of Forestry Native Trees and Plants of Oregon booklet

Native Plants for Willamette Valley Yards

OSU Gardening with Native Plants West of the Cascades

And, mark your calendars for the Mt. Pisgah Wildflower festival later in May!

In the 1980's EO Wilson coined the term biophilia: that humans are instinctively drawn towards their natural surroundings. Our students are showing us with their "behavior and apathy", that they are ready to connect with our dear Mother Nature. Getting students outside this spring could very well be one of the top priorities for all educators. A core routine, even.

Getting outside provides more than a fun break for youth. It is also good for their physical and mental health and development. Being outside builds confidence, promotes creativity and imagination, teaches responsibility, provides different stimulation, makes one think, and reduces stress and fatigue. It can reduce the negative affects of screen time!

Building a routine around outdoor learning can have it's challenges, but I will tell you from experience-it is WELL worth it. In my 5th grade class at Chávez Elementary, we had clipboards, pencil boxes and book boxes-all mobile and at the ready, just in case the weather called to us to do our free write out, partner read or complete an observation out in the courtyard space. We had "assigned" sit spots and took time every week rain or shine to check in on our micro-ecosystems. Often directions would be delivered indoors to take the "work" outside-then I could wander between the students, helping, just as I did indoors. It is a shift, but I found that my students would work in earnest just for the opportunity to go outside for a 5 minute swallow watching break, laying on their backs taking in the marvel of their flight. Sigh-it was magic.

If you'd like support getting your students outdoors this spring, I would love to work with you. Feel free to email shepard_t@4j.lane.edu to set up a consultation.

See below for a couple of resources to hit this idea home.

Core Routine: Sit Spots

School Garden Project curriculum

Book: Richard Louv Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder

Article: Healthy Children.org Playing Outside-Why It's important

Article: Child Mind Institute Why Kids Need to Spend Time in Nature

Article:Science Daily Getting Kids Outside can reduce the Negative Effects of Screen Time

—Margaret Mead

Support SB 854 and prepare students to fill tomorrow's jobs for a more resilient, sustainable and prosperous Oregon.

Dear Climate Change Education Colleagues and Friends,

It’s time to take action! The Senate Committee on Education held a Public Hearing for Senate Bill 854, Oregon’s Climate Education Bill! Please submit written support for SB 854 as soon as possible.

Find out more about the bill, and Oregon Educators for Climate Education, Actions steps for SB854.

Write your letter of support now (template) and email it to your local senate representative.

Use this link to find your legislators.

The future generations thank you.

Last February I had the opportunity to attend the National Green School conference. Wow-their model had changed and is much more encompassing of the whole school culture. I really appreciated the rethink after all these years-centering on equity, sustainability and health, then branching out beyond to all the elements that make schools schools from leadership to facilities to curriculum and instruction, as well as culture and climate. All things that affect students, staff, faculty and our community. This is a big shift from just doing a recycling program and having a green team. The movement is toward inclusion of all concerned parties. Click the link below to learn more.

Green Schools National Network Greenprint

The keynote presenter at the conference was Charles Eisenstein. His ideas were around ecology in design, practice and consciousness. I was really inspired by his presentation. I recommend checking out some of his work.

—Jimmy Carter

Eco Experience Newsletter Archive:

Tana Shepard aka Eco Chick

TOSA-Climate. Energy. Conservation

Email: shepard_t@4j.lane.edu
Website: https://bit.ly/4J-eep
Phone: 541.790.5533

—John Paul II