Oct 27, 2011


Photo: Mayor Janet Gutowski, CAO Shawn Trepanier and Louise Dignum with LOLPS poster winners Leah Anne, Aurora, Rebecca, Mariah and Claire.

Students and staff and Land O'Lakes Public School in Mountain Grove gathered for a special assembly on Oct. 25, which capped off their efforts to reduce waste both at school and at home in recognition of the World Wildlife Fund’s Waste Reduction Week campaign, which ran from Oct.17-23.

The campaign was introduced to the school by LOLPS teacher Kim Fournier, who is a member of the WWF. Fournier thought the campaign would generate interest, awareness and action by students at the school. “What better way to bring to the students’ attention awareness of the environment, waste reduction and what they personally can do at school and at home to help divert the waste that is being put into our landfills”, she said.

The students were encouraged to reduce their lunch time meal waste by using food that required less packaging and by recycling whenever possible. Students were also invited to create posters from recycled materials to raise awareness of the environment and the three “Rs”. The resulting posters were judged by a panel on the criteria of creativity, clearness of message, effective use of materials and artistic design. The panel included Central Frontenac Mayor Janet Gutowski, CAO Shawn Trépanier and township volunteer Louise Dignum, who all attended the assembly and who each spoke about the ongoing issue of waste reduction, the new rules for waste disposal in Central Frontenac, and the dangers of burning garbage, especially plastics at home. The three handed out certificates and pins to the six first-place winners and ten runners up. The top six winners received complete BPH-free plastic lunch meal container sets and water bottles. All of the students were commended for their efforts and together they managed to reduce their daily school garbage from 4-5 large bags per day to just one in the week of the campaign. They have every intention of keeping that up.

Fournier intends to implement other events at the school to encourage recycling, including a Christmas Swap at the school, where students and staff can bring in items from home that they no longer want or need and can swap. Fournier felt the project was a great success and she has plans to do it again next year. She understands that the students love to know that that their actions can make a difference in the world. “These kids are the ones who will be inheriting the earth that we will be leaving them and we are at a time when we can not turn back the clock. We have to start doing things now to make a difference so that when these students grow up and have children, they too will be able to live in a world where they can view animals in the wild, and be able to venture into wild places that are clean and safe.”

The winning posters will soon be on display at the township office and on the official township website.

 

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