by KARIN GARCIA F rom time to time last academic year, a friendly orange-clad character with bushy yellow mustache and eyebrows could be seen around the grounds of Napa Valley Language Academy. To the delight of students, this guy showed up at assemblies and special events to help “green” their school. Who was it? Why, the Lorax, of course! Dr. Seuss’s Lorax, as we all know, is especially interested in the environment, so of course he’d want to visit NVLA, the public charter elementary school in Napa where trash has been recycled for years. He must have heard about all the awards the school has won for its outstanding waste reduction and recycling practices. Students at NVLA learn that when they keep trash out of landfills by recycling and composting, they’re preserving natural resources and extending their useful life cycles. Last year NVLA, already renowned as a dual-immersion school, set a school-wide goal to keep even more of their trash out of the landfill. They redoubled their efforts to compost and recycle with the help of Napa County’s Recycling and Waste Reduction Team, dedicated staff members and parents, and the school’s “Green Scouts,” a student club that learns about environmental issues. And of course, the Lorax. The main goal was to help students learn how to dispose of their leftovers properly when they finished their snacks and lunches. Bins for landfill, recycling, and compost were brought into the lunch area, along with colorful signs showing what goes in each bin. The Green Scouts made a video of their field trip to Napa Recycling and Waste Services; assemblies were held; and the Lorax put in occasional appearances to encourage the students’ efforts. But more help was needed. In the Napa Valley, when you need help, who you gonna call? Napa Valley CanDo, of course. NVLA staffers asked if CanDo volunteers could come to their school for an hour or so during lunchtime to help kids learn how to sort their trash after they finished eating. We gladly accepted. CanDo volunteers have always been interested in working with schools and in reducing plastic waste in Napa. So this team effort between NVLA and CanDo seemed like a natural fit. Throughout the spring, CanDo volunteers went to NVLA during their lunch period and helped staff show the students where to put their leftover food, plastic, foil, and milk cartons. After a few months, we noticed an amazing improvement in the students’ ability to sort their trash properly. Kids were so excited that they often came and stood with us, helping their friends figure out where to put their empty juice boxes and leftover corn dogs. They loved using the trash-grabbers (they call them “piksticks”) to sort through the bins and put things where they belonged. The program was so successful that in March, Napa Waste and Recycling Services began a second weekly pick-up at the school. At that point, a remarkable 77% of NVLA’s garbage was being diverted away from the landfill. At a school assembly in April, wild and enthusiastic cheers greeted the Lorax as he 50 www. n A PAVA L L E Y L I F Emagaz ine .com arrived to accept a $500 award from Napa Recycling for NVLA’s successful program. CanDoers Karen Garcia and Grania Lindberg were there to report on the progress they’d seen, and to congratulate the students for becoming active in their school community and the larger world community. We in CanDo know that kids who learn social responsibility are less likely to participate in at-risk behaviors, and that one person — for example, a child with a pik-stick — can really make a difference. CanDo can’t wait to see what NVLA takes on next in its efforts to teach environmental Best Practices to its students. You can be sure CanDo volunteers will be involved. In the meantime, we’ll continue to help out with the lunch recycling and composting program during the 2013-14 school year. We’ll be asking for volunteers, so watch for more information in the CanDo Connection, our weekly eBlast, in the next few weeks. You’ll find that the lunchtime hour goes quickly. It’s rewarding, fun, and if you’re lucky, you might even catch a glimpse of the Lorax. Napa Valley CanDo, a grassroots community service organization, welcomes inquiries from Valley residents who’d like to volunteer and from nonprofits that need an extra set of hands. For more information: www.NVCanDo.org, find us on Facebook, or call 707.252.7743. The Lorax comes to lunch to spread the word about green living NGE GREEN? ORA is ntehwe
NVLife_SeptOct_2013
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