Centennial’s Green Team
By Kate Copsey / STAFF
 Anne Kennedy (r), shows Samantha Lazinski how to trim shoots surrounding this tree |
There have been several attempts to start an environmental group at Roswell’s Centennial High School, but this year a small core of students have made it their mission to succeed.
The group is headed by club president Brie Earle, who says she “has always been interested in the environment,” but was energized to do something about it after a trip to the Georgia Barrier Islands. There, small changes that seem insignificant to us, such as a one degree increase in water temperature, can create inhospitable surroundings for some creatures.
Faculty members for the club are Julie Burroughs and Adam Wildstein, and they, along with parent volunteers, help ensure that things get done. The combination of agile young minds and parental know how was how the club secured one of only 10 grants given by the Weyerhauser Company Foundation. Another school in the area, Amana Academy in Alpharetta, also received an award from Weyerhauser for its environmental programs.
The Foundation gave the Excellence in Recycling Award to Centennial along with one thousand dollars to help fund their projects. With this funding the Environmental Club purchased green recycling bins to put in every classroom for paper. A matching set of boxes for bottles is being organized.
The students also get involved in educating their fellow teens. Over the winter they worked on a bulletin board and they plan to install a worm bin this coming fall to recycle waste food.
The group recently held a computer recycling day to keep electronic items from cluttering up landfills, and they helped clear trash out of the Chattahoochee River. Anne Kennedy, a parent volunteer and Master Gardener, said, “we filled a dumpster with the items from the river.”
The Environmental Club meets every week, and Earle says, “Kids can just come – they do not have to sign up, and we do not have an agenda.”
It’s a fun group that makes an effort to improve their environment, and all the members contribute both brain and muscle power. Whether it’s the president of the club, a regular member, parent volunteer or a curious first-timer everyone is welcome and encouraged to help fulfill the club’s mission:
“The Environmental Club is committed to helping maintain and improve our school, local and global environment.”