Issues > July/August 2006 (#115) > The Top 10 Green Schools in the U.S.: 2006

The Top 10 Green Schools in the U.S.: 2006

page 10 of 12 | PREV 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12  NEXT 

11) 10th Place (tie): Sonoji Sakai Intermediate School (public), Bainbridge Island, Washington; score: 49.6
At "salmon-friendly" Sakai Intermediate, the fifth and sixth graders raise Coho salmon hatchlings to release into the on-campus stream. They are able to do this owing to the green principles adhered to during Sakai Intermediate's construction: A swale was dug to maintain nearby wetlands and barked and graveled paths (instead of pavement) were installed to limit silting. The result: an enriched ecosystem and educational experience. Biology teacher Doug Olson plans to have the kids study contaminants in the aquifer beneath Sakai which contributes directly to the stream. More ambitiously, Olson is working on a project for his students to study the impact on the island's aquifers of the 15,000 to 20,000 new residents Bainbridge will gain over the next twenty years. While it's possible the students may some day eat the salmon they release, the school lunch program maintains their health with organic food. Vending machines aren't allowed on campus.

Librarian Jan Johnson takes kids to the trees with her "Birds of Sakai" cards, listing 24 species and their calls and emblazoned with professional photographs courtesy of Bob Morse, author of Birds of the Puget Sound Region (2003, R. W. Morse Co., $13.95). "The birds have been very reliable," Johnson says. "We have a killdeer that regularly nests on the playground, and there's a white crowned sparrow by the parking lot (the first sound the kids will hear in the morning when the bus comes in), and in certain trees we're pretty sure we'll see the red-winged blackbirds. Some kids get so involved they'll help write down where the nests are and spend most of their playground time spotting birds." Next up is a "Plants of Sakai" series Johnson is putting together this year, listing plant names, scientific names, where they're found and Native American uses.

The Top 20
The list of great green schools in the U.S. goes well beyond the top 10:

12. Bluff Creek Elementary School, Chanhassen, MN; score: 47.9
• Prairie restoration program
• Local foods served
• Eliminating pesticides, integrated pest management indoors and out

13. Southeast Elementary School, Mansfield Center, CT; score: 46.9
• Green procurement policies emphasizing recyclability and toxicity reduction
• Green curriculum, involved in creating native plant garden
• Dedicated waste reduction program including food composting

14. Northside Elementary School, Mechanicsburg, PA; score: 46.6
• Local foods served
• Organic gardening program
• Integrated pest management indoors and out

PREV 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12  NEXT