CCVS students take part in activities to mark Earth Day

A group of CCVS students marked Earth Day at their school Thursday by picking up garbage, collecting old cell phones and batteries, and promoting the reduction of plastic water bottle use.

PHOTO CREDIT - earthday2011.com

Cornwall - Apr. 24, 2011 - A group of Grade 12 students at CCVS recognized Earth Day at their school on Thursday by picking up garbage, collecting old cell phones and batteries, and promoting the reduction of plastic water bottle use.

The students, who are part of the Environmental Leadership class, spend most of their periods participating in activities that help the earth.

“We want to help create awareness of environmental issues,” said Katie Gilmour.

“We want to help lead more students in looking out for the environment,” said Alisha Papineau. “We want them to know that they can actually go out and help themselves.”

On Thursday, the class split into teams to pick up the trash outside, go around to classrooms to collect old cell phones and batteries, tend to a mini greenhouse, take care of compost bins in the classroom, and work on promoting environmentally-conscious Facebook pages that the class started together.

Papineau was working on the page called “Reduce the Use of Plastic Water Bottles.” On it, she included a post about how, later in the day, the group would be surveying the number of people in the school who had plastic water bottles and how many had stainless steel water bottles. Her plan is to create a chart of the results to post on the page, and then survey the school again later in the year.

“I like to help out others,” she said. “We want students to know that you don’t have to do it all by yourself. You can do it with a group of friends like we’re doing.”

Student Bailey Lauzon said the group will be sending all old batteries and cell phones to Pitch-In Canada, an organization that organizes environmental programs and encourages the public to keep their communities clean. The organization will refurbish the cell phones, if possible, or dispose of them responsibly.

Teacher Sheryl Hubbard said she hopes the students’ efforts will help raise awareness about environmental issues in the school and beyond.

“Education starts here,” she said. “If we want to continue to have our planet in the next 50 years, we have to do what we can to help. The youth are our leaders.”