Two Local Green Teams Recognized by State
ADAMS, Mass. — Two local Green Teams were among 44 groups selected for "outstanding environmental actions" by the state.
Youth Center Inc. and Hoosac Valley Middle and High School were the only two programs in Berkshire County to win a prize for their participation. Both programs are getting support from the Northern Berkshire Solid Waste Management District.
Youth Center Executive Director Sonia DiSanti said the center has been working with the waste management district for several years on educational programming.
"They supply us with curriculum and recycling materials and bins and, you know, all kinds of good things that we can use with the kids to teach them about recycling," she said in a recent interview on iBerkshiresTV. "I really just felt it was good for the kids to learn to recycle and why."
The center's Monica Carpenter said the program uses a lot arts and craft projects to teach about recycling efforts.
"If we see something that can be recycled, we try to ask the kids what else we could do to repurpose it to reuse it," she said. The Old Stone Mill, which runs a zero waste management program, also helps out.
"We make these ornament so that to remind people that recycling is important and recycle as much as they can," said Alex, one of the children in the Green Team, holding up a tiny recycling bin made out of cinnamon and apple sauce.
Hoosac Valley received a $25,000 Henry P. Kendall Foundation to convert the abandoned tennis courts into a school garden and outdoor classroom, lead by teachers Lindsay McGinnis and Amanda Brooks-Clemeno.
NBSWMD donated earth machines to the school to help with one of the first steps in the gardening process — composting.
"I'm so proud of Hoosac Valley middle and High School and the Youth Center Inc. for taking the initiative and recycling and working with the children because I believe it starts with the youth and they take it home to their families," said Linda Cernik, program coordinator for the solid waste district. "I was so proud to know that they both got awards and I look forward to working with them doing composting when COVID-19 allows and permits us to move forward with that."
The Green Teams are sponsored through the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs and the state Department of Environmental Protection.
The awards were announced last month: Youth Center will get a remote interactive performances by environmental "edu-tainer" Jack Golden and Hoosac Valley gardening supplies.
"The Baker-Polito administration congratulates all the Green Team teachers and students, who showed outstanding leadership and initiative during the past school year to raise environmental awareness in their schools, homes and communities," said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Kathleen Theoharides in announcing the awards. "When schools closed in March, these students continued to work on environmental activities at home, including recycling, composting, gardening, and creating outreach materials to share with their classmates, setting a tremendous example for both their peers and the entire commonwealth."
Watch iBerkshiresTV entire interview with Cernik, DiSanti, Carpenter and Youth Center participants with Alex and Jade below.
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Tags: NBSWD, recycling,
