Community shoots for sustainability

Environmental issues have always interested freshman Leila Raymond.

Raymond said she volunteered last year for Sustainable Educational Edible District-wide Stewardship (SEEDS), a non-profit organization dedicated to providing sustainable education to St. Louis Park residents through edible gardens. When she came to Park, Raymond joined Roots and Shoots, a club interested in progressing the environmental status of the city.

According to Roots and Shoots adviser Al Wachutka, the success of the club depends on student involvement.

“In order for it to be effective, it must be student-driven,” Wachutka said. “They’ve done a real nice job on finding things to be passionate about, and it’s been effective so far.”

Raymond said she feels proud of programs Roots and Shoots has implemented.

“We’ve set up a program in the lunch room for recycling and compost,” Raymond said. “I think that’s beneficial to the school because it brings awareness.”

According to facilities manager Tom Bravo, the district recognizes faults within Park’s recycling and waste management programs. He said he has plans to fix these problems while focusing on sustainability.

“One of the things the district, not the school, has planned is to put in a district standards process,” Bravo said. “What I’ve asked for in the building standards process is for 100 percent sustainability, meaning any product under this term will have to be re-purposed and not just dumped in a landfill.”

Sophomore Eitan Grad said he thinks being green means going beyond composting in the lunchroom.

“In my room, I try to keep my blinds open and let the natural sunlight in. I also recycle,” Grad said.

Grad said he thinks the school should promote composting and recycling more, but feels pleased with its effort to help the environment.

“I think it’s a very good idea that there are clubs like Roots and Shoots and also that they have composting and recycling,” Grad said.