Afterschool at Jupiter Farms Community Elementary

The kids and I at Jupiter Farms Community Elementary school have really enjoyed participating in the Earth Force Project over the semester. It gave us all a chance to lengthen and increase our knowledge about the environment. The kids all started out with their own goals.

Jupiter Farms Elementary school is on a 20+ acre beautiful campus, supporting much wildlife. The kids decided they wanted to certify the school by the National Wildlife Federation as a Wildlife Habitat Site. They went around and took pictures of the different habitats animals live in and what the four necessities they need in order to survive. Then we sent in the pictures of the variety of habitats and features of the campus that support wildlife. The National Wildlife Federation notified the school administrator that the school was indeed certified. We also painted birdhouses each designed for a specific bird. The birdhouses will be hung on the trees on the school’s nature trail.

After receiving the results of the School Waste Assessment I found that the school had in the past participated in both aluminum and paper recycling. Now it currently does not do any recycling. The kids learned a whole lesson about recycling. They came up with the most brilliant idea ever. They decided they wanted to restart the school paper recycling program. I arranged to have a meeting with the school administrators to discus our concerns and devise a plan. They approved our ideas. The kids are going to get the message out by talking to all students about the new upcoming paper recycling program on the morning announcements.

The kids at Jupiter Farms Community Elementary school are working so hard to make a difference in the environment. They truly believe that if they work to achieve their goal one voice can become many. They are dedicated and are willing to make a difference with a goal of a healthy environment which is able to support much of our South Florida native wildlife.