Green

Oyster River Students Lead Charge to Study Single-Use Plastic Waste

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Oyster River Cooperative School District
SAU No. 5
Superintendent James Morse
36 Coe Drive
Durham, NH 03824

For Immediate Release

Thursday, Nov. 7, 2019

Media Contact: Kelsey Bode
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: [email protected]

Oyster River Students Lead Charge to Study Single-Use Plastic Waste

From Left: Marlon Grandy, Abbey Palmer and Brunda Katikireddy are co-leaders of the Oyster River High School Sustainability Club, and will spend the school year studying single-use plastic consumption in the school district. (Courtesy Photo Oyster River School District)

DURHAM — A group of students are leading an initiative this school year to study the impact of single-use plastics at Oyster River Cooperative School District.

Approximately 20 student participants of the Oyster River High School Sustainability Club, guided by science teacher and club adviser Jon Bromley and Sustainability Coordinator Maggie Morrison, plan to spend the coming months collecting and weighing single-use plastics at Oyster River High School, and will also gather data about the sources and impacts of that plastic waste.

In an effort to influence district policies surrounding plastic use, the students will present their findings to the School Board next school year. The students also plan to develop an action plan to reduce plastic waste next fall.

“We want to make a presentation to the School Board that shows them this is an issue worth working through,” said Abbey Palmer, a senior and co-leader of the club.

“By educating people into realizing that changing your behavior may not be as extreme as they think it is, it would help elevate how much we can help the environment,” said Brunda Katikireddy, a senior student and co-leader of the club.

Although the plan is in its early stages, the club also plans to work with students at Oyster River Middle School, who are interested in conducting a similar plastic audit. Efforts also are additionally planned at Moharimet and Mast Way elementary schools to better understand the impacts of single-use plastic at each facility. 

“The whole school district is committed to solving the single-use plastic problem,” Palmer said.

In addition to this year’s efforts to study single-use plastic consumption, Oyster River Cooperative School District has a variety of sustainable initiatives already in place, including a longstanding composting contract and recent investments in energy efficiency including LED lighting at Oyster River High School, Moharimet and Mast Way Elementary schools; new windows at both elementary schools; solar panels on the district’s maintenance building; HVAC system automation controls, energy efficient copiers and computers. The proposed middle school building project also seeks to include designs to reduce energy and operating costs.

“We’re deeply committed as a district to sustainability, and to see our students take this initiative upon themselves demonstrates the dedication they feel to preserve our environment and address potentially harmful habits our society has developed, such as single-plastic use,” Superintendent Morse said. “It’s a wonderful learning opportunity for all grade levels, and we look forward to learning more as the school year goes on.”

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Hull’s Jacobs Elementary and Memorial Middle School Students Share Ideas for Sustainable Living

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Hull Public Schools
Michael F. Devine, Superintendent
180 Harborview Road
Hull, MA 02045

For Immediate Release

Thursday, Sept. 19, 2019

Contact: Kelsey Bode
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: [email protected]

Hull’s Jacobs Elementary and Memorial Middle School Students Share Ideas for Sustainable Living

HULL — Superintendent Michael F. Devine is pleased to share that several Jacobs and Memorial Elementary School students recently presented their vision of sustainability in Hull to the community.

Last school year, fourth and fifth grade students at Jacobs Elementary School were tasked with creating a model home featuring renewable energy, flooding and erosion solutions, among other sustainable ideas. The students showcased their work at the annual Science Fair at Jacobs Elementary School in June.

Students were also encouraged by their teachers to showcase their ideas at a “Hull Homes of the Future” tent at the Endless Summer Waterfront Festival, hosted by the Hull Nantasket Chamber of Commerce, on Saturday, Sept. 14 at Nantasket Beach. Each student displayed the model home they built, and discussed the various concepts they included in their design.

“It was so exciting to see that our students were still engaged and passionate about the sustainable concepts they learned and explored last school year,” said Jacobs Elementary School Principal Christine Cappadona. “I’d like to thank everyone who made the “Hull Homes of the Future” tent a reality at the festival this weekend, and I’d also like to thank each student who chose to share their incredible ideas with our community.”

Students who brought their model sustainable homes to last weekend’s “Hull Homes of the Future” display included Jacobs Elementary fifth grade students Audi Bernard and Tristan Lofgren, alongside Memorial Middle School students Ellie O’Connor, grade six; Joseph DelGallo, grade six; and Max Lofgren, grade six.

Jacobs Elementary School fourth grade teacher Joan Lowry and Memorial Middle School seventh grade teacher Jo Frazier organized and attended the “Hull Homes of the Future” display, and several Memorial Middle School students including Maeve Mulvihill, grade eight; Elly Thomas, grade eight; Madelynn Pearson, grade eight; Holly Haeck, grade eight; Ruby Schult, grade eight; Grace Naylor, grade seven; Lily Zalduando, grade seven; and Soft Zalduando, grade seven also participated in the event.

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Maynard Awarded Second Major Grant in Three Years for Green Initiatives

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maynard seal

Town of Maynard, Massachusetts
Kevin Sweet, Town Administrator
Municipal Building
195 Main St.
Maynard, MA 01754

For Immediate Release
Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 978-841-9948
Email: [email protected]

Maynard Awarded Second Major Grant in Three Years for Green Initiatives

MAYNARD — Town Administrator Kevin Sweet is pleased to announce that Maynard has been awarded a grant in the amount of $102,233 from the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER) Green Communities Division.

This award was accepted by Town Administrator Sweet and Maynard Facilities Manager Greg Lefterwas at a ceremony Monday at Ashland Town Hall, along with other grant recipients. The state awarded $7.9 million in grant funding to 43 municipalities across Massachusetts.

“We are very excited about this award. It will allow us to increase the sustainability and energy efficiency of the town and to devote more resources to our green initiatives in Maynard,” Town Administrator Sweet said. “This grant is a testimonial to Maynard’s standout status as a town with a top-to-bottom commitment to efficiency and green initiatives.”

The list of projects funded through this grant are:

  • $26,180 Fowler School – Weatherization
  • $3,258 Police Station – Weatherization
  • $3,808.90 Fire Station – Exterior lighting
  • $4,761.07 Fowler School – Exterior lighting
  • $15,217 Town Library – Exterior lighting
  • $9,654.30 Police Station and Town Hall – Exterior lighting
  • $3,269.38 Public Works Building – Exterior lighting
  • $23,508 Water Treatment Plant – Exterior lighting
  • $6,382.34 Green Meadow School – Exterior lighting
  • $3,061.86 Rockland Ave. Pump House – Exterior lighting
  • $3,132.15 Well #4 Building – Exterior lighting

DOER’s Green Communities Competitive Grants are awarded to designated Green Communities that have successfully invested their previously-awarded Green Communities grants. Awards are capped at $250,000 per municipality.

The Town of Maynard was awarded designation as a Green Community on December 20, 2011 and was previously awarded a grant of $160,025 with the official designation.

“Thanks in part to the work done in cities and towns across the Commonwealth, Massachusetts has changed its whole approach to obtaining and using energy,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Maeve Vallely Bartlett. “This funding will allow these communities to continue the good work they have already begun.”

With this designation, the Town of Maynard is considered an energy leader in Massachusetts. With funding through the Green Communities Designation and Grant Program, the Town can implement energy efficiency and renewable energy projects to further reduce its energy costs and improve our local environment. The Town was previously awarded a grant of $160,025 with the official designation.

The Massachusetts Green Communities Division provides technical assistance and financial support for municipal initiatives to improve energy efficiency and increase the use of renewable energy in public buildings, facilities and schools.

There are five criteria to be a Green Community. Meeting this criterion qualifies towns for funding to increase their efforts. They are:

  • Provide as-of-right siting in designated locations for renewable/alternative energy generation, research & development, or manufacturing facilities.
  • Adopt an expedited application and permit process for as-of-right energy facilities.
  • Establish an energy use baseline and develop a plan to reduce energy use by twenty percent (20%) within five (5) years.
  • Purchase only fuel-efficient vehicles.
  • Set requirements to minimize life-cycle energy costs for new construction; one way to meet these requirements is to adopt the new Board of Building Regulations and Standards (BBRS) Stretch Code.

To find out more about this program, visit http://www.mass.gov/eea/energy-utilities-clean-tech/green-communities/.

Maynard’s Green Community Committee assists the Board of Selectmen and Town Administrator in developing programs and projects to foster energy conservation, energy efficiency, renewable energy generation and sustainability planning. The Green Communities Committee normally meets at 8:30 a.m. on the 2nd Wednesday of each month in the training room at the Maynard Police Station.

This committee gathers, studies, and evaluates information that will help determine various approaches for improving the energy efficiency of operating town, school buildings, and vehicles. They also investigate alternatives for energy technologies and identify funding opportunities to help the Town achieve its energy and sustainability goals.

You can find out more about the Committee’s work here: http://www.townofmaynard-ma.gov/gov/committees/green/.

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