Lots of great projects in APES for this year! We may even work with Marketing students to advertise some of our events!
1. Oak Savanna Outreach - working on trail maintenance and getting a new bench for the outdoor classroom. They are also helping remove lots of invasive buckthorn. They helped plan and host the Oaktober Blitz and are now working with the Park Ridge foresters and North Branch Tree Climbing to plan a tree climbing event for Arbor Day, April 27! There will also likely be an oak savanna work day open to all students, parents, and staff on Earth Day, April 22nd. Follow them on instagram @MaineEast_oak_savanna.
2. Green Infrastructure in Our Community with GIS Mapping - students hope to bring awareness to storm water management issues in our community by creating an ESRI Story Map highlighting green infrastructure features. Examples include permeable pavement, rain gardens, rain barrels, gutter diversion into gardens, bioswales, and urban tree stands. We will be working with the MWRD and looking for other community collaborators. Anyone with GIS mapping skills want to help us out?
3. Climate Change Awareness - two groups are working on this. There is a tentative plan to put together a panel discussion with students from Lake Forest HS with climate scientists and others. They are in communication with Dr. Mark Potosnak of DePaul University to serve on the panel. Date TBD.
4. Native Butterfly Garden Art Project - several artists are researching the wildlife supported by our native prairie plants near the science wing. They will be painting stepping stones for the path that winds through it!
5. School Green Report Card - this hasn't been updated in many years! Students are updating this document and assigning our school a grade for sustainability efforts in a variety of categories (waste reduction, energy conservation, land use & landscaping, water quality & conservation, air quality, & student/community awareness).
6. Future Teachers Project - several students who plan on going into education will be creating short video lessons for our freshman biology teachers to use with their students. They will take them on a tour around campus to learn about ecosystem services in our oak savanna and butterfly garden, bat boxes and tracking, symbiotic relationships between species we're supporting, and calculation of carbon sequestration.
7. Hunger Banquet - How do environmental and humanitarian issues overlap? Students are investigating this question in different places around the globe then editing Oxfam's script to host a Hunger Banquet fundraiser at 6pm on March 20th in the faculty lounge! Proceeds will go toward our school-wide fundraiser to support hurricanes victims in Puerto Rico. See post from 2016 students who did this project.
8. Vegetable Garden - Students harvested our vegetables and herbs that were tended over the summer by the special education department. They helped host a salsa-making contest in October with our CONNECT mentoring program and the Latino Club. It was so much fun! The service learning group is starting new seeds indoors in the next few weeks and will be filling a new herb tower that will be managed in collaboration with Foods students.
9. Bat Boxes on Campus - students will be relocating two bat boxes that were made by Evan Bierwaltes as his Eagle Scout Project in 2013. They will also be using a tracking device in the spring to collect data on the species that flying in our area. On Feb. 24th they will presenting with Incredible Bats at the Friends of the Chicago River Student Congress to educate middle and high school students about the ecological and economic importance of bat conservation. There will be live bats! Join in!
10. Native Butterfly Garden Seed Collection, Sowing, and Plant Sale - see this post. Mother's Day Plant Sale fundraiser will be on Sat. May 12 from 10-2pm.
3. Climate Change Awareness - two groups are working on this. There is a tentative plan to put together a panel discussion with students from Lake Forest HS with climate scientists and others. They are in communication with Dr. Mark Potosnak of DePaul University to serve on the panel. Date TBD.
4. Native Butterfly Garden Art Project - several artists are researching the wildlife supported by our native prairie plants near the science wing. They will be painting stepping stones for the path that winds through it!
5. School Green Report Card - this hasn't been updated in many years! Students are updating this document and assigning our school a grade for sustainability efforts in a variety of categories (waste reduction, energy conservation, land use & landscaping, water quality & conservation, air quality, & student/community awareness).
6. Future Teachers Project - several students who plan on going into education will be creating short video lessons for our freshman biology teachers to use with their students. They will take them on a tour around campus to learn about ecosystem services in our oak savanna and butterfly garden, bat boxes and tracking, symbiotic relationships between species we're supporting, and calculation of carbon sequestration.
7. Hunger Banquet - How do environmental and humanitarian issues overlap? Students are investigating this question in different places around the globe then editing Oxfam's script to host a Hunger Banquet fundraiser at 6pm on March 20th in the faculty lounge! Proceeds will go toward our school-wide fundraiser to support hurricanes victims in Puerto Rico. See post from 2016 students who did this project.
8. Vegetable Garden - Students harvested our vegetables and herbs that were tended over the summer by the special education department. They helped host a salsa-making contest in October with our CONNECT mentoring program and the Latino Club. It was so much fun! The service learning group is starting new seeds indoors in the next few weeks and will be filling a new herb tower that will be managed in collaboration with Foods students.
10. Native Butterfly Garden Seed Collection, Sowing, and Plant Sale - see this post. Mother's Day Plant Sale fundraiser will be on Sat. May 12 from 10-2pm.
