2007-2008 INITIATIVES

Reducing waste at the school

In the fall of 2007, students from the Environmental Justice club performed a waste audit at the school. According to their measurements, the school sends about 165 lbs of trash for the landfill each day, with 100 lbs of that waste coming from the cafeteria. With the numbers they calculated, they devised a plan to reduce the waste by food composting and recycling at the school. Using vermicomposting, they salvage food scraps from the cafeteria and compost them in worm bins kept in dark cupboards of their science classroom. While paper recycling has begun at the school, they will continue to spread awareness about recycling by posting signs and posters in the school with recycling facts and information.

Connecting students to local issues

As part of the Environmental Science course taught at Thurgood Marshall, teacher Sam Ullery has been teaching his students about local environmental issues. The Anacostia River, which is adjacent to the neighborhood where the school is located, has commonly been called “DC’s forgotten river” and is one of the ten most contaminated rivers in the country. The pollution can be traced to antiquated sewer systems, coal power plants and waste water run-off from large developments along the river. This past fall the environmental science class conducted water quality tests on the river and later in the spring the students will be joining the Anacostia Watershed Society for a 5 hour canoe trip to inventory the litter, test water quality, and observe the wetlands. The goal of the trip is to allow students to see where waste ends up, and the effects of waste on the river ecosystem.