Colorado

Breathe Easy

2024 – 2025, Greeley West High School, Greeley, Colorado, USA

Alyssa from Greeley West High School addressed air pollution by designing and installing “No Idling” signs in her school’s pickup zone and parking lot, while also educating students, families, and community members about the environmental and health impacts of vehicle idling. When cars idle—leaving engines running while waiting—they emit harmful substances such as carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO₂), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and particulate matter. These pollutants degrade air quality and can negatively affect human health.

To raise awareness, Alyssa installed signs, distributed flyers, spoke with students and families, and reached out to other schools in her community. Her goal was to encourage people to stop idling, protecting both the environment and the health of students. In her initial research, Alyssa monitored a single idling car and found that, in under 10 minutes, it emitted CO/CO₂, VOCs, and particulate matter in various sizes. Motivated by these results, she had “No Idling” signs placed at her school’s entrance and created informational brochures to further educate families and students. You can view some of Alyssa’s content below.

Alyssa’s project raised awareness among peers and community members visiting the school. Her solution aligns with Sustainable Development Goals 11.6 and 15.5 by promoting cleaner air and environmental protection. Continue reading…

Do Something Sweet for the Environment

2022-2023, Rocky Mountain High School, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
Stumps of wood on ground

Family standing around outside table with cutup stumps on it
Sadie from Rocky Mountain High School addressed the loss of native bees in Northern Colorado by handing out bee hotels for solitary bees to nest in. Solitary bees make up 90% of Colorado’s native bee population, which has decreased by 30%. Solitary bees pollinate native plants and help to keep Colorado’s ecosystem healthy, but they have experienced a loss of habitat due to urbanization. Bee hotels help to provide a habitat for solitary bees and help to educate people on how to be aware of native bees. Reclaimed wood from the National Forest Service was used to create the hotels. Seventy-five bee hotels were handed out around Northern Colorado to people who live as far as Grand Junction. This solution addressed Target 15.5 of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Water: It’s Worth a Dam!

2023, FORT COLLINS, COLORADO, USA

Natalie from Rocky Mountain High School addressed poor water quality from the ash and floods from the Cameron Peak Fire. To address this issue, Natalie created a man-made beaver dam in the Cache la Poudre watershed. For the last three years, black and murky water has traveled down the Poudre River negatively impacting 330,000 citizens who rely on the watershed for drinking water and other uses. Additionally, there are not enough beavers in the Poudre to build dams that reduce flooding and settle the ash. Therefore, Natalie implemented a man-made beaver dam analog (BDA) in the Lile Beaver Creek burned watershed. She wove together natural materials like willows, evergreens, and wood to make the dam. As a result, the stream widened by 1.5 feet and the water slowed. The stream got deeper by 0.5 feet above the dam and started settling the sediment. This solution addressed Targets 6.1 and 6.6 of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Our Environment is in Danger but we have an un-bee-lievable solution

2023, FORT COLLINS, COLORADO, USA

Zoe and Haylie from Rocky Mountain High School addressed plastic waste during lunch by educating young students on the effects of plastic in their watershed and teaching them ways to be more environmentally friendly like using reusable beeswax lunch bags. Many people pack their lunch in a plastic bag that takes 1,000 years to decompose. Plastic can affect our drinking water, animal habitats, and our food for longer than you can imagine. The kids in Ms. Johnson’s 4th-grade class were excited to participate in the activity and presentation Haylie and Zoe brought. Beeswax wraps were handed out to encourage the kids to use them and tell their friends and family about them. Their hope is for these kids to be inspired to make a change against pollution in their environment. This solution addressed Targets 14.1 and 11.2 of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Thrifty Tote Bags

2023, GREELEY, COLORADO, USA

Lida, a student at Greeley West High School, tackled the pressing issue of plastic pollution by designing and producing reusable shopping bags. After discovering the alarming statistic that 92 million tons of clothing find their way into landfills worldwide each year, she was inspired to make a difference. Lida took a creative approach by repurposing used shirts into tote bags, which she distributed to her peers and members of the local community. Each bag included an informative tutorial, enabling recipients to understand the gravity of the issue and learn how to create their own upcycled bags. By empowering others to participate in this sustainable solution, Lida aims to contribute to the improvement of their local watershed. Her initiative not only helps reduce plastic waste but also promotes awareness and encourages others to take similar actions in their daily lives. This solution contributed to Targets 14.1 and 15.5 of the Sustainable Development Goals.

eDNA and The Northern Redbelly Dace

2023, LONGMONT, COLORADO, USA

Anya and Taryn from Innovation Center of St. Vrain Valley Schools addressed aquatic wildlife conservation by using environmental DNA (eDNA). Our local Colorado Watersheds have been struggling with biodiversity for many years. This has caused a very important species of dace, The Northern Redbelly Dace, to become an endangered species in Colorado. Anya and Taryn have been working with their team in order to reintroduce this species of fish into the Colorado waterways. Their project was to look at how successful their previous releases have been by using eDNA. This solution addressed Targets 14.a and 13.3 of the Sustainable Development Goals.

The Hole Picture

2023, FORT COLLINS, COLORADO, USA

Callen from Rocky Mountain High School addressed water use and polluted runoff by providing a soil moisture sensor to a golf course. Over 2 billion gallons of water are dumped onto golf courses in the United States each year. In addition to that, most of them are overwatered which creates excess runoff that carries fertilizers into the watershed creating algae blooms. A great way to stop the issue of overwatering is utilizing a soil moisture sensor. The sensor measures how much water is in the soil. These readings can help a golf course adjust the amount of water they are putting on the grass. This solution addressed targets 6.3 and 14.1 of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Shed Ed

2023, LOVELAND, COLORADO, USA

Mackenzie and Ryan from Resurrection Christian School created a fun, educational board game to educate peers and community members about their watershed. They surveyed students in 3rd – 5th grade. The surveys included the question “What is a watershed?” and “What are things that help/harm the watershed?” These students did not have a good basic understanding of the watershed and therefore could not answer the questions. Ryan and Mackenzie decided to create a board game with the concept of having fun but also showing the students what they can do to improve their watershed. The game was able to keep the kids entertained while also teaching them valuable lessons. This solution addressed Targets 4.1 and 15.1 of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Reducing Litter and Trash in School Parking Lots

2023, JOHNSTOWN, COLORADO, USA

Alexa and Jonathan, students from Roosevelt, took decisive action to address the issue of excessive trash in the school parking lots by implementing effective solutions such as trash cans and nets on school grounds. Recognizing the lack of accessible trash cans in their school parking lots, which resulted in litter scattered across the school grounds, Alexa and Jonathan decided to conduct a comprehensive survey of the junior parking lot. Their survey revealed an alarming count of over 350 pieces of trash dispersed throughout that particular lot. To tackle this ongoing problem, they took proactive measures by strategically placing trash cans at light posts and installing nets in areas prone to wind-blown litter. These initiatives are expected to significantly reduce the amount of trash making its way into the local watershed, thereby safeguarding animals and vegetation from harm caused by environmental pollution. This solution addressed Targets 14.1 and 15.5 of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Powering the World, One Step at a Time

2022, JOHNSTOWN, COLORADO, USA

Lilian, a student at Roosevelt High School, took a proactive approach to combatting air

pollution by inventing an innovative method of electricity generation. Due to the escalating levels of greenhouse gases, Colorado has been facing an enduring drought. To address this challenge, Lilian designed and developed a groundbreaking prototype known as the Rug-Watt—a rug capable of producing electricity. By harnessing kinetic energy, the Rug-Watt utilizes rotating gears to generate electrical power. Even though a single step and one rotation of a gear produce approximately 0.2 volts, the cumulative effect is significant. When every student in the school takes a step on the Rug-Watt, a single panel can generate an impressive 209 volts. This solution addressed Targets 7.1 and 9.1 of the Sustainable Development Goals.