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…

Environmental Awareness Playing Cards

2024, Loveland High School, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA

Reese, Heather, and Maggie from Loveland High School noticed the lack of environmental education in their community, particularly awareness of invasive plant species around their school’s nature area. To address this, they created a deck of playing cards featuring environmental facts, tips, and simple sustainable actions. Each suit focuses on a unique topic: spades cover invasive species and native alternatives; hearts share sustainable living tips; clubs highlight recyclable items; and diamonds offer sustainable recipes, like utilizing locally available ingredients, to help lower your carbon footprint.

The students distributed these educational cards for free at their school, local farmers’ markets, community locations, and successfully had them displayed in local restaurants including Tano Bistro. Continue reading…

Flood Prevention

2024, Arlington, VA, USA

5^th grade students at Oakridge decided to address a flooding problem they had in the front of their school. They recognized that there was a drain that was supposed to be helping with run off, but it was perpetually clogged with mud and other debris. This excess water killed off plants and dirt became saturated.

To combat this issue, students created a rain garden. They chose plants with help from the local parks association that would do well with excess water and took the amount of sunlight into account. Besides the drain then becoming clearer, students also noticed that people were stopping to look at and enjoy the garden.

Students loved the satisfaction that came from creating something beautiful for the school that served as a reminder to protect our watersheds.

SDG: 4: Quality Education, 6: Clean Water and Sanitation, 15: Life on Land

Targets: 15.5

Invasive Species – Carson Middle School

2024, Fairfax, VA, USA

Honeysuckle is a common invasive species on the Carson Middle School property. For years, the school has planted native bushes and trees in the spring with the help of a local community partner. However, due to the invasive species they were told they could not plant more until the plants were all removed. The students decided to make this their project and organized an invasive species removal event. This project will be ongoing but made easier with the purchased equipment and support from the school and community.

Students learned the importance of protecting life on the land and the role they have in each watershed.

SDG: 15: Life on Land

Targets: 15.5

Active and Sustainable Transportation – Carson Middle School

2024, Fairfax, VA, USA

Middle Schoolers launched a campaign to raise awareness of the negative impacts of greenhouse gasses and encourage their peers to use public transit rather than cars for the commute to school. They collected data on how many students were on the buses the week before their campaign to raise awareness, and the week after. They found that the use of the morning school bus had increased, and they rewarded students and drivers for their efforts.

Next year, students plan on running the campaign earlier and longer to encourage a long-term change of habit that will create a ripple effect throughout the community.

SDG’s: 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, 15: Life on Land, 13: Climate Action

Targets: 11.4, 15.5, 13.3

Blair Learning Garden, Native Plant Raised Garden

2024, Norfolk, VA, USA

Blair Middle Schoolers in Norfolk, Virginia noticed that habitat loss in their community due to major flooding issues. The students partnered with Master Gardeners, Elizabeth River Project and more to create a raised garden bed in front of the school to combat these problems.

The students faced challenges along the way but are pleased with the outcome. They all got a taste of the satisfaction that comes from doing something beneficial for the community and will continue to seek opportunities to do more.

SDG’s: 13: Climate action, 14: Life Below Water, 15: Life on Land

Targets: 14.1

Brilliant Bats

2022, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
bat house outside
Did you know that one little brown bat can eat 1000 insects a night? To reduce the number of pesticides used in Saskatoon, Evan from Montgomery School decided to build houses for bats. He has installed ten bat houses across the city and countryside. Evan also partnered with Meewasin Valley Authority and added QR Codes on signs to help educate the public about bats and other flora and fauna in Meewasin Valley. They also had a public bat installation event at a local park. Thanks to Evan, 300 bats have brand new homes in the City of Saskatoon.

Sustainable Development Goals:

Goal 15- Life on Land
Goal 13- Climate Action

Students putting bat house together outside Student and man using table saw for bat house

outdoor signage for bat house

Community-Based Clean-Up Station in Polluted Parks

2023, Loveland, Ohio, USA
trash pickup station outside
Zachary and Ryan are both students at Loveland High School working to protect the Little Miami Watershed. For their project they conceptualized, planned, built, and installed 3 trash pickup stations at key locations of popular local parks with a lot of trash pollution. At these stations, members of the local community who spend time at the park will grab a container from inside as they enter, fill it with trash as they walk around the parks, and throw the bag away as they are leaving to remove this trash from the park on a regular basis. Additionally, by using repurposed coffee bags that would have otherwise been thrown out by local coffee shops as these containers, the group was able to simultaneously reduce the trash in their watershed and give these non-recyclable items another chance. Through the commitment of their school’s Green Team to maintain the project by checking in on the boxes and resupplying them with coffee bags as they are used up, even as the students move forward, the project will
continue serving their community far into the future.

The project addressed sustainable development targets 6.3 to “improve water quality by reducing pollution”, 14.1 to “prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution of all kinds”, and 15.1 to “ensure the conservation, restoration and sustainable use of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems” by removing trash (and the dangerous toxins/microplastics associated with it) from the park that otherwise would pose a threat to the water quality, underwater life, and terrestrial life both in the park itself and downstream. Additionally, their project involved the “participation of local communities” as stated in target 6B. Every bit of trash removed by those attending the park, according to the students, is a small but important step towards reaching these development goals, and inspiring others to take the similar steps in their own backyard.

Throughout the last 6 months, Zachary and Ryan took the opportunity to help their watershed and created a solution that is simple, easy to maintain, and most importantly, effective. By coming up with a strong plan before moving forward, receiving the necessary support and permission from their local government for the project was not an issue. They learned about protecting our environment and its importance, developing and proposing realistic solutions, and collaborating with one’s own community to help work toward a future for everyone.

trash pickup station outside with other bins around

Native Prairie Species Garden

2023, CINCINNATI, OH, USA

Student standing beside sign
Ladasia, a junior at Spencer Center, planted a native prairie species garden on her school’s campus. She did this because the campus had very low biodiversity, clay-like soil, and few deep root systems. These caused runoff whenever it rained, which then eroded the land and polluted the watershed. She, along with many volunteers, built both an education garden and a wild restoration area on the hillside between the bus pickup area and the staff parking lot. She has fully planted the restoration area and will be starting the plants for the education garden inside this winter to be transplanted in the spring. She also created educational books to pair with the educational garden so that students and staff can learn about each plant individually before looking for them in the wild restoration area. By using many volunteers, Ladasia gained many community connections that will be able to partner her and the school in maintaining the garden and expanding the impact. She provided seed packets to many of these volunteers who were interested in creating their own prairie restoration gardens.
green yard by house
Through her efforts, Ladasia was able to target many of the UN’s sustainable development goals but she felt that her work addressed #15, life on land, the most. She is restoring the school’s biodiversity loss with the addition of 21 new native plant species. This addition will continue to increase the biodiversity by attracting other native animal species, including many critical pollinator species, such as the endangered Monarch butterflies.

One big take away Ladasia has learned from this experience is that with the power of community, anything is possible. Many volunteers, including Ladasia herself, had never gardened before and learned a lot about setting up, planting, and maintaining a garden along with the amazing ecological benefits that come with it. Hopefully this project has inspired hundreds of new gardeners that can further protect our watershed. Ladasia was able to achieve her goals and make an impact that will better the watershed for many years to come.

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.