Minnesota Schools Cutting Carbon

1) Working on Grants for BIG projects- With the big $20,000 grant we’re applying for we’re hoping to reduce Rosemount High School’s carbon footprint by improving the facilities to emit less carbon, educating teachers and students, and raising awareness of eco-friendly practices.

2) Publicity for the club as well as ways to attract new members- Being that our green team is still a young and growing club, one of our goals is to focus on attracting new members and promoting our club activities to the school. We’ve been advertising our meetings by hanging posters up around the school inviting people to join. Later this year, we are planning to do interviews with the local city newspaper, have a segment in the school’s news show, Irish Update, and inform the school of our activities by writing in articles in the school’s newspaper.

3) Maintaining Rain Garden- One of our big projects last year was creating a rain garden outside of the school portables. This year we plan to maintain the garden and keep it healthy by weeding it, adding new mulch in, and making sure the plants stay healthy.

4) Making Rosemount High School More Natural- Many students and staff have expressed interest in having the high school become a more natural area, so this year we would like to focus on adding more plants to RHS’s campus. We plan to add in another garden school property or plant new trees to replace the Ash trees that are being cut down. The idea is to plant only flora native to the area as a way to make the school more more natural, but to also protect biodiversity.

5) Hold A Bike/Walk To School Day- This spring, and then again next fall we, the Rosemount High School Green Team plan to host a “Bike/Walk to School” day as a way to reduce carbon emissions from cars and to promote healthy and eco-friendly habits to students. Students will be given incentives (possibly breakfast, water bottles, goody bag, etc…) to walk or ride their bike to school, and will have the oppurtunity to have their bike inspected and checked by a local bike store.