Some ‘Eco-School’ ideas for consideration (either with Pre School, or Primary School, Middle School and High Schools):
- Create ‘Eco-Warriors’ or ‘Green Teams’ – Leadership groups within each Class or House (Students could design badges)
- Create ‘Eco-Code’ suitable and applicable to your school – e.g. ‘Respect Country’, ‘Strong Country’, ‘Clean and Green’, etc
- Anti-litter signs (students draw anti-litter posters on any size paper and transfer to metal signs – A4 size A3 size)
- Pictograms (Aluminium post signs, universal animated bin rubbish pictogram, in nominated colours – $11 each)
- Waste bin service audit/review (frequency of bulk bin emptying service, assess level of fill at each service, reduce excess servicing)
- Beverage container CDS Recycling bin stickers A3 size (Alumin cans, plastic bottle, we have some in office)
- Paper and Cardboard Recycling system – (cost effective, cheaper than general waste services, reducing school carbon footprint)
- Students to create ‘Recycling Signs’ – draw recycling posters for transfer into metal signs
- Include Aboriginal Culture to school grounds – maintain Indigenous culture and heritage, create pride, achieve ownership
- ‘Eco-Disco’ – events with ‘sustainable’ themes (KAB looking to fund free Darwin Pre School Eco-Disco event at Marrara Indoor Stadium)
- We can create Class teams to conduct energy (air cons, power switches) and lighting audits review to identify ‘wastage’ & save $’s
- Conduct Water audits (Classes and School) – to identify areas of opportunity to reduce water wastage, half flush toilets, automatic tap spring release turn off or self-closing values, etc (graph reductions, competitions between classes/houses).
- KAB to provide ‘Perpetual Environment Trophy’ for presentation at each assembly – recognition for Sustainability efforts.
- Native tree planting (greening) – Trees for shade, bush tucker, entice wildlife, aroma, flowers, windbreak, noise reduction, etc specially designed native garden beds with seating and fish ponds, for outside part lessons, etc. Some remote schools are creating native gardens patches to attract finches – students are sent to garden for ‘time out’ amongst the chirping finches. Propagate indoor pot plants to green up Classes and School creating ‘Green Rooms’ – rotate plants.
- School/Class veggie gardens – (self sufficient, use in canteen meals or by Students and Teachers or enterprise opportunity)
- Chicken enclosure – reduction food scraps to landfill, daily fresh egg collection, self sufficient – consideration to goat that eat lunch scraps collected daily to help reduce waste service expenses.
- Composting – for plants and veggie gardens
- Worm farm – natural fertiliser for plants (enterprise opportunity to sell plastic bottles of Worm Wee to parents, students could label)
- Green Purchasing/Procurement Policy – (biodegradable disposable plates as opposed to oil based plastic plates – cost savings and reduced College carbon footprint).
- Boot Buddy Program – reuse of footy boots once they are out-grown, (reuse, reduce waste into landfill, save sporting costs)
- Mobile Phone recycling – free collection box at admin (School Front Office –Teachers, Students, Parents) plus free prepaid mail satchel delivery to recycling centre – reduce waste to landfill and reduce School carbon footprint, reduced toxins into landfill.
- Ink Cartridge refill and recycling – refills economical but can compromise print warranty (Teams can calculate $’s savings).
- Eco-School Healthy Living – drink more water, reduce sugar intake, regular exercise, more bush tucker, etc
- Eco-School Biodiversity – create corridor or woodlands for specific wildlife in your community (e.g. identify regional rare birds, moth, insects, etc, students build bird baths, lizard feeders, permanent nests, etc)
- Build and create an ‘environment’ specifically suited to an extinct or endangered species within your local region
- Build a ‘nesting home’ specifically suited to an extinct or endangered species within your local region
- Conduct a ‘survey’ within your local region to help confirm existence or identify and take evidence of endangered or extinct species within your local region.