With the COVID pandemic, the PAISBOA Sustainability Group met virtually on November 12, 2020 to discuss “Keeping Sustainability Relevant During COVID.” Anne Sudduth of Boyer Sudduth Environmental Consultants and PAISBOA Operations Manager Ron Hill led the virtual meeting.
Photo op! The PAISBOA Sustainability Group participants smile for their Zoom cameras.
PAISBOA’s Rachel Tilney explained PAISBOA’s Green Power Program, a component of the PAISBOA Energy Purchasing Program, which helps member schools invest in renewable energy credits (RECs). Currently, 19 schools are participating in this exciting program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with purchased electricity. If your school is interested in learning more about the Energy Purchasing Program, please contact Rachel at consortia@PAISBOA.org. To learn more about renewable energy credits and ways to lower your school’s energy related emissions, check out this article: “Tools for Moving Your Campus to 100% Clean Energy.”
Sudduth then polled the group to gauge how sustainability efforts were going during COVID. The results:
Participants’ answers about their sustainability efforts during COVID.
With sustainability efforts at various stages, participants met in breakout sessions to share ideas.
Devon Preparatory School’s science teacher, Kimberly Nolan, shared an example of a sustainability infographic that the Devon Prep’s student group, Environmental Protection Club, posts weekly. “For Thanksgiving, students shared facts about how the holiday contributes to climate change.” Nolan added, “When sustainability is carried out by students—things happen!”
A Thanksgiving infographic from Devon Prep’s Environmental Protection Club.
Agnes Irwin School’s science teacher, James Miller, described his school’s composting initiative. “Bokashi Composting has been a good COVID solution. It’s a compost method that works for food waste—fruits, dressings, meat, dairy, everything.” Miller continued, “You sprinkle the Bokashi grain on top; it ferments food waste with anaerobic decomposition. This is a trial run. We hope this will work.” For more info about Bokashi Composting see this link.
Moving forward, the participants discussed the group’s next steps. There is interest in a benchmarking study to measure progress PAISBOA schools’ are making with their sustainability efforts. The survey would allow schools to document their current practices and motivate peer schools. The Boyer Sudduth team will develop this survey and will gather feedback at the February meeting (Date: TBD).
Shipley School’s Tamar Norquist won a raffle, the solutions-based climate change book: Drawdown: The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reverse Global Warming. (A great gift for the holidays!)
Norquist reflected how these meetings build community. “I have been feeling isolated from the teacher sustainability community, so it's good to meet with like-minded people!”
Stay tuned for future PAISBOA Sustainability Group meetings.
Interested in sustainability at your school? Please consider joining the PAISBOA Sustainability Group which includes faculty, business officers, administrators, and heads of school who lead or champion sustainability within their schools. For more information email Ron Hill at rhill@paisboa.org or Mary Ann Boyer at maryann@boyersudduth.com.
Written by Abby Murphy and Ana Gunther, Sustainability Interns, Boyer Sudduth Environmental Consultants.
Article Published in the PAISBOA Friday Flyer Vol. IX November 20, 2020.
