Students who turned green at an Olds-area school have achieved top national ranks from the SEEDS Foundation.
Reeds Ranch School will be officially recognized today as a Green II school after finishing 1,100 environmental projects.
The SEEDS Foundation — a nonprofit organization focusing on society, environment and energy development studies — encourages students to be environmentally responsible.
Classes undertake projects to communicate about or to enhance the environment. Classes then log their project results and report them to SEEDS. By keeping records of their achievements, schools gradually work towards 100 projects to become recognized as a Green School.
Reed Ranch School, a Grade 1 to 6 school of 43 students, achieved Earth School status in 2007 after doing 1,000 projects. The students then went onto the next highest level, Green II.
Across Canada, 261 schools have garnered Earth School status and far fewer have reached Green II status.
Program leader and teacher Terry Seidel has inspired the children to buy trees using money from bottle recycling and planting them on school grounds.
They’re also recycling organic waste and reusing materials within various classes.
Seidel said the children will strive for Jade 11 status, finishing 1,250 projects.
Following today’s ceremony, students and staff will finish a winter mural on the gym wall. It will include the painting of winter birds from the area.
“The program really helps the students become more aware of what they can do for the environment,” Seidel said.
ltester@www.reddeeradvocate.com