When I was in grade 10, my geography teacher was kind enough to help us start a recycling program at our school. We were the “Clean Team.” Back then, it was just pop cans, but it was a start. It was our mission to make sure that not a single pop was found in the garbage. We made posters, transformed garbage cans into makeshift recycling bins and made a monthly trip to Zubick’s Scrap Metal to turn our tin into cash. It would be a natural conclusion that the money raised would go towards a year-end pizza party, but instead, we used that money to grow our little club bigger and take on new environmental projects – like cleaning up the nearby creek.
Why am I sharing this? Because, ideas about being environmentally responsible are part of our vocabulary today but “back in the day,” most people had no idea what it meant to “live green.” The concept is much more popular now, but it’s so important that we make sure our kids and grandkids are excited about living green so that this philosophy gets passed on from generation to generation. After all, what’s good for the planet is good for the kids.
It’s our responsibility to keep moving the ball forward. What does that look like? At West 5, it means weaving native plants into the fabric of our landscape and educating residents and visitors about how these natural beauties are vital to our ecosystem. It’s educational initiatives that show how cutting-edge technology is reducing our carbon footprint. Just imagine what projects our kids and grandkids will bring to life.
Richard
