Newsletter

These include several face-to-face gatherings each school year such as field trips to view cutting edge practices in schools, an annual retreat, and periodic service projects for our children. Below you will find examples of past gatherings including speaker highlights from a few meetings.

• To Lewis Elementary to view the cafeteria sorting system, the most extensive in the school district; the non-curbside recycling system; and the on-site compost bins.
• To Abernathy Elementary to view the garden, the on-site compost bins, and the scratch kitchen. Also to hear about the garden curriculum.
• To Sunnyside Elementary to view the gardens for each classroom, water catchment system for irrigation, the cafeteria sorting station, chicken coops, mason bee houses, and worm bins.

Beach Clean Up

In 2013, members of the Eco-School Network thought it would be fun to involve their families in a service project. They chose a spot at Fort Stevens State Park to clean up the beach and stay overnight in the cabins and yurts. The group met for a picnic lunch then headed out to scour the sand for trash and unnatural debris. President’s day that year had spectacular weather and turned up a lot of garbage. Since then the gathering has evolved into a massive group effort. Led by the founder of Sea Turtles Forever, the families are taken to a spot where indescribable amounts of plastics have been pushed ashore. They work for hours picking through rocks and driftwood to collect as much as possible; then the bags are hauled to the parking area. During the evening, families gather under a picnic shelter for an open fire, a potluck dinner, and end with a group campout in the yurts and cabins at Fort Stevens. They share stories and sing songs together into the evening. This year, the group involved 60 parents and children, cleaned up over 400 pounds of plastic, and had a wonderful time giving back and learning together.