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Sanford Earns “Green Ribbon” for Sustainability Initiatives

5/19/2015

Sanford was recently recognized with a certificate and $1000 prize for earning “Green Ribbon” status under the Delaware “Pathways to Green Schools” program.

Under the Pathways initiative, Sanford received an annual energy audit conducted by the University of Delaware, help with energy benchmarking under EPA guidelines, and one-on-one support with implementing new initiatives. Head of School Mark Anderson and Science Department Chair Jim Barnaby attended the event.

The recognition was the result of several initiatives implemented during the last year under the a Pathways sustainability work plan:

Rain Garden—With the help of the Delaware Nature Society and the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, Sanford secured a grant to install a rain garden near the Sports Center. A rain garden collects, treats, and filters stormwater before it goes back into the ground. The garden features over 500 plants, included several varieties that are native to Delaware. Twenty-eight students, faculty and alumni came to Sanford School on a Saturday in May 2014 to help install over five hundred plants. The rain garden filters runoff pollution, conserves water, reduces mosquito breeding, and creates a habitat for birds and butterflies, among other benefits.

Rain Barrels—In November, Sanford second graders worked with the Middle School garden club to install rain barrels on Sanford Hall and the Lower School building, all while learning about the water cycle and water conservation from science instructors John Bell and Beth Whipple. The barrels collect rainwater that is used as an extra water source for the MS vegetable garden.

Electronic Recycling Event—The Upper School Sanford Environmental Action League (SEAL) club hosted a electronics recycling drive from October 14 to November 14, encouraging community members to drop off old or broken electronics such as cell phones, printers, and microwaves.

Green Apple Day of Service. On Saturday, October 25, Sanford students pitched in at “Invasive Plant Removal and Marsh Restoration Day” at the DuPont Environmental Education Center on the Wilmington Riverfront. At the event, organized by SEAL members, volunteers removed invasive species in the marsh, dug out excess muck from the wade pools, planted iris, and constructed fences to protect areas of the marsh.

Sun Wise Program—Sanford registered with the EPA’s “Sun Wise” program to promote sun safety. The school measures the daily UV index and reports it on the Lower School News broadcast, and LS science teacher John Bell is educating his students about sun safety.

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