Sustainability At MRH
Compost or You’re Toast!
As of 2012, the MRH team has joined forces with St. Louis composting! Thanks to the members of the Superintendent’s Advisory Council and selective staff, the MRH high school cafeteria is now equipped with three separate cans for compostable, recyclable, and land fill material. We’ve also implemented a group of driven young students who manage and educate fellow students on the importance of sustainability. If you would like to learn more about sustainability, or how to start your own compost, contact Amber Silver at [email protected].
Green is the New Awesome
This year, the MRH high school has put into action their demo green roof! Green roofs are made up of plants and soil, which help with water retention (flooding and filtering), and keeping the building cool. Did you know that urban environments are hotter than rural ones because of heat that's built up over time? The plants used on the roof are native to Missouri, drought tolerant, and do not require mowing! Hopefully within the next few years MRH will be home to many more green roofs. For more information on Green Roofs or questions about starting your own, contact Ben Nims at [email protected].
Green and Clean
Recently the MRH district began to use all natural green cleaning products. Not only are these products less harmful to the environment, but the also make for a safer environment for the students and staff of MRH! For more information, contact Beth Rowland at [email protected].
Shedding Fresh Light on Sustainability
At the end of April this year the MRH high school will be launching its very first solar panels! These panels will provide the energy for our appliances in the kitchen, offsetting the cost of electrical bills, and doing a huge favor to the ozone! Within the next few years we hope to install many more. For more information on solar panels, or to find out how to get your own, contact Beth Rowland at [email protected].
This school year, the MRH high school began using an automated light system. This means that whenever there are no people in a room, the lights shut themselves off due to a lack of movement. This not only helps to bring down our electric bill but also gives a nice break to the environment from harmful gases.
MRH's Fishy Future
MRH recently acquired a troop of fish that are going to be the start of something great! This project is called Aquaponics. Aquaponics could potentially be one of the most beneficial projects for the Maplewood Richmond Heights School District.
Aquaponics is a self-sustaining recyclable system that has fish and plants working together in harmony. The fish waste is recycled and used as fertilizer for the plants, and the plants filter the water, which is then sent back to the tank, clean as a whistle. Recently, they have been working on the spawning tank that will grow fish all throughout the year. The group of adults working of this project, which is led by Dr. Robert Dillion, have been working with a Professor from Lincoln University to help keep the project under control and to make sure it is functioning at optimum performance levels.
Maybe by the end of the school year, and definitely by August of this year, the Aquaponics project will be 100% functioning with almost 150 fish. This project will supply the MRH cafeteria with around 100-200 pounds of fresh Bluegill each school year! It also plays an important role in the students' education. Students will monitor and record data so that they can ensure that the system is functioning properly.
You can read more about Aquaponics in the book “Just Food”, and you can also learn more about it if you contact [email protected].
- Maggie Edmonson and Ben Speed, Chickenologists