Middle Schoolers Sow Seeds of Sustainability

Last week, Middle Schoolers went green as they participated in the inaugural Middle School Week of Action organized by science teacher Sara Luke; the Upper School club Students for Sustainability; and the Middle School Student Council. This Service Learning week of activities was also planned in collaboration with the Equity & Justice Institute and centered on its theme for the year of Earth, Equity and Action.

 

The Middle School Week of Action centered around the question, “What does a just and livable future look like, and how do we build it from the ground up?” The Alley was equipped every day during lunch with a new hands-on experience that showed students what small actions they could take to work toward a sustainable future.

 

On Tuesday and Friday, students got their hands dirty making “seed bombs,” a craft using clay, compost and seeds designed to help spread plants and support pollinators. “You just throw them anywhere and they grow,” explained Harel Shapiro, a seventh grade participant. “You don’t even have to water them.”

 

On Wednesday, Middle Schoolers smashed shells with mallets in collaboration with the “Low Hanging Fruit” compost collective, an initiative started by alumna Ella Larsen ’16, who stopped by to lead the activity. Low Hanging Fruit collected shells from seafood restaurants, sun-cured them, and then asked students to pulverize them so the calcium-rich powder could be recycled into the local community’s soil instead of sitting in landfills. Students smashed Ella’s expectations as they came back for seconds and thirds of shell bags. “You guys just broke down 32 gallons of oyster shells. It’s so impressive!” Ella said.

 

Seventh grader Zelda Davidson shared that the shell-smashing was her favorite event of the Week of Action—she even crushed the last bag of the day. “It was fun knowing you were helping the environment, because all those shells were [otherwise] being wasted,” she said.

 

Thursday’s lunch activity featured a clothing exchange where students could thoughtfully refresh their wardrobes. By exchanging clothes instead of buying new, students combated the water consumption and environmental waste that comes with fast fashion. The clothes were displayed on tables and everybody was invited to “shop.” “It was really fun to see what everyone was bringing in,” said Zelda. “A bunch of people were dressing up.”

 

For Sara Luke and the students who helped organize and participate, the Week of Action was proof that small steps toward sustainability add up. Whether a seed bomb brings life to an empty space or freshly smashed oyster shells enrich a local garden, the takeaways were clear—a more sustainable future is something students can begin building right now.