The Salisbury School Green Club Earns the future Environmental Star Award

(Salisbury, MD)  On Tuesday, February 14^th representatives from Mountaire Farms and WMDT-TV presented The Salisbury School Green Club and its founder, Jessica Farlow, with the WMDT/Mountaire Farms Future Environmental Star Award.  The young environmentalist has spear headed “go green” efforts at the small private school, helping launch the Terra-Cycle Program, the NIKE Reuse-A-Shoe program, the LED lighting initiative and even lead the process of getting The Salisbury School named a Maryland Certified Green School.  The motivated sophomore may be the face of the club, but she is aided by several dozen students and administrators from all parts of the campus, including younger students from the lower school and middle school.  On this tightly knit campus, it truly is a team effort.

Founded in the fall of 2011, the roots of the Green Club were planted many years before with the help of Lower School Administrative Assistant, Donna Haag.  She introduced basic recycling programs in the Lower School and helped turn “Trash into Cash” through various programs involving printer cartridges, cell phones, plastics and other materials.  In fact, her influence and guidance helped inspire Jessica Farlow to found the Green Club which has led to many more environmental programs at the school.

“Jessica is a real go-getter for only being a sophomore in high school.  She’s done a lot and is well ahead of her peers.  She’s very driven to protect the environment and makes sure she gets things finished.” – Donna Haag, Lower School Administrative Assistant

To date the Green Club has recycled over 300 pairs of shoes through the NIKE Reuse-A-Shoe program; has introduced LED lighting throughout most of the school saving thousands of dollars each year; and joined the Terra-Cycle Program which turns everyday trash into new, usable items.  Each day club members collect and sort the trash coming from the school bins, being careful to place the items in the appropriate recycling containers.  The Green Club’s efforts to improve led to the recent unveiling of “Waste Free Wednesday’s”.  A program where students and staff who pack their lunch are encouraged to use reusable containers in order to reduce waste.

For these efforts The Salisbury School Green Club was honored with the WMDT/Mountaire Farms Future Environmental Star Award.

“Innovation, Imagination and leadership emanating from a high school sophomore is as unique in style and substance as the school that Jessica Farlow attends. From outward appearances The Salisbury School resembles something of a Star Wars creation. It’s futuristic design featuring circular windows, a domed entrance from the parking lot which drops into a semi-subterranean atmosphere and then as sharply as it descends downward jolts upward to a walkway, lined with no-lock lockers, metal and cinderblock walls, semi- open space classrooms, solar paneled roofs and the second floor library exposing students and teachers on the level below, deeply engrossed in their daily lesson plan.

Dedication to the school from Jessica, her classmates, the faculty and its administrating body is evident as you walk the neatly kept halls and converse with those who pass from  class to class, eyeful of  the environmental recycling programs posted on the walls and stationed in plastic receptacles;  implementation  that was  spearheaded by Jessica who plans to further her Environmental Science  studies at the college  level.

There are those who like to begin clubs, etc., and then go on to something else. Jessica began the environmental career at her high school and is involving everyone. And she is doing it with the intent to continue her studies and interests in college and beyond.

That’s the science behind the science of education at The Salisbury School. Let the students suggest ideas, develop programs and then let them have at it to completion of the project.

Congratulations to Jessica Farlow and the entire Salisbury School for their Award-winning contribution to the Delmarva environment.” - Roger Marino, Comunication and Community-Relations Director Mountaire Farms.

To view previous month's winners click here

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Help Us Honor Those Students Who Are Making a Difference  
Monthly award highlights local students, classrooms or youth groups who are contributing to the advancement, promotion and improvement of our environment.

How the program works:

The WMDT/Mountaire Farms Future Environmental Stars program is designed to recognize, highlight and reward Delmarva area students/classrooms who have developed and successfully implemented GREEN programs for their schools or community. These projects are intended to promote an ecologically friendly act, examples of past projects include: Building nature trails, starting a recycling program, restoring native habitats, creating schoolyard habitats, planting tree groves and many other creative, sustainable efforts.

Nomination Steps:

Each month WMDT (Channel 47) and MOUNTAIRE will determine and recognize the award winning area student(s) or classroom who is making that outstanding contribution to the advancement, promotion, awareness and improvement of our environment. The awards will include an acrylic engraved table-top trophy; 21 promotional television commercial spots; 8 televised newscasts; 30 days of exposure on the WMDT Station’s and the Mountaire Web pages. Also, we are in the process of developing an environmental magazine in which the entire school season of nominated science classrooms and educators will be featured

Step 1: Put together a nomination packet: Packet should include:
- Name & Contact info of the student/classroom and adult contact
- Description of the project or environmental acts, please no more than 500 words
- Please include any photos or web links that helps promote what you are doing.

Step 2: Mail or e-mail the nomination to:
Attn: Roger Marino (rmarino@mountaire.com)
Future Environmental Star
P.O. Box 1320
Millsboro, DE 19966

For a printable version of the flyer click here