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Success Story: Waskowitz Outdoor School

Waskowitz Outdoor School Waskowitz students are under no illusion about where their non-recycled and non-composted waste goes.

School Location: North Bend, Washington

Began participating in the Green Schools Program: September 2005

Waste Reduction and Recycling

Waskowitz Outdoor School's primary waste reduction and recycling activity is food waste composting. A residential outdoor learning center that serves 4,000 students per year, Waskowitz students generate a considerable amount of food waste. While minimizing food waste is a priority, what is left over is collected and composted on site using an Earth Tub food waste composter. The school composted 3,223 pounds of food waste in 2005.

School renovation and construction has curtailed some of these efforts over the past few years, but not the enthusiasm for recycling. For example, when the Earth Tub became temporarily unavailable for use, the school arranged to have its food waste picked up and composted off-site. And when renovations to the dining hall meant reusable plates could no longer be used, students began to compost the paper plates. Despite the obstacles to recycling, the school was able to compost 2,461 pounds of food in 2006

Water Reduction

• The school worked with Green Schools Program staff to develop a lesson plan for use with camp attendees. The lesson plan guides participants through steps for reusing scrap paper to make envelopes.
• While the dining hall was being rebuilt during the summer of 2007, Outdoor School staff took utensils to be washed at their temporary, off-site kitchen.
• The 4,000 students attending the outdoor school each year participate in a "worm class" and learn ways of taking home the Earth-friendly practices they learn at Waskowitz.

Recycling

• The school has been creative and prolific in producing signs to educate attendees about recyclable materials, and which recycling containers should be used to collect which materials. With a constantly changing student population and multiple languages spoken, visual cues and photos have been particularly important sign components.
• The first meal on the first day of students' week-long stay at the school is an important time to convey the resource ethic of the school. It is also the one meal that kids bring with them from home, thus the trash level and number of recyclable containers can be high. The school has turned this first-day meal into an orientation and training opportunity by creating signage in this wall-less shelter using large stickers on containers and placing signs on stakes that stick out of each container.

Awards

Wanda Peters, Outdoor School Coordinator, King County Earth Heroes at School, 2006

Ms. Peters was the lead and inspiration for the composting program at Highline School District's outdoor school. Using six worm bins built by high school students and an Earth Tub, she ensured that all compostable food waste was kept out of the landfill.

Comments

"I think helping schools to be reasonable in their efforts by weighing factors such as staffing, time constraints and schedules helps them be successful. It was helpful to have things broken down into manageable tasks and to be held accountable."

Wanda Peters, former Outdoor School Coordinator, Waskowitz Outdoor Center

For more information about this school’s participation in the King County Green Schools Program, contact:

Roberta McFarland, Program Director
E-mail: McFarlR@HSD401.org
425-277-7195

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