On Friday, April 22, the RCDS community celebrated Earth Day, concluding a month of sustainability lessons, interactive projects, and presentations encouraging students to celebrate our planet and expand their knowledge of ways to preserve and protect it. 

Earth Day activities included the Sustainability Fair featuring student projects, visits from the Rye Nature Center’s Nature Station, an Earth Day lunch celebration, a Reptile Encounters presentation, and the Elephant Silhouette Art Project featuring student artwork of various endangered species. 
 

 

The celebration wrapped up on Friday evening with the 2022 Earth Day Green Screen, showing Kiss The Ground, an uplifting film that features soil as a powerful solution to the effects of climate change. The Green Screen is the flagship event of the longstanding community partnership between RCDS and Rye Sustainability Committee. Following the screening, the RCDS community heard from three panelists, moderated by writer and healthy yards advocate Lori Fontanes:

• Nick Skeadas, Founder of Curbside Compost 
• Amy Benerofe, RCDS Alumna and Founder of Our New Way Garden
• Layton Guenther, RCDS Alum and Director of Quail Hill Farm

The panelists provided perspectives on topics ranging from rebuilding soils and gardening to sustainable food systems and composting at home. Students and community members were able to take seeds home to start their own gardens this spring. 

“This year’s Green Screen film and panel discussion provided unique commentary on the climate crisis and inspired students with a call to action and a reminder of our collective responsibility to sustain our planet.” 
—Kerry Linderoth, Director of Sustainability

Thank you to the members of our panel and to the Rye Sustainability Committee and the RCDS PA Environmental and Wellness Committee for this meaningful discussion.