Edgemont composting project

: (ONE DAY when the Wondertree
kids were walking back to the
school from lunch at the park,
they saw a garbage truck go by.
Megan Carter yelled ‘‘Let’s follow

it?” And that's how it all started.

-- And that’s how the press release
- Started; a release written and sub-
* mitted to me at the North Shore
‘News by 12-year-old Jessamyn
: Forrest.
_ . Jessamyn and Megan are among
the 10 students of Wondertree
School, an independent school
- located in Edgemont Village.
‘It just started there this
September, although there are

” three other Wondertree schools in

_ Vancouver.

. After. Megan yelled, ‘‘Let’s
‘follow it,”” the students trailed the
garbage truck on its rounds in

" Edgemont Village.
What they found most amazing
«was the volume of fruit and
vegetables being thrown out at a

“focal produce store.

After mulling over what they ©

“had seen for a few days, Megan

“and Jessamyn ‘decided to embark °

“ona composting project forthe —

village...

: ‘Accordingly, they made up a

: questionnaire which they delivered

to appropriate retailers, asking

how much compostable material -

‘they: -generated, whether they ©

would be willing to set it aside for

: pickup by the students, and —

-whether they would consider a:

“donation for the service.

Of the 10 stores approached,”

> five said no (including the produce .

‘store that had first caught their °

. attention), one said they would
give a donation but couldn’t put

‘aside the comypostables, and four
‘agreed to participate in the pro-
‘gram.

” . Having secured a client base, wh

- their teacher, Ross Muirhead, -

= went on to build a large compost
bin in his nearby back yard, and

although the students didn’t have ..

access to a pickup truck, they
Started making the rounds in

| ae
‘Wondertree students initiate

Trendelh Whitaker

ECO INFO

:” Muirhead’s car.

Muirhead and his students pick
up about five garbage bags of
produce weekly from Super Valu
— “the manager was really into
the project,’ reports Jessamyn —
coffee grounds from Starbucks,
flowers and plant trimmings from
Village Bouquet, and four to five
boxes of green waste from
Highland Produce.

Jessamyn says they would like
to pick up more of Safeway’s
waste, and add other shops to
their list of clients, but they will

‘ only be able to expand their

operations if they can find a vol-

~ unteer driver with a pickup truck.

They would also need to build a
second compost bin in one of the
parents’ yards, so monetary or
material donations would also be
appreciated. .

If you can help with any of the
above, they would love to hear
from you (the school’s number is
986-2050).

The kids hope to use the
finished compost material to plant
trees in Maplewood Mudflats, or

‘they have also talked about selling
itasa fundraiser. :

This isn't the school’s first en-
vironmental undertaking.

The students, who are all very
computer literate, helped design a
PowerSmart educational computer
game that BC Hydro has
distributed to schools in the pro-
vince.

They are currently hoping to do
something similar for a local
organization that focuses on
waterway cleanup.

Since | moved this fall, I
haven’t kick-started myself into
the composting habit again and
experience the Major Guilties
every time I throw out wads of
vegetable peelings or apple cores.

Hf you are in the same boat, the
Wondertree kids might inspire you
to action,

For those people who would
rather start their composters in the
spring, consider recycling some
food in a different way.

North Shore. Harvest, a rela-
tively new community organiza-
tion located at 166 West
Esplanade, accepts donatiuns of
non-perishable food that is given
te low-income clients in our
community.

They are open Monday through

_ Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and

especially welcome nourishing
staples such as powdered milk,
canned tuna or salmon, baby food
and peanut butter.

David Foster, who established
and runs North Shore Harvest,
says they are also planning for
Christmas hampers in conjunction
with North Shore.Health to best
ensure they are nutritionally
balanced.

Special items on their wish list
are a refrigerator, a portable
dishwasher, kitchen countertops,
and other kitchen necessities such
as tea towels and aprons.”

if you’ve recently completed a
renovation and can help with any
of the above, please call 983-9488.

Friday, November 5, 1893 ~ North Shore News -

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COMMUNITY EVENTS
: CALENDAR.
Compiled by Ann Hamilton ;

“KIDS? STUFF is w free service provided for

“ goa-profit : groups. Submissien requests
“ should be made on an official What's Going
On form, whieh is available at reception,
and received by the News al least one week

’ pricr to the event.
- The News endeavors (to ensure items ap-
pear in the paper at least once before the
event, but space constraints may mit the
number of submissions printed. For puuran-
* +” teed publication contact classified (986-6222)
. ar display advertising (980-0512).

SATURDAY, NOV. 6

: Send us your event tistings
; ONGOING EVENTS:
RecCentre Magnussen is looking for
talented teens (singers, actors, musi-
- ¢ians;. poets) who are interested in
- performing on “Stage’ Night,’" Fri-
Gays, 7-10 p.m. Info: 983-6559.
eee
Saturday. Storytimes. Kids aged 4-8
-yrs. invited. 10:30 ‘a.m. N.V. City
‘ Library. Info: 980-4424.
eee
“Free. Positive Approach Counselling
Services. Iafo session for students with
~ learning disability concerns & parents.
-. Phone 925-HELP.

Send us your event listing. :
. ONGOING EVENTS:
Visit farm animals & birds at
“: Maplewood Farm, 405. Seymour River
Place; 10 a.m.-4 p.m. daily, except
_' nen-holiday Mondays; milking demo
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- picnic. Info: 929-5610.

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