Westminster Outdoor Life Committee

1. Westminster Outdoor Life Committee Co-Directors: Alex Schulte and Clarke Morrison Team Members: Maggie Niehaus, Palmer Greene, Frank Schwahn, Sam Tarpav

2. Overview of Initiatives • Locate and eradicate invasive species on campus • Draw up a set of sustainable guidelines for water usage on campus (Westminster Schools Water Conservation Avowal) • Slow and ultimately reverse stream bank erosion • Spread environmental awareness • Enhance native species habitat on campus • Augment existing composting and gardening efforts

3. Locate and Eradicate Invasive Species • To get started quickly and efficiently we focused our efforts on one debilitating plant: Chinese privet (Ligustrum). • Privet runs rampant on the lush bottomlands of campus, drastically decreasing biodiversity by suffocating native species. • It has no native predators or pathogens: that’s where we came in. • We chose one particularly stricken area to start with, cut the bushes, and we plan to uproot the stumps to ensure no resurgence occurs. • For future projects we have our eyes set on bamboo (which also grows on campus and can be removed by our local zoo for panda fodder, http://www.zooatlanta.org/support_us_donate_bamboo.htm)

4. Westminster Schools Water Conservation AvowalAs stewards of the environment and members of the Earth community, we believe in conserving water wherever possible in order maximize preservation of this limited resource. The Westminster CCC Lexus Team 2 has drafted a multi-faceted program to conserve water in as many forms of its on-campus usage as possible, using the methods outlined below: 1.Prepare guidelines for sustainable use of on-campus wells – To combat the drought in the southeast, Westminster has looked for an alternate method of refilling its outdoor pool, which loses one inch of water a day to evaporation, without drawing extra water from the city’s water lines. A solution was found in tapping local ground water. A well has been drilled on campus to access our groundwater resources. However, since groundwater is outside regulation by the city, the Westminster CCC Lexus Team 2 will draw up a guideline to ensure that we draw water from the well at a sustainable rate and no more.2. Reduce usage of water in our bathrooms – We have already installed waterless urinals in the Westminster Physical plant and are considering installation in additional facilities around campus. All toilets around Westminster have been retrofitted with low water flow technology as well. Waterless urinals and dual flush technology in combination will save Westminster gallons of water every day.

5. 3. Use gray water for irrigation – In our on-campus greenhouse we are harvesting water from the fish tank to water native trees planted on campus last fall. This way water is recycled to nourish biodiversity on campus. 4. Build rain barrels to harvest rainwater for irrigation – This year for our annual school-wide service day, Westminster seniors turned plastic drums into rain harvesting barrels to collect water to be used for irrigation. School-wide cooperation on this project also increased environmental awareness and showed students how to work as a team to conserve our resources. 5. Landscape our campus with drought-resistant plant species – We will no longer use water thirsty plants to landscape our school’s entrances. Instead, we will plant drought resistant species that require no irrigation, further reducing the amount of water drawn from the city.

6. Senior Rainbarrel Project A homeroom works together to put the finishing touches on their rainbarrel, above. Students drill a hole in the top of their barrel so that it collects water, at right.

7. Slow and Reverse Stream Bank Erosion • Westminster’s campus is large, wooded, and surrounded by Nancy Creek. The creek is an important habitat for plant and animal life, and it ultimately feeds into the larger Chattahoochee River. • Due the increase in impermeable surfaces on campus (asphalt, new roofs, etc.) rainwater runoff has drastically increased, causing severe erosion on some stream bank areas. • To help slow this process we have developed a plan that will stabilize the banks and increase native species populations. • Our plan: Working together with WISOR, a club that seeks to increase sustainability on campus, we will transplant native species such as Christmas fern, ginger, trout lily, and other plants that we can get from the Georgia Native Plant Society, to eroded stream banks. Their root systems will then form a natural soil net and protect our precious creek from harmful amounts of sediment.

8. Spread Environmental Awareness • Impassioned students made weekly announcements to their classmates in group homeroom, notifying them of conservation tips and opportunities to help “green” Westminster. • Our committee has drafted an article describing our stewardship efforts for the Westminster newsletter that will make its way to thousands of alumni. We set up our own blog to share ideas and deadlines, and invited friends from far-away states, such as Maine, New York, and Connecticut, to read about our initiatives so that they might start similar movements in their own communities ( http://westminsteroutdoors.blogspot.com ). • This year, Christian Emphasis Week (an annual tradition which centers on topics of faith) focused on environmental stewardship, bringing the message of sustainability to a wider audience. It was a great success, with speakers who focused on the link between Christian values and environmental responsibility. The week culminated in a day of community service, where all the high school classes assisted with environmentally-themed projects. Service day is mandatory, so nearly 800 students participated in these projects.

9. Spreading the Word… • We contacted the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the largest newspaper in Georgia, with a press release concerning our participation in the Lexus Environmental Challenge. The AJC reaches readers across the state of Georgia. Unfortunately, due to economic considerations, the paper declined to publish our release. • However, we have contacted another local publication, which will hopefully disseminate information about our team’s efforts, though, unfortunately, to a more localized audience. • Though our first attempt to gain media coverage was ultimately unsuccessful, we will continue to pursue media outlets until we succeed in getting the word out about our team’s cause to the greater Atlanta area.

10. Native Species Habitat • In late February, the green house echoed with hammer strikes as about 15 students from all grades assembled 17 blue bird houses to set up on campus. Next year we plan to take the next step by building more complicated wood duck houses. Many students who were previously uninvolved with either of Westminster’s two environmentally-minded clubs came to build the bird houses. • Earlier in the year, we planted many different species of native trees, several of which are threatened in the southeast. These plantings continued the strong work done by last year’s club members, and we plan to pursue this project in years to come. • We have made wise use of our green space, first by enhancing the soil’s porosity with sand, and then by planting giant sunflowers and other native flora on the islands in the Senior parking lot, to give migrating birds and butterflies a much-needed food source.

11. Native Species Habitat: Birdhouse Workshop! Above left: Seniors work together to assemble birdhouses (3 of whom are not regular WISOR or CCC members.) Above right: A student and the WISOR faculty advisor, Kyle Vermillion, pose with the first completed birdhouse.

12. Augment and Investigate On-Campus Gardening and Compost • Our outdoor education program is looking for a more responsible way to dispose of its unused camp rations, so we plan to develop a compost and garden system on Westminster’s adjacent Summer Camp grounds. Unused food will be turned into rich fertilizer for an onsite garden. • The administration has assigned us the task of locating a viable compost location. In other words, we have been given the green light to expand our existing compost efforts! • In Westminster’s elementary school, students can test their green thumbs at a community garden, cultivating an appreciation for the natural world at a young age. We plan to set up bi-monthly trips to this garden through CCC, so that high school students might spend time with elementary school students, and enjoy nature, as well.

13. How We Would Use the Prize Money, if We Won • In keeping with our many tree plantings on campus in the last few years, we plan to use some of the money to plant more trees, so that we could near—and, hopefully, achieve—arboretum status for the Westminster campus. • We would also use the money to install more waterless urinals/ dual flush toilets (at least one in every major academic building on campus). • We would purchase an industrial-sized and –quality compost bin to kick start Westminster’s composting efforts on a large scale. • We would finance the growth of the two gardens on campus by supplying tools, gloves, seeds, plants, and whatever else the fledgling gardens might require.

14. In conclusion, we feel that our plan can be effectively implemented, not only in our own community, but globally, as well. By educating our school, friends, and family about the importance of environmental sustainability, we hope to instill a sense of responsibility for the natural world and set an example of environmental leadership.