Wednesday, May 8, 2002
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Wednesday, May 8, 2002 |
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Students help save acres of rainforest A total of 31 acres of rainforest have been saved thanks to the diligent efforts of students at North Fayette Elementary. In March the entire student body participated in the special Rainforest Adopt an Acre project that was being conducted in over 10,000 schools across the country via a special network of educators called the Earth Foundation. By selling environmental T-shirts, hats and shorts, students at the school raised funds that will help protect countless species of rainforest organisms as well as marine plants and animals in Bocas del Toro, Panama. In just 10 days after starting the sale, students raised over $4,000 to donate to the foundation for the purchase of rainforest acreage. "Our goal was to sell enough environmental items to save 20 acres of rainforest. We exceeded our goal by nearly 11 acres," said fourth-grade teacher Marcia Doss. Students at North Fayette elected to become involved in the project after learning about the importance of rainforests from their classroom teachers and through a campaign presented by fourth grade students during the school's morning broadcast. During the campaign, five fourth grade students appeared on the broadcast to encourage everyone to participate in the Rainforest Adopt an Acre project by sharing important facts and asking related trivia questions. Students with correct answers to the questions were announced on the following morning's broadcast and they received a token gift. "Everyone in the school was excited about saving the rainforest to protect life as we enjoy it today," said Doss. By participating in the campaign, students learned about the fate of the rainforest if present destruction continues and that they can do something to help protect the land through the Adopt an Acre project. Additionally, students learned about the products that people depend on from the rainforest and how the community can make a difference by supporting an environmental group that is interested in using rainforest resources without deforestation. "We feel proud to be a part of a worthy project. The students have learned to work together to support a worthy cause," added Doss. All students at the school received an environmental T-shirt from the Earth Foundation for their efforts in helping to save the world's rainforests.
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