The Botelle Eagles Celebrate Earth Day

By Lauren Valentino

Botelle students rolled up their sleeves and dug into hands-on learning to celebrate Earth Day, Tuesday, April 22. With help from community partners, students had “the best day ever!” according to kindergarten students. 

Students and staff gathered in the cafeteria to learn the history of Earth Day. Then the classes went to one of four different activities, led by volunteers Norfolk historian Richard Byrne, Vicki Nelson from Great Mountain Forest, Beth Frost, a retired teacher from Region 1 and Eileen Fitzgibbons from the Norfolk Library. 

Mr. Byrne led a hike on the North Swamp Loop Trail, which is located behind the school. Students and staff observed flooding from beavers, who were recently rehomed, and remnants of the beavers’ lodge and vernal pools were visible. Some frog species lay their eggs in these pools, as do mosquitoes and salamanders. Students were able to observe and participate in the woodland surroundings.  Sixth-grader Parker Bracken spied a newt and Charlie Crawford, resident third-grade frog expert, spotted a perfectly camouflaged wood frog on an oak leaf. Students also learned about the watershed, walking alongside the Norfolk Brook that feeds the Blackberry River and ultimately the Housatonic.

Vicki Nelson, a retired science educator who works at Great Mountain Forest, met students in the Community Garden. A coconut, sprouted acorn, various fruits and other examples of seeds were spread out on tables to teach students about seed dispersal. Chloe Bottum, a fourth grader, thought the life cycle of trees was interesting. She said, “Seeds fall off the tree. If the seeds get enough light and water they sprout into new trees. It (the seed) dissolves into the ground and they grow into another apple tree.” Later, students planted flower and vegetable seeds in the garden. We can’t wait to see them grow!

Norfolk Children’s Librarian Eileen Fitzgibbons read books to each class about the Earth and environmental activists like Rachel Carlson. She then showed the children how to utilize single-use plastics and colorful images of animals and plants from magazines to make a suncatcher. “I gave it to my mom as a gift,” said Brantley Start, a fourth grader. “I put pictures of our favorite things on it – two dogs and a polar bear. She (mom) was surprised and hugged me. She used it as an ornament and hung it on the fridge.”

A favorite activity was upcycling in the school’s makerspace. Mrs. Dubecky, Botelle’s library media specialist, gathered cardboard boxes, single use plastic containers, packing tape, egg cartons and other “trash” to teach students how to make something useful and new out of materials that would have been recycled or thrown away. Creativity was on full display. Third grader Fiona Padua loved working on this project in the makerspace. “We got to make things that were helpful, weird, or beautiful. I made something beautiful – a mini fish tank – and I’m going to use it as a decoration and a doll house.” Adilyn Keys agreed. “I love to let my imagination run free and build stuff. I made a treehouse with a slide, a pool, and a tent for my dolls. I made it out of cardboard and tape and paper for the tent, ribbons for the cushions and styrofoam for the windows.”

Celebrating Earth Day is one way to teach our children about nature and the importance of protecting our planet. Lyko Whitaker, third grader, said, “If we didn’t celebrate Earth Day then there would be no Earth to live on or it would be horrible. There could be poison gas, it could smell bad. All the animals might die because all of the plants die. We should keep the Earth healthy and celebrate Earth Day. Not just on Earth Day but every day.”

Lauren Valentino is the principal of Botelle School in Norfolk.