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“I promise to keep learning new ways to help care for our Mother Earth.”
Written on colored paper in the shape of a butterfly, this was one of many “promises” made by students at Iroquois Point Elementary School as part of their Giving Tree service project to benefit The Nature Conservancy.
Each “promise” cost 25 cents, and students collected a total of 308 quarters. Along with the donation that the Conservancy received this summer, Mrs. Laura Rahaim’s sixth grade class sent a handmade card with several of their “promises” to protect the Earth:
“I promise to turn off my major appliances and hot water heater when I leave town.”
“I promise to do many errands at once so I save gas + emissions.”
“I promise to turn off lights when not in the room.”
“I promise to collect trash when I beach comb.”
The Giving Tree was part of this Ewa Beach School’s first annual Earth Week celebration last April. Stretching Earth Day into a weeklong affair, students participated in various service and learning activities including: a neighborhood clean-up, recycling drive, letter writing campaign to save endangered species, campus planting and gardening, and learning about ways to save energy and natural resources.
According to Mrs. Rahaim, co-chair of the PTA Recycling Committee that organized the event, the students and teachers were delighted with its success and look forward to the second annual Earth Week celebration next April. To Mrs. Rahaim, it is a cause “close to my heart” and entirely aligned with the school’s mission to “make our world a better place for our children.”
On behalf of The Nature Conservancy, mahalo to all of our new friends at Iroquois Point Elementary School for supporting our work to protect Hawaii’s precious natural environment now and for future generations!
Photo Credits: Giving Tree © Jennifer Gutierrez; Card © Lara Siu/TNC; Class © Portraits of Hawai‘i; Giving Tree © Jennifer Gutierrez.
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