Issue 3 Fall 2014 The Sustainable Schools program in Routt County helps to create a culture in schools to advance environmental, economic and social sustainability for current and future generations. Established in 2010, Sustainable Schools is an outreach and educational arm of the nonprofit Yampa Valley Sustainability Council. For more information: www.yvsc.org/schools
SSSD ready to measure energy savings
The $2.8 million in upgrades to Steamboat Springs School District in-town facilities SSSD energy performance highlights: completed this summer and fall should save the district more than $200,000 in utility and operational costs annually. • $2.8 million in maintenance Pascal Ginesta, SSSD facilities manager, explained the work was completed via an and energy-efficiency energy performance contract between the district and Kansas-based company Navitas. upgrades completed The plan allowed necessary maintenance and energy saving work to be completed • More than 5,800 bulbs through upfront funding by Navitas to be repaid by the district across 20 years of energy updated to energy-efficient versions savings. • More than 200 thermostats Ginesta is enthusiastic about lighting retrofits that included a change to LED bulbs controllable remotely via an for the exterior of all buildings and upgrades to more efficient, electronic T-8 or high energy management system output T-5 lighting ballasts in all buildings, thus replacing outdated and unreliable magnetic T-12 ballasts for which bulb production has been phased out nationally. More than 5,800 bulbs were replaced districtwide. The district now sports upgraded lighting of the same color and quality. A majority of the lights utilize occupancy sensors, excluding some large areas such as gyms, libraries, computer labs and bus maintenance bays. “It’s more efficient, brighter lighting for a much better learning environment, and we won’t have to replace bulbs or ballasts for five or six years,” Ginesta said. Another significant accomplishment slated for completion by Christmas break is all HVAC systems in district buildings can be monitored and controlled remotely by the facilities department. Heat in buildings can be turned down across the board at night, weekends or holidays through a computer or smart phone via a Tridium energy management system. With more than 200 thermostats throughout the district, the control system will lead to lower energy use and costs. Unless evening events are scheduled, building temperatures will drop an average of 6 degrees at 5 p.m. In spring 2014, the district leadership and Navitas conducted building energy audits to review utilities and infrastructure. Subcontractors were hired to replace inefficient boilers at the district office; replace boilers, valve components and HVAC controls at the high school; add insulation at the high school library; and install more than $300,000 in upgraded doors and windows at the middle school and Strawberry Park Elementary. A scheduling system was added for heaters that warm the diesel school bus engines on cold days. In other sustainability news, the SSSD saved an estimated $23,000 by repurposing rocks from the roof of the district office as landscaping rocks at Soda Creek Elementary. The rocks needed to be removed for roof repairs. Some of the wood removed from old bleachers at the middle and high schools was reused by students in industrial arts classes to make Adirondack chairs. Keep in touch with YVSC Sustainable Schools’ efforts, volunteers, issues and recommended resources by joining the Google-plus sharing page. For more information, contact schools@yvsc.org.
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Yampatika environmental literacy reaches across county
Lessons taught by the local nonprofit environmental education organization Yampatika will almost double this school year for kindergarten through fifth grade classes across Routt County. Thanks in part to an $84,000 grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Yampatika naturalists will teach a three-lesson curriculum for elementary students in the public schools in Hayden, Steamboat Springs, and south and north Routt County reaching students in 76 classrooms. The environmental literacy lesson topics by grade levels include: Kindergarten-Exploring Nature: Science and Imagination; First-Birds and Adaptations; Second-Subnivean Zones: Mystery Ecosystems; Third-Landforms and Local Geology; Fourth-Community Choices: Role Playing for a Wind Farm; and Fifth-Our Choices for Energy. The goal at Yampatika is to supplement and coordinate with classroom lessons. Teachers who have not yet signed for the free Yampatika lessons can email info@yampatika.org to be forwarded an AppointmentPlus scheduling link.
Aquaponics growing at Steamboat Mountain School
At Steamboat Mountain School, Nikki Durkan's Advanced Placement environmental science students recently set up a vertical growing system in the school’s new greenhouse, which was built earlier this year by students and teachers in the Sustainable Agriculture Program. The towers were hung from an old bed frame, and irrigation lines were created from repurposed tubing connected to a donated aquaponics tank. The students plan to test which plant varieties grow and taste best and are designing experiments to test water quality, fish species and pest management.
Soda Creek defends Energy Challenge title
Soda Creek Elementary worked this fall to defend its two-time title for the Take Charge Energy Challenge. During the fourth annual energy-saving challenge, five schools in the Steamboat Springs School District competed to see who could reduce their electricity use by the most kilowatt-hours during the last two weeks of November. This year’s challenge was moved to the fall (instead of the spring as in past three years) in order for students and staff to solidify good energy-saving habits all school year. The YVSC Sustainable Schools program has fostered the challenge since early 2012 by providing educational presentations to staff and students about energy conservation as well as supplying power strips and savings checklists. The prized Energy Cup trophy resided at Soda Creek for two years thanks to the efforts of staff and students. Crucial to the winning team were the Energy Ninjas, a group of stealthy fifth-grade Green Team students who visited empty classrooms to turn off such things as computer monitors or to leave encouraging notes. During past contests, combined efforts helped the school district save up to $3,000 on energy bills in two weeks.
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Recycle small electronics for SS funding
Remember to safely donate used small electronics and ink cartridges through the Sustainable Schools fundraiser collection program. Accepted items include: old cell phones, smart phones, cell phone batteries and chargers, iPods, MP3 players, digital cameras, tablets, aircards and Bluetooth, ink and toner cartridges, laptops, GPS devices and headphones. Collection boxes are located at the YVSC office at 141 Ninth St., the middle and high school offices, and the downtown Wells Fargo bank lobby.
New Tower Garden success for Emerald Mountain School
Thanks to a small community-project grant from YVEA and Emerald Mountain School's Green Team-sponsored craft fundraiser, EMS organizers have enough funds to purchase their first Tower Garden. The Tower Garden is a state-of-the-art vertical hydroponic, aeroponic growing system. All proceeds from the event went toward Green Team hopes to grow fresh vegetables and herbs throughout the winter at school. The event was a huge success. There are two Tower Gardens already in the district, located at Steamboat Springs Middle School.
10 Reasons to start a Tower Garden • • • • • • • • • •
Costs $1.50 a day for 1 year, then its yours for 10-20 years Made with food grade plastic (won’t leach chemicals in produce) Has a double UV protective coating (will last in the sunshine for years) Uses less than 10% of the water of a conventional garden Includes all tools and supplies (no soil, gardening tools needed) Fewer ground pest problems Grow a garden in ½ the time of a conventional garden Uses no harmful fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides No weeding… time is money More nutritious: vine-ripened produce is proven more nutritious
Get Involved in Sustainable Schools Student, staff, teacher, parent and community support and partnerships are always welcome at Sustainable Schools. To learn more, contact Sarah Jones at schools@yvsc.org or 970-871-9299 ext. 101.