More about how Churchill residents take care of our planet

I recently received an email from Carley Basler.  She is a research technician at the CNSC and the lady that kept an eye out for polar bears while the teachers and other scientists worked.  This is a photo of her.

She explained some of the things she does to reduce the amount of trash she has.  Remember, Churchill had to get rid of their dump because it attracted polar bears.  Now they ship all trash and recycling out on a train.   Ms. Basler composts her kitchen wastes using vermicomposting.  That means that instead of throwing banana peels or apple cores in the trash she puts them in a container and adds red wriggler worms.  The worms eat the food and break it down into soil. Pretty neat.  Do you think she considers the worms her pets?  Some of my students are familiar with the mealworms I keep as pets in my room.   They aren't quite as handy as those red wrigglers though.

Do you know anyone that composts?

Ms. Basler reuses everything she can.  She always reuses her cloth shopping bags instead of using paper or plastic bags.  I know a lot of families in Glastonbury use cloth bags.  Send me a photo of the cloth bags that you use to santorol@glastonburyus.org   

One other thing she does to reduce the amount of trash she puts on the train - she keeps a fire going in the winter to heat her home and burns all paper and cardboard that is safe to burn.  That way there is more room on the recycling train for things like aluminum and plastics.

I hope to hear more about what some of you are doing in Glastonbury and around the world. Look just below any of my posts for the word "comments."  Click on it and write to me.   You can also send me a photo of something you've been doing for our environment.  Send it to santorol@glastonburyus.org  

I'll be sure to post all stories and photos right here on my blog.

Miss Santoro

Get your story posted!

Here are some of the recycling, reducing and reusing stories people have posted in my comments section.  

I wrap presents in old magazine pages or shopping bags with nice pictures or colors.  I also reuse boxes, ribbons and bows from gifts I've received.  It turns gift wrapping into a fun crafty project.

Liz, Santa Monica, CA

I use all energy efficient lightbulbs in my house to conserve energy.

Lori, Vernon, CT

I now recycle all plastics, cartons, newspapers etc. for recycle day each week.

Colleen, Middletown, CT

If you would like to post a story  that describes the ways you help keep our planet healthy you can simply click on the blue word, "comments" below this post.  Be sure to include your first name only ( no last names) and your town and age or grade.  If you'd like to send a photograph of something you've done to help our planet stay healthy, you can send it to my email at santorol@glastonburyus.org

I hope to hear from you soon and be sure to tell your friends both near and far so that we can see what people all over the world are doing to make a difference!

Miss Santoro

Technology Reused!

Peter from South Glastonbury emailed me on his REUSED computer.    He found a computer that was sick with viruses and fixed it.  

There are certain places that can help you recycle your computer.  Here is a free resource to help you recycle yours:

The Computer Recycler  (based in Cromwell, CT)

Free service for Mac or PC

http://thecomputerrecycler.com/

Miss Santoro

Reducing energy and water use in Japan

This is a photo I took of a toilet in Japan.  If you look closely you'll see a faucet on the top of the tank in the back.  People use this to wash their hands.  The water is first used for hand washing and then flows into the toilet tank to be used for flushing.  How clever!  This is a great way to  REDUCE the amount of water being used every day.


My friend Janine is traveling in Japan.  Would you like to know how they reduce the amount of energy they use in Hiroshima, Japan?  Visit her website  http://janineinjapan.blogspot.com/

Look for the blog entitled "Energy Conservation in Japan."

Don't forget to write to me and tell me how you are reducing, reusing or recycling so I can post your story here too!

Miss Santoro

An Idea for Recycling

Sarah, age 12,  from Glastonbury, CT sent me this image of the printer ink containers that she is recycling.  She is sending them in the mail to be recycled.   She already has one in an envelope and will be putting the other one in the folded envelope to the left.  Thank you for sharing your photo Sarah!

Recycle, Reuse, Reduce!

Polar bears can get themselves in trouble when they come too close to humans too many times.  In Churchill polar bears used to come to the town dump and rummage through the trash.  This became such a problem that they had to get rid of the dump.  Now the entire town of Churchill has to collect the trash and send it to another town on a train!

In an effort to reduce the amount of trash being sent and to help keep the planet healthy, the residents of Churchill are making an extra effort to recycle as many items as they can.  This photo shows the recycling area in the lab at the CNSC.  We recycled everything from paper to cans to batteries.   The residents also reuse items when ever they can. When you reuse something you use it again.  You might save paper towel rolls for an art project or use an old wash cloth for washing your car.  One other thing that the Churchill residents do to keep the planet healthy is reduce the amount of  water and electricity and products (that eventually make more trash) that they use.   People reduce the amount of electricity they use by making sure that they turn the lights off when they aren't in a room.  They turn the water off when they are brushing their teeth, and they take short showers to reduce how much water is used.

 I am hoping that everyone reading this blog will make an extra effort to reduce, recycle and reuse items and energy in their homes, schools and work places.

Please write and tell me what you've reused, reduced or recycled today.  You can also send me a photo of something you've recycled or reused.   Send photos to santorol@glastonburyus.org  I'll be sure to post them on my blog.

Miss Santoro

Last Day and Challenge for the Future

Here we are on our last day in front of the CNSC logo.  I spent one last morning in the observation dome and watched as the local arctic hare hopped around the parking lot.  It was a cold, rainy, windy day.  An arctic storm up north delayed our flight and some of us missed our connections.  We were ready to go at 10am - Churchill time.  Our flight left a couple of hours later.  I got home at about 2 am Eastern time.  

CHALLENGE: How long was I traveling?

IT IS NOT OVER.  Please continue to visit this site:

This trip focused on gathering data to see how the environment in Churchill is changing due to the change in the climate. We took a close look at the trees and soil in the area.  The Churchill scientists will be spending a great deal of time looking at our data and collecting future data to see how the trees and soil change as the climate gets warmer.  The goal is to see how climate change may help or hinder living populations.   Humans depend on the plants and animals around them.  If the change in the climate starts to hurt the plants and animals then the scientists will try to find a way to keep them healthy. They are trying to keep the entire planet healthy.

Some of the things that people do can harm the planet and the different environments around the world.  My future posts will take a closer look at how people are taking care of the environment.  My goal is to help students, teachers and people in the community (Glastonbury, internet, world) think about what else we can do to take care of our planet.

Challenge:  List some of the ways that you might already be helping to take care of the environment. List the ways that you might be able to do more to help the environment.

I would love for you to share your ideas, questions, web sites on this topic  etc.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Miss Santoro

Special thanks to: HSBC for sponsoring me, Earthwatch Institute, Anna Janovicz, the CNSC staff and scientists, Steve Mamet, Dr. Peter Kershaw and Carley Basler, Audrey - our chef, Adam - the dishwasher, Sheldon - our tour guide, Glastonbury School District, the Hopewell staff,  the Nayaug staff, Howard Gunther,   Becky Eckert, Barbara Suida,  the PACE Resource Teachers,  the parents who helped their children go on the computer to be part of this interactive science trip, Karen Groves and Tammy Boyd, the Churchill Hospital staff, the warm Churchill residents,my family and friends who followed along and added great questions and comments, the other amazing teacher volunteers who made this trip so amazing and totally entertaining even when we were all exhausted, and the wonderful students near and far who made this interactive blog, web conference and satellite call a successful learning experience for us all (of course that includes Teresa and Trevor!). 

 :  )