SMES K-Kids Protect the Environment

The St. Marys Elementary School K-Kids, sponsored by the local Kiwanis, earned enough points to buy 9 acres of protected wildlife land.
The Drink Pouch Brigade is a group of K-Kids who collect, clean up, and package drink pouches which are sent to a company, TerraCycle, who then uses the drink pouches to make such items as backpacks, pencil cases, lunch bags and many more items. Students drop their empty drink pouches in a designated bucket in the school cafeteria. Every morning brigade members gather the pouches, squeeze out any excess juice and prepare the pouches for shipping. (A copy paper box can hold 1500+ pouches).
At the end of the school year, students voted what to do with their points. With last year’s points, students were able to purchase 9 acres of protected land. With TerraCycle (through National Wildlife Federation’s Adopt-a-Wildlife-Acre program) SMES students help protect the wild animals that are at risk of death when they roam beyond the protected borders of Yellowstone National Park.
Your donation to the Adopt-a-Wildlife-Acre program will help resolve this chronic conflict between ranchers and wildlife and support vital conservation and education programs. NWF compensates ranchers for retiring their grazing allotments in and around national parks, thereby allowing ranchers to relocate their livestock to new conflict-free locations. Ranchers are happy, their livestock can thrive and wildlife survives. To date, National Wildlife Federation has retired over 600,000 acres of land in the Yellowstone region, thereby giving wildlife the room they need to roam.
This year once again students will be able to drop their drink pouches in the bucket after lunch. Students can even bring them from home to donate. TerraCycle accepts not only the Capri Suns but Kool-Aid Jammers and any other brand of drink pouches. They don’t accept juice boxes. SMES K-Kids are sponsored by Sue Lockhart, Christy Cobb, Lynda Duchscherer, and Gale Lizana.
More information about TerraCycle can be found at:
 http://www.terracycle.com/en-US/?format=html

E-Recycling Event Hosted by The St. Marys EarthKeepers and the Tribune & Georgian. 

Due to requests from so many in our community, the EarthKeepers are hosting another E-Scrap event. Our last two resulted in the collection of over 23 tons of electronic material. Let’s see if we can beat our own record! 


Date: Saturday, Sept. 15, 10 am - 4 pm 


Location: The Tribune & Georgian parking lot, 206 Osborne St., St. Marys


Costs: A suggested donation of $5 (per vehicle) would be most appreciated. 


What: Computers, flat-screen monitors, cables etc, cell phones, copiers, keyboards, printers, DVD/CD players and other electronic equipment. DVDs, floppy discs, VCR tapes etc. (Note: TVs are no longer accepted during on-site collections). 


Details: Recycling E-Scrap is an EPA approved electronic recycling company that meets all H.I.P.P.A. requirements. The company will remove all unwanted or unused electronic equipment, including battery-operated equipment, batteries, non-ferrous metals and plastic. 


On the day of the pickup, Recycling E-Scrap contractors will supply the labor to load the equipment onto the truck. At the time of the pickup, a complete inventory list of all the items will be made followed by a secondary inventory once the items arrive at the warehouse in Jacksonville, Fl. 
The electronics materials are checked in and then completely cleansed of all data. (A "Certificate of Destruction" will then be available after the cleansing process is completed). 100% of all materials are then recycled.