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Talawanda schools collaborate with University to go green

Mary Daly, For The Miami Student

Friday marked the 41st anniversary of Earth Day, a holiday that has been celebrated around the world since 1970. The theme of this particular Earth Day was "A Billion Acts of Green" which matches nicely with the work the students of Talawanda High School have been putting together.

The students are preparing for their new green high school by putting an emphasis on being green in their current high school.

The Go-Green Club at the high school experienced a period of closure after its adviser left, but has recently been re-opened. According to Phil Cagwin, Talawanda superintendent, club members have been pushing the importance of recycling to their fellow students and their families and recycling has been growing throughout the district for a few years, according to

"We have been doing a lot of recycling in the district for the past couple of years now with the cooperation of Rumpke Recycling," Cagwin said. "Student volunteers go around each week collecting the bins from classrooms. We have the large recycling containers at all of our schools so that community members can use those."

Recycling containers have also been placed at athletic venues so more recycling can go on there.

Miami University geography professor and Vice-Chair of the McGuffey Foundation School Board Tom Klak are working with students from Talawanda and Miami in efforts to maintain native shrubs and plants.

"The Partnership idea is key", explained Klak in regards to Miami and the Talawanda school working together, "groups come together with overlapping interests and skills, and work out ways to collaborate to achieve exciting outcomes they would not be able to do on their own. Everyone helps, grows and native is made more healthy".

Cagwin said the preservation joint effort they have with Miami students is called the Erik Sustainability Initiative.

Cagwin also said the students are trying to restore a stream that runs through the property.

"This is a wetland restoration project," Cagwin said. "A stream is going through the area that is suffering from erosion and Miami students and Talawanda students are doing work to restrain that."

According to Cagwin, Talawanda students are given the opportunity to learn the importance of keeping the land natural and pure while taking part in a hands-on experience.

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Students in botany classes have been regularly visiting the district's wetlands and observing the land that is being replenished for them to use for environmental study.

"I think a great deal of progress has been made," Cagwin said. "Miami students have positively influenced our high school students."

Holli Morrish, Coordinator of Development and Community Relations of the Erik Sustainability Initiative project, said the efforts should never end.

"I hope there will be conservation work that will last forever at the site," Morrish said. "I think this is a great opportunity for the Talawanda community for living a greater life."