James Bendele, Ministry Lead of MFEP and Guardian Angels Moderator at Central Catholic High School in San Antonio, TX, shares this story with us.
On Earth Day, all of the seniors in Ms. Sheila Kizzart's English class wrote a letter to Dr. Hernandez (the principal of Central Catholic) suggesting how the school could support a sustainable initiative at Central Catholic. Here are two examples.
Dear Dr. Hernandez,
I hope this letter finds you well. I’m writing to take action on Earth Day and propose a partnership with Adopt-A-Spot Litter Control. This organization allows civic minded groups and individuals in creating a cleaner and prettier environment in San Antonio. By Central Catholic partnering with Adopt-A-Spot, we will be able to designate an area of the city that we can keep clean, and by participating in annual cleanups as a school we will be able to help preserve the natural beauty of our environment and city. This will also provide many service opportunities for Central students and facilities, further pushing and advocating for service initiatives and community service. This partnership will benefit Central Catholic, the city of San Antonio, and all of the millions of people and animals that inhabit this land in south Texas.
Sincerely,
Aidan Saldana, Class of 2024
Dear Dr. Hernandez,
The recent passing of Earth Day has brought to my attention the importance of taking action to better the environment. I have researched many environmental initiatives and found that regenerative techniques can easily be adjusted and implemented into Central Catholic’s procedures. Regenerative techniques refer to rebuilding and further enhancing soil’s organic matter and restoring biodiversity. Simple steps Central Catholic can take include composting plant remnants and applying biochar to the soil. A compost bin would be easy to utilize and cost-efficient in enriching the soil substantially. An alternative can be applying calculated amounts of biochar to the soil. These implementations will benefit the soil of Central Catholic and influence others to practice regenerative techniques.
Sincerely,
Isaiah Fetter, Class of 2024
Dear Mr. Bindele and Central Catholic Students, you all continue to be in the vanguard of those wanting to save our planet. The suggestions made to Dr. Hernandez are excellent. I hope he responds favorably. Keep us posted!