Chaminade College Preparatory, West Hills, CA, MFEP efforts this academic year

April Risteff, Ministry Lead for Marianist Encounters at CCP, West Hills, CA, sends us this update on efforts to propagate plants, recycling initiatives, and the promotion of solar lighting on campus.

Ryan Casey, Science Teacher, shares this information: I wanted to update you on the progress at the nursery. We have had a solid group of 6-10 students (mostly international) who have been helping this year with propagating plants.

• We gave away 200 plants to our community (including a couple of neighbors) during our giveaway in November.

• We gave away another 50 plants to a community, the Los Angeles Neighborhood Council Sustainability Alliance (LANCSA), for a median restoration project in November, where plants will be cared for by students at Pio Pico Middle School. 

• We gave away another 40 plants today, 12/6, to an environmental science class at USC that is restoring a test plot in Rainbow Canyon.

• We are giving away another 50 plants to a test plot aimed at restoring Elephant Hill. We will provide LANCSA plants for a restoration project for an underserved community in Los Angeles.

• We are in contact with the Wishtoyo Chumash Conservancy, selecting appropriate plants for their restoration efforts.

• Simplify the waste system in the cafeteria to landfill and recyclables, and continue to educate the student body through short videos, announcements, etc.

• Create a presentation to give to Physical Plant on the harmful usage of rat poison on campus and collaborate on alternatives.

• Field trip to Wishtoyo Chumash Preserve through World Religions to learn about Indigenous Peoples, their connection to the Earth, and present work towards land/water conservancy.

• Eliminate the plastic-covered utensils from the cafeteria and put them in dispensers.

  
  

Chris Landon, Director of Facilities, shares the following information: Over the Christmas break, we installed seven poles with 14 solar-powered light fixtures in the Junior Parking lot. We intend to add additional solar-powered lights to the Senior Parking lot within the next couple of months.