Grades of Green

Happy Mother’s Day from Grades of Green! Today and every day, we are so grateful for the influential women who founded Grades of Green over ten years ago and those who join us today as our board members. Our students, community and planet thank you for all your do!

Meet the Green Queens from Grand View Elementary who have a message for you about the importance of planting native plants to save water and help be part of the climate solution.

#TBT to our second Earth Month event with Givsly, OMD and Facebook that was a blooming success! We learned all about urban greening and the environmental justice implications from our outstanding Environmental Analyst intern Ava, heard from our students who are working on urban greening for their Climate Solutions Campaign projects, and got our hands dirty planting flowers to green our homes. A big thank you to OMD and Facebook for this opportunity to plant new seeds of community during this important month of environmental action and awareness. Repost Givsly: We had so much fun today planting for a greener future with @omd_usa and @facebook and learning about the importance of urban greening with @gradesofgreen. Can’t wait to see the plants everyone grows! #RestoreOurEarth

In need of some inspiration this Wednesday? The Grades of Green team from the Matungu Community Development Charity in Nairobi, Kenya, took advantage of international Earth Day celebrations last month and planted 3,500 tree saplings with their community! We're so proud of this awesome team and the work they're doing to build awareness of environmental conservation in their community's schools and urban areas

Looking for a new vegetarian recipe to change up your meals? Then the Healthy Kings and Queens team from Stephens Middle School have just the resource for you! To check out all the delicious sides, main dishes and desserts they have, head to their NEW website at www.healthykingsandqueens.com.

Who can name this National Park?! . This world famous nature preserve is distinguished by its 2,000 foot sandstone cliffs and natural stone arches. Before President Woodrow Wilson established it as a national park in 1919, it was first protected as a national monument in 1909. The park not only boasts breathtaking hikes and canyons, but also protects ancient archeological sites dates over 10,000 years old.

Who can name this National Park?! . This world-famous nature preserve is distinguished by its 2,000-foot sandstone cliffs and natural stone arches. Before President Woodrow Wilson established it as a national park in 1919, it was first protected as a national monument in 1909. The park not only boasts breathtaking hikes and canyons, but also protects ancient archeological sites dated over 10,000 years old.

Dr. Robert Bullard is often referred to as "the father of environmental justice" and has been studying the disproportionate impact of pollution on communities of color since the 1970s. . He first became involved in environmental justice when he moved to Houston in 1976 and found that five out of five landfills and six out of eight incinerators were in black neighborhoods. His work culminated in one of the first lawsuits using civil rights law to challenge environmental discr...imination. Since then, universities and research institutions have been investigating this pattern of injustice. Dr. Bullard’s groundbreaking work has inspired generations of activists around the world to take action to combat environmental inequality, using his voice to highlight the intersectionality of environmental justice and race, socioeconomic status, housing, transportation and more. . Check out Dr. Bullard's website linked below to learn more! . . . Quote credit: @theguardian Picture credit: https://drrobertbullard.com See more

This week's #wastelesswednesday tip is coming for all you pumpkin carvers! Once your pumpkin has seen the best of its days, consider composting your pumpkin to support the soil and help divert methane-producing waste from your landfills. . If you have a yard you can easily compost your pumpkins at home. Remove candles and any non-biodegradable decorations, put your pumpkin in an out-of-the-way spot, crush it (the more you do, the faster it’ll decompose), and let it be! You can pile leaves or straw on top to hide them if you like. They’ll be gone by spring! . For those without yards, place your pumpkin in the compost bin and it will be processed at your local waste diversion facility.

Water from creeks and streams flow from higher ground into rivers and lakes and eventually winds up in the ocean! As the water flows, it picks up trash and pollutants which can cause severe damage to the health of those watersheds and the animals and plants living there. . It’s important to keep in mind the interconnected nature of our environment and ecosystems - and how every eco-action, big or small, makes a difference!

Meet Sarah, our new Program Advisor! Sarah was a Grades of Green Eco-Leader in high school and worked on projects like banning styrofoam at school, which inspired her to be passionate about environmental issues. . We are thrilled to have Sarah's unique perspective and her support for our student teams as they dig into the new Climate Solutions Campaign.

It’s time for a good ol’ fashioned #ThrowbackThursday! . As we kicked off our brand new Climate Solutions Campaign last month, we’re reminiscing on our outstanding Eco-leaders from past Campaigns and programs. Swipe and read below to learn more! . 1 Grades of Green all-star Alum Sophia and Isaiah presenting at our 2019 Verte Gala... 2 Manhattan Beach students went all-in to bring attention to the monSTRAWsity problem of single-use straws 3Our Trash-Free lunch students sporting their reusable food containers to advocate for zero waste at their school 4 This University of Buea team from Cameroon advocated to their school admin to stop open burning of trash and educated younger students about waste issues in their community See more

We love these DIY rosemary mint shampoo bars from @growforagecookferment! . The next time you need a shampoo or conditioner refill, consider joining the fast-growing number of hair bar fanatics! It's a super-easy way to avoid using plastic bottles each time you need more shampoo. You can make your own or find one out on the market with your style and scent of choice. . via @growforagecookferment's Pinterest.

Can you name this veggie?? It’s technical name is Melothria scabra and, despite its striking similarity to a mini watermelon, doesn’t have a rind and is 100% edible! This grape-sized super fruit hails from Central America where it is known as the sandita (little watermelon) and is packed full of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber. Best of all, they can be grown right in your own home! Growing your own food is a great way to cut down on your environmental footprint - and maybe the tastiest, too! . Regram @faye.sen: I love how crunchy they are and they taste like a citrusy cucumber. Last year I didn’t grow any, because people said they vine wildly and I wasn’t ready to commit to finding space for them. I picked ~50 off of just one plant this morning . Is anyone else growing these in their garden this year ?

With so much screen time and hours spent in virtual meetings, it's important to make sure you take breaks to get out and stretch your legs. This is one of our favorite hikes in Palos Verdes, California, when the mustard flowers are blooming! What is your favorite way to disconnect? Let us know in the comments below.

Hey STUDENTS! Have you heard about this awesome opportunity to... - Make real, impactful change in your community - Become an expert on an environmental issue - Meet school service hours 100% virtually - Gain experience for college apps... . Now you know! You can head to https://gradesofgreen.org/campaigns/ to sign up now and start your Campaign journey! See more

We would like to give a warm welcome to the newest members of the Grades of Green team, Katie and Malcolm! . Grades of Green has been partnering with the award winning fellowship program, Climate Corps, to support emerging sustainability leaders as they tackle today's most pressing environmental issues. The Fellows who serve with us receive valuable on-the-job training while Grades of Green gets two incredibly dedicated full-time staff members. Talk about a Win-Win! . We a...re proud to host these Climate Corps Fellows and have seen first-hand how they provide valuable insight and energy to help our programs reach their maximum potential. . Check out the link in our bio to learn more about the Fellows and the roles they have at Grades of Green. See more

With harvest season in full force, one of our favorite #wastelesswednesday tips is to swap your local farmers' market in for the grocery store! It is estimated that meals in the US travel about 1,500 miles to get from farm to plate. This long-distance, large-scale transportation of food consumes large quantities of fossil fuels and often the large scale production found in the industrialized food model is very fossil fuel dependent. Supermarket food also generates vast amounts of waste from the packaging required to move produce and other items from place to place. . So, for your next pumpkin picking adventure or produce run, consider checking out your nearby farmers' market and support local farmers!