NORTH LIMA Children learn about landfills, recycling

Pupils were urged to reuse and recycle as many products as possible.
By VIRGINIA ROSS
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
NORTH LIMA -- After nearly 30 minutes of talking trash to a group of first-graders at South Range Elementary School here, Kim Lewis asked the big question: "Who's ready to eat trash?"
On Friday, Lewis, program manager for the Recycling Division of Mahoning County's Green Team, showed about 400 pupils how a sanitary landfill is created.
She then helped them make edible landfills out of ice cream cones filled with chocolate, graham crackers, whipped cream and other goodies.
"We wouldn't want to eat a real landfill," she said. "But this way, we can use food to represent the different parts of a landfill and remember what each layer of the landfill is for."
Throughout her presentation, Lewis stressed the importance of reducing trash by reusing and recycling products and materials.
"We don't think about what happens to our trash when we throw it out," she said. "But see, it goes from our garbage cans, to the trash man who takes it in his truck to a landfill. And because a landfill can only hold so much trash, and each landfill costs so much to make, we need to do what we can to reduce the amount of trash we make."
Annual event
Her presentation was part of an annual program designed to teach the pupils about the environment. In its third year, the program is brought to pupils each spring in observance of Earth Day, which is observed every April 22 in America.
"We try each year to offer the students activities they can do to have fun, but also learn about the environment, & quot; said first-grade teacher Kate Hully, who coordinates the day's activities. "It's amazing to see how engaged they are in the activities and projects. It's amazing to see what they learn from this."
Pupils in kindergarten through third grade remained with their classes, but, escorted by parent volunteers, rotated among 15 stations.
Throughout the day, among other activities, they learned to create pictures with fruits and vegetables. They made recycled paper and used magazines to make gift bags. They each created a rain stick, which is an instrument once used by Indians in South America to sanction the gods to send rain.
More activities
They also learned about ways to keep the water clean. They decorated paper shopping bags that will be returned to Giant Eagle and used by customers there. They cleaned out their desks and used the discarded items to decorate a large map cut in the shape of the United States.
Outside, they planted bushes and flowers and cleaned the school grounds. And they savored their edible landfills. "It's a very busy day," Hully said. "They do a lot and learn a lot and take a lot of ideas home with them. It's definitely a highlight of the school year."