Last year, Walden Public School and Lively District Secondary School were among the first in northeastern Ontario to receive an Ontario EcoSchools certification for their environmental efforts.

This year, both schools have achieved an even higher level, according to a press release.

Walden Public School, Rainbow District School Board’s second green school, was awarded a silver certification. Lively District Secondary School was awarded a gold certification.

The certification recognizes achievement in six key areas: teamwork and leadership, energy conservation, waste minimization, school ground greening, ecological literacy and environmental stewardship.

“We commend Walden Public School and Lively District Secondary School on this significant achievement,” Rainbow District School Board Director of Education Norm Blaseg said in a press release. “Certification to this standard speaks volumes about the great initiatives undertaken by both schools to support sustainability.”

Ontario EcoSchools is an environmental education and certification program for Kindergarten to Grade 12 that helps school communities develop both ecological literacy and environmental practices to reduce the ecological footprint of schools, according to the news release.

The Ontario EcoSchools program encourages schools to conserve energy, minimize waste and provide students with the knowledge, skills, perspectives and practices they need to become environmentally responsible citizens.

Posted by Arron Pickard