Kids Take Action and Replace Disposable Cups at Their School
Lauren Thal cares about kids and the environment. A longtime participant in our Flows to the Ocean (FTO) Marine Debris Prevention program, Lauren is a 4th grade teacher at Franklin Elementary. After learning about watersheds, waste reduction, and how plastic trash impacts sea life and ocean health, Lauren’s class decided to tackle the issue of disposable plastic cups at their school. They were shocked to learn that over 1,000 cups were used and disposed of every day! As their year end project, Laurens’ class raised money to purchase a dishwasher and durable cups for the cafeteria.
A Smart Choice- Reusable Cups Instead of Disposable
Lauren is now being honored for this major achievement with the City of Santa Barbara’s Spirit of Service Award. Lauren says,”I was nominated for making an environmental impact on kids. I think we should try and make this a model for all elementary schools. All they need is a dishwasher and cups!”
Students in Action
Flows To The Ocean (FTO) is a year long program that educates students about litter’s impact on the ocean. Since an estimated 80-85% of marine debris comes from the land, FTO students learn how their actions on land affect our waterways.
FTO consists of the Creek Kids Series which is two in class lessons and a field trip to the Watershed Resource Center and a local creek. These are followed by an Waste Reduction class. The FTO program culminates in a trip to Santa Cruz Island where students conduct a beach clean up, go on hikes, and learn how plastic litter is affecting wildlife.
FTO Students on Santa Cruz Island
Each class that participates in FTO is required to do a project that focuses on reducing marine debris by teaching others how to replace disposable plastic products with durable items.
If you’d like to support these young environmentalists on their quest to make the ocean a cleaner place join us for free pizza and ice cream, at this year’s Flows To The Ocean Family Night on Wednesday May 20th at the Watershed Resource Center at Arroyo Burro Beach.
To learn more about the Lauren’s project, click here>
Josh was born and raised in Santa Barbara, where his passion and curiosity for the environment began and has continued to grow. During his undergraduate studies, Josh pursued this interest at the University of California at Santa Cruz, receiving a Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Studies.
Melissa Dodos developed her passion for creative reuse as a mother of four and elementary educator over the past 25 years. She loves to inspire creativity by connecting people with resources and ideas.
Veronica grew up in San Diego and spent four years in San Luis Obispo studying Animal Science at Cal Poly. As an undergrad she learned lots about livestock, agriculture, and wildlife.
Stephanie began her journey as an educator over twenty years ago working as a preschool teacher in Washington state for a cooperative preschool program affiliated with Whatcom Community College. She loved observing the wonder and curiosity of the children and bringing them out into nature to explore the natural world. She continued her love for learning and got her teaching license and then her Montessori certification and worked as an elementary teacher in Tribal, Public, and Montessori schools. She collaborated to create a school garden and her students loved it so much that it became a special place where they could garden, read, explore, play, and it provided a safe sanctuary for students to calm down and reset when they were having difficult moments.
Morgan’s mermaid soul is always seeking adventure—swimming a relay across the Santa Barbara Channel and taking the first photo of a newborn orca off Anacapa Island being standout experiences close to home.
Lindsay Johnson