Welcome to the Official Michigan Green Schools Foundation Website

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Lawton High School students accept their Green School designation certificate and flag at a school board meeting with their Green Club teacher and Green School coordinator.

Congratulations to all our Green Schools 

Featured Threatened Michigan Animal

The Short-eared Owl is an endangered species that can be found in Michigan. These owls have only been seen in ten counties this past year. To learn more, visit the Michigan State University's website and print our coloring sheet for a fun activity. The coloring pages are copyright free for participating Michigan Green Schools. 
        GREAT NEWS The Kirtlands Warbler, one of our featured threatened animals, has just been taken off the federal endangered species. Teachers can find our free coloring page on the activities page.
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Short-eared Owl. Photo Credit: Steve Gifford
                                                 2020 THE YEAR OF COVID 19
This school year will be different for all of us. Some green activities will be ok and others may need adjusting.  As we are given guidance from the state we will pass it along.  Have a safe and wonderful summer!

Monthly Ideas August

Energy Idea for Summer
We just bought an American made oil lamp. Good prepper idea and lovely glow!  Instead of paying 11 cents an hour a little inexpensive lamp oil works great for occasional use.

Green Idea  
The Detroit Zoo has an Adopt a Amazon School Program. They have a building and a teacher but school supplies are very difficult to buy for these schools.  Your school can sponsor an Amazon school and provide some badly needed assistance. Visit the Detroit Zoo website for details.
During shutdown A fun site we found is flybynight.org.  Great source for new activities about bats.
The publication The Laundry List reports that hanging laundry outside saves between ten and twenty percent energy cost and the sun is a natural disinfectant.  Good way to go outside.

More Ideas:
Visit our Green Activities page for more suggestions. The page is updated each year, so continue to check back!  We are adding styrofoam solutions this year:)

Websites We Love

  • ​https://www.b4usa.com/ - You can find almost anything on this website that is American made. Buying products made in the USA is environmentally wise because it decreases the energy used and greenhouses gases released because of shorter transit distances, and it means the products have to meet the safety and toxicity standards of the United States. Also check out americanmadestore@yahoo.com.
  • https://4ocean.com/ - Pull 1 lb. of plastic out of the ocean with each purchase from this great organization. They are taking tons of plastic out of river outlets and oceans! 
  • https://therainforestsite.greatergood.com/ - Just click once (it's free!) each day, and you can save about 21 square feet of rainforest! 
  • www.ecologyfund.com/ecology/_ecology.html - With a few more free clicks each day, you can protect endangered species, reduce pollution, and more! 
  • shop.arborday.org/donate-fire.aspx - The Arbor Day Foundation will plant trees in the United States for your school for as small a donation as $25. 
  • Alliance for The Great Lakes is an excellent school resource.  They have lesson plans, info on Great Lakes pollution, action plans for all ages, events.  We highly recommend you visit their website.
  • www.1treemission.com/ - By purchasing one tree-themed bracelet, you ensure that 1 Tree Mission will plant a maple, an oak, or one of several other tree varieties to help restore wildlife habitats and reforest our Earth. Check out their website to learn more and see the different bracelet options they have.

Green Did You Knows

                                                                                                  
  • It takes 450 years for plastics to decompose. Paper or plastic shopping bags? Paper is a better environmental choice, and reusable cloth bags are even better! 
  • The average American throws out 82 lbs. of clothing a year! 
  • Lake Erie is starting to be called the new Dead Sea. Lake Erie tested out for 1.7 million plastic particulates per square mile. These particulates harm people and animals through the release of BPA, a toxic chemical. Many marine animals also fatally swallow larger pieces of plastic. 
  • 22 billion plastic bottles are thrown away annually; that's enough to circle the earth four times!
  • The EPA has a list of EPA-tested, recommended cleaners and other maintenance items. Your school can start using these once it uses up what it already has. Look for the Safer Choice Label for an easy way to know that the product meets the EPA standards on toxicity. To learn more, visit www.epa.gov/saferchoice.
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Rapid City Elementary, Kalkaska Public Schools, show off their Michigan Green School reusable water bottles.
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The Mackinac Bridge connects our two peninsulas and our Michigan Green Schools from Berrien Springs to Keeweenaw.
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Students have fun learning about bees at Go Like the Wind Montessori School in Ann Arbor.
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An Allegan High School student tests water quality in a local river that feeds into Lake Michigan. Great Lakes protection is a top goal of Michigan Green Schools.
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A poster from Steele Elementary in Mason encouraging water conservation
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3rd grader from Pentwater schools poses beside a Honey Locust Tree cutting on a field trip to the Halcyon Nature Center in Pentwater.
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Preparing an area for a butterfly garden in Ann Arbor. Planting dill will bring in Yellow Swallow Tail butterflies.
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Students from St. Clair Middle School are featured with artwork created from recycled bottles.

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Updated August 12, 2020