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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.
      
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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. Each Michigan Public School District will have its own individual plan for in-person and virtual attendance according to The Detroit News. Please check the information for your school district at their website. The due dates for applications for this school year are the same as last year. We have provided the 20-21 application form on this website.

What has no batteries, toxic paint or glue?  Made in America green toys from a number of sources. These are some. Greentoys.com, Fat Brain toys and Target, Bed Bath and Beyond and Walmart are all selling green toys this year everything from tea sets to helicopters. Just ask the staff to direct you.  Michigan Green Schools receives no remuneration for this comment.

Monthly Ideas December

Energy Idea 
A good time to have students make a homemade draft guard to put at base of classroom doors that face outside.  New kitty litter makes a great insulating filler and bay leaves inserted keeps away pests.

Green Idea 
Have students find creative ways to make holiday wrapping paper from recycling items like cloth, comic strip newspaper, yarn, and look around school and home for other creative ideas.
  

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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Michigan is in the Great Lakes Basin, which is a watershed that spans beyond Michigan's state borders.
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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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Students at Interlochen Arts Academy constructed a compost bin.
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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 November 25, 2020