Conserve and recycle: Sheppard Elementary students educated on vital message Published April 23, 2010 By Tech Sgt. Vernon Cunningham 82nd Training Wing Public Affairs SHEPPARD AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- Sheppard Elementary School raised conservation and recycling awareness for its students by hosting a series of events in recognition of Earth Day April 22. The students were treated to an assembly that featured conservation presentations; Earth Day gift bags filled with recycled items and related educational activities; conservation-themed class work and opportunities to get involved in cleaning up the environment. "Today's assembly was about trying to educate the kids on conservation and water recycling," said Wayne Fowler, Defense Support Services environmental programs manager. During the morning assembly, the Sheppard students were told only 3 percent of the earth's water is drinkable and what they can do to help conserve this resource. In addition, they were informed of a few of the benefits gained by recycling. The conservation mascots, Reggie the recycling raccoon and the recycling ranger, added that recycling begins at the home. They said using fewer resources also helps save money. "Recycling makes good 'cents'," said the Recycling Ranger. The students were then dismissed to their classes to continue with their Earth Day activities. One class of second-graders went to their classrooms to start working on the activities in their gift bags and looking at the recycling reminders. The bags contained items such as fun-fact cards shaped like the earth; a coloring page labeled "wild about earth" and a pencil made from recycled money. Another class, made up of fourth-graders, formed a school rubbish patrol and walked the playground picking up trash. Amy Frerichs, Sheppard Elementary fourth-grade social studies and science teacher, led the rubbish patrol. She said students picked up the trash and categorized it as student trash or other rubbish. Student trash is anything that looks like it originated from the students or adults associated with the school. Other rubbish is things that seem to have blown into the yard incidentally. Mrs. Frerichs said they will use student rubbish to make a poster and display it at the school as a reminder against littering and misplacing rubbish. "Kids are taught more about litter and the environment today than ever before," she said. "When I was growing up, we knew not to litter, but did not think much of it if our friends littered in front of us. It was not stressed as much. Now if someone litters, other kids will get on them about picking it up. Kids now days tend to acknowledge the environment better. My child even gets on me if I leave the water faucet running too long." Marvin Peevey, Sheppard Elementary school principal, said the point of the day's activities was to put conservation and recycling into their mind. "It is so important to have that in their minds right now. Things they do at school, they can do at home and in the community," he said.