Students celebrate Earth day with tree planting, awareness

By Jennifer Hoegg

The Hants Journal/NovaNewsNow.com

Two enthusiastic teenagers led the Earth Day celebrations at Avon View High School this year. Emily Rafuse and Genevieve Primeau decided to focus their school’s April 22 event around two goals -- raising awareness of environmental issues and righting a wrong.

To raise awareness, Rafuse and Primeau asked their schoolmates to wear green and stay at school during the lunch hour. During the last period of the day, students and staff were asked to turn off as many electrical devices as possible.

“It’s our own little Earth Hour,” Rafuse said. “It’s about building awareness. The little things count; recycling one aluminum can saves enough energy to run a TV for three hours.”

In addition to asking students to reduce, reuse and recycle, the two Grade 11 students decided to replant two trees on the school’s grounds. This past winter, vandals destroyed the two young trees near the parking lot.

Rafuse and Primeau decided that replacing the damaged trees would be a fitting highlight of the day’s events.

They contacted Windsor Home Hardware owner Jeff Redden, who coordinated with Robert Baldwin of Baldwin Nurseries to help the students.

Redden said, “Emily called me up and made a request. We all agreed it was a great idea. We didn’t hesitate.”

Redden’s store supports local suppliers and buys nursery stock from Baldwin. Each business would pay for one tree.

“We have two trees to replace the ones that were destroyed. Hopefully we’re starting anew and no one will do it again,” Rafuse said before the planting ceremony.

A few dozen students and teachers -- most dressed in green -- gathered to witness the replanting and to hear Rafuse speak about the worldwide celebration of Earth Day, an event begun in 1970.

Rafuse and Primeau presented Redden and Baldwin with gifts in appreciation for their support.

“We were blown away with their generosity,” Rafuse said.

Both men were on hand for the planting ceremony to help the students give the trees a good beginning. “We wanted to make sure the tree was the right one for the climate and area. I relied on Robert’s expertise,” Redden said.

“We have a native red maple and a little leaf linden,” Baldwin added while he, Redden, Rafuse and Primeau settled the saplings in their new homes. “They need a few years to get a good start.”

What inspired the young women to take on the project? It was a desire to do something for the earth and for their school.

“I realized I hadn’t done much for my school. It was totally spontaneous,” Rafuse said. Primeau thought her friend’s idea was “a good cause” and jumped on board, helping with organization and publicity.

Principal Larry Frenette spoke highly of the students’ initiative, praising their efforts to involve students and teachers. “I think this has been absolutely great. They’re taking on a leadership role in the school.”

Both are happy with how things turned out and said staff support was encouraging.

Many teachers joined in the efforts, wearing green and leading their classes on litter pick-ups.

“One of my teachers brought in more recycling bins for the class room,” Primeau reported.

“I didn’t think it would become what it has. It was an eye opener to see how people came together,” Rafuse added.

Hopefully, their enthusiasm will carry them through to Earth Day 2009, the event’s 39th year.

“We’re going to try to make it an annual thing,” Primeau confirmed.