Huntingtown High School Continues Its Green Initiatives
Huntingtown High School (HHS) is a Calvert County Public School located in Southern Maryland. Approximately 1500 students attend HHS. Since Huntingtown High School opened its doors in 2004, staff and students have worked collaboratively to raise environmental awareness, improve stewardship, and reduce our school’s ecological footprint. In 2007, the Environmental Club started documenting the efforts of students and staff, which resulted in our first Green School Certification in 2009. We were recertified as a Green School in 2013. The Environmental Club has continued to work with the Huntingtown High School community to continue their mission.
The Environmental Club has taken a special interest in habitat restoration. After raising our first diamondback terrapin in the classroom during the 2010-2011 school year, one of our larger focuses has been planting Bay grasses. We first planted Bay grasses on Poplar Island when we released our first terrapin, Myca, in 2011. Since then, we have continued to raise and release terrapins annually as well as plant Bay grasses on the HHS campus in a man-made shallow pond that are transplanted in the spring to Dominion Cove Point beach to, not only, restore habitat but also improve water quality.
HHS was built with motion-censored hall lighting to reduce energy consumption and motion-censored faucets in student bathrooms to reduce water consumption. Our stairwell and hallway lighting has motion-censors and the types of light bulbs used throughout the building to promote energy conservation. Computers, monitors, beverage and snack machines have been set to timers so that they are shut-off over night. In addition, the Calvert County Public School system has offered monetary incentives for energy reductions.
HHS continues to raise environmental awareness through various curriculums. Many honors and AP students elect to take Environmental Science. Throughout the Environmental Science curriculums, students focus on Earth’s resources, how humans have affected those resources and how we can conserve those resources. In addition, we continually strive to incorporate environmental learning across curriculums and enhance student learning through staff attendance at community workshops and professional development. Community partners have been essential in the development of student programs at HHS, professional development, and successful completion of projects.
The goal of The Environmental Club is to raise student, staff, and community awareness of human impacts on our environment. The creation of our nature trail and herb and vegetable garden has allowed many classes, organizations, and community members to enjoy outdoor experiences. We emphasize that small lifestyle changes can improve quality of life through promotion of a healthier environment for both humans and natural ecosystems.
The Environmental Club has taken a special interest in habitat restoration. After raising our first diamondback terrapin in the classroom during the 2010-2011 school year, one of our larger focuses has been planting Bay grasses. We first planted Bay grasses on Poplar Island when we released our first terrapin, Myca, in 2011. Since then, we have continued to raise and release terrapins annually as well as plant Bay grasses on the HHS campus in a man-made shallow pond that are transplanted in the spring to Dominion Cove Point beach to, not only, restore habitat but also improve water quality.
HHS was built with motion-censored hall lighting to reduce energy consumption and motion-censored faucets in student bathrooms to reduce water consumption. Our stairwell and hallway lighting has motion-censors and the types of light bulbs used throughout the building to promote energy conservation. Computers, monitors, beverage and snack machines have been set to timers so that they are shut-off over night. In addition, the Calvert County Public School system has offered monetary incentives for energy reductions.
HHS continues to raise environmental awareness through various curriculums. Many honors and AP students elect to take Environmental Science. Throughout the Environmental Science curriculums, students focus on Earth’s resources, how humans have affected those resources and how we can conserve those resources. In addition, we continually strive to incorporate environmental learning across curriculums and enhance student learning through staff attendance at community workshops and professional development. Community partners have been essential in the development of student programs at HHS, professional development, and successful completion of projects.
The goal of The Environmental Club is to raise student, staff, and community awareness of human impacts on our environment. The creation of our nature trail and herb and vegetable garden has allowed many classes, organizations, and community members to enjoy outdoor experiences. We emphasize that small lifestyle changes can improve quality of life through promotion of a healthier environment for both humans and natural ecosystems.