Green Initiatives

Winter Ecology Excursion

On a gloriously sunny and warm February day, 40 seventh graders traveled to Bear Brook State Park for the annual winter ecology trip. After strapping on microspikes and confirming their equipment, eight groups of students and their chaperones were led to their individual starting points by Middle School science teacher Karen Robichaud. Aided by their compasses and maps, the students then set off into the woods on their observation journey.

Earth Day Event

This year, the Derryfield Green Club decided one day wasn’t enough—and extended the celebration of Mother Earth to a full week. Working in collaboration with the Spirit Club, events included costumes, competitions and challenges, all in the name of “greening up” Derryfield.

Monday was “Seasons Day,” where classes wore clothes that reflected summer, spring, fall, and winter, with the faculty attired as “weather.” On “Trashless Tuesday,” everyone was challenged to eschew paper in favor of digital solutions, and the dress dictim was “outfits that had been thrifted.” In an all-out effort to save energy, lights were turned off throughout the school on Wednesday and neon was the clothing choice of the day. Thursday the attire theme was “Animal and Floral Day,” with a concentration on awareness of endangered animal species. The Green Club also encouraged everyone to team up with friends or colleagues to pick up trash around the campus.

On Friday, at a special Community Meeting in the auditorium, middle school student and “Kid Conservationist” Jack Dalton spoke of his efforts to raise money and awareness about orangutans, who are on the endangered species list. Dalton then introduced Derryfield alum, Gary Hirshberg, who is the Co-Founder and “Chief Organic Optimist” at Stonyfield Yogurt.

After Derryfield, Hirshberg studied climate change at Hampshire College. There he became introduced to organics, particularly in terms of agricultural practices. This formed the basis of the business model for Stonyfield. Hirshberg concluded his speech by urging Derryfield students to, “Picture what is coming for you, and keep asking why not—because that is a path toward a more sensible future.”