Sustainability is about making choices

December 13, 2012 Posted by: K Robbins

 Sustainability is about making choices

Solar kiln, compost pile, Garn wood boiler, Norway Spruce plantation. These are just a few of the spots that seventh graders from Woodstock Union High School toured at the National Park earlier this month. They are embarking on a unit of study that focuses on defining 'sustainability' and identifying how that theme or goal plays out in the state of Vermont. At the park, students engaged in conversations about choice, resources, decision making, and limits. They eagerly explored different systems that the park has installed with an eye toward becoming more self-reliant and reducing fossil fuel use. At each stop, students took photographs that helped them define what made the system sustainable, or not. Finally, some reflected on decisions that they make in their own lives and what factors influence these choices. It's just the tip of the iceberg, but students will continue to ask questions about what 'sustainability' really means, for themselves, society, and corporations.

sustainability, solar energy, Garn boiler, reducing fossil fuel , resources, decision making