The following information was taken from Go Petition.org

 

*Brita is the #1 pour-through water filter system in the U.S. and Canada. It is the #1 faucet-mount filter in Canada and the #2 faucet-mount filter in the U.S. 

* Brita filter cartridges consist of activated carbon housed inside a plastic body which cannot be opened by the consumer for refilling or recycling. The plastic body must be landfilled or incinerated each time the filter is changed.

* Plastic is a non-renewable resource made from petroleum. It is not biodegradable, lingering in the environment virtually forever. Plastic can attract and accumulate oil-based toxins, and the production of plastic is fraught with environmental hazards. The more we are able to reuse/recycle the plastic products we produce rather than creating new ones, the less ecological harm we will cause.

Take Back the Filter.org is sponsoring a campaign that will help alleviate plastic filters from sitting in our landfills. Please visit their website and sign the petition with mom or dad’s permission of course! 

Click Here

The theme for the month of March is water. We (Kristina and I) brainstormed ways in which we could really convey to the Geekos how important our water systems truly are. Sure, we could do another really fun activity, but the kids have seen us all year and quite frankly we needed an outside person. It was time to call in the big guns, and who better than a local Biology teacher Forrest Crock!

You could hear a pin drop!

What followed during the class can only be described as just barely contained pandemonium. We learned that the Chesapeake Bay area is home to nearly one million water fowl for some portion of the year, how the bay is home to 40 different species of snakes, and many amphibians. 

Natalie reconstructs what an asteroid hitting the Earth would do. 

It was at some point during the simulation of “how an asteroid formed the Chesapeake Bay” experiment that the Geekos realized that they could ask Mr. Crock just about any science question. What’s the most venomous snake? Why do chickens run around with their heads cut off? Can tigers really scream so loud that they can kill someone? Not only would he answer it, but he would have all of this “extra” information that neither Kristina nor I could give.  

Mr. Crock shows Michael a preserved starfish specimen.

He kept the Geekos thoroughly engaged for a solid 60 minutes. He discussed our local waterways, the animals that live there and the importance of preserving what we have. There were specimens of starfish and clams for the Geekos to touch and hold. Pictures of African Safaris were there to look at and hold. The Geekos we’re taken on a trip around the world as he explained why sustainable fishing habits here in the Virginia area are important even to the lions in Africa. The Food Web has never been so interesting and exciting! 

Thanks Mr. Crock for coming to visit! 

Peaceful 

Devoid of Force, Quiet, Tranquil

 Protest

 The Act of objecting, or a gesture of disapproval

 The Eco Geekos have joined with Operation Humpback Help to peacefully protest the Japanese Government. Whaling has been outlawed since 1966 and still 50 humpbacks, 50 fin-whales, and 935 mink-whales are slotted to be killed this year alone. We gathered en force and folded oragami whales that we strung together in pods of 50. Each Geeko grabbed some paper and folded away while watching Free Willy and munching popcorn.  

Lily shows of her pink whale.  

After folding, a message was added to each paper whale, all thought provoking in their own right.

Alexa writes:Whales are friends not food!  

 In all the kids created 2 1/2 pods of whales that will be sent. 

Afterwards the Geekos headed out side and enjoyed the sunshine and fresh air.

 You can join the Eco Geekos in helping out the Humpback whales by clicking here . Lend a hand in protecting our natural resources and preserve this beautiful species. 

Want to take your own virtual tour to a recycling center? Thanks to the Seattle Public Utilities you can! Just click here . (Make sure you ask mom or Dad first!)

The Eco-Geekos dressed up in their coolest recycling threads and headed to the Tidewater Fiber Corp Friday morning. We had been warned that this facility was not normally child friendly. In actuality this trip took a year in the making. As far as we can tell there are only a select few groups of children that are allowed in. (They must have sensed our “geek”- tasticness and our high devotion to the “recycling call” or we just had a mom that would not give up. Whatever the case….)

 Renay and Mr. Smiley  met us inside the boardroom. The Geekos couldn’t enter the actual facility because of the noise level and the industrial equipment, but they were quick to set up a live feed and show the kids via video cameras what was happening inside. Huge magnets lifted and separated out the various materials. As we watched the conveyor belt had stopped. Earlier that morning they had pulled out a wooden shoe this afternoon they weren’t sure. For a facility that recycles close to 85,000 pounds of fiber per year it’s a nuisance when the belt stops. Oh, the things that people think can be recycled.  In the past they have pulled out bowling balls, toilet seats, tennis shoes, engines and just about anything that you can imagine! 

 After the virtual tour they passed around different things that were made from recycled materials.  Carpet, bags, hats, and plastics just about anything that you can imagine. 

Natalie: Where can I buy a hat like this? 

 We found out that the new section of highway 64 is being made from recycled concrete. Did you know? Glass is a hassle to recycle but now it’s being crushed and used on low speed residential roads. The biggest thing that Mr. Smiley emphasized was how easy it really was to recycle. Their facility requires no sorting, no rinsing, and they offer curbside service in most of the Hampton Roads area. Really there is no excuse not to do your part. 

Will: Now this is what I call cool!  

 Hard Hat time! The Geekos put on their hats and went outside to see what really went on after the machines sorted everything. All the plastics are condensed and then put into large  bales. Did I mention they handle over 85,000 tons of waste per year? That’s  roughly 232 tons per day!

After the materials are sorted they’re pressed into bales like this one. 

 Excess waste that cannot be melted down and recycled is shipped off to a burn facility. The materials are burned and the resulting energy is used to power the local shipyard. 

Alexa:Wow! I think that’s my soda bottle from last week!

 What are we supposed to be looking at? Camera? What camera?

 It got us thinking, and using those handy dandy math skills. If every homeschooler recycled, what kind of impact could that have? In our group alone if we recycled water bottles alone that would be 140 bottles per week and 7,280 bottles per year!

Hmm…Small steps + Determination = Big Results

Yup a little bit goes a long way! 

 If you would like more information on recycling in the Hampton Roads area you can visit TFC Recycling. Until the next time remember to…

REDUCE. REUSE. and RECYCLE! 

This month the concept of a Dynamic System was introduced. We discussed different examples of systems like computers, calculators, and sewers. Each child came to the same conclusion that it was a group of something working together for one purpose. We then played a game where the kids mentally picked two other children and tried to stay between them even when they moved. The point was to demonstrate interconnectedness and how one part of a system (the system being the kids) relied heavily on the other to function properly. It was loud, it was confusing, and it was fun!

We discussed with the kids what happened. What they expected and then were their expectations met? There was a resounding no, I honestly felt worried that maybe the point had been lost until Kristina brought up the “Hamburger and French Fry” Challenge from last month. In the challenge, each child was to brainstorm the components of a Happy Meal or some other fast food meal. How far was it shipped? Where did the meat come from? How far did trucks bring the produce? Etc. It turned into a very in depth conversation. It went much better than I could have ever hoped. Kristina always has a way of pulling all the kids together.

Kristina asked the group to pair off and brainstorm ways that we could make a difference this week in reducing our resource consumption. The one mistake we made was not saying “realistic goals”. We got everything from genetic engineering to sending all of our waste to Jupiter, to turning off the water when we brushed our teeth. It was fabulous! We challenged the kids to implement one of these activities this week and to make a poster to remind them.

Good luck Eco Geekos may the force be with and remember to think Geek this week, when you flip on a light remember to turn it off. Every little bit counts!

Sheri & Kristina