43 green schools in Macomb receive green honors

Students at Fraser Public Schools don't learn in their classrooms as much as above them.

The school district recently built a green roof above the maintenance building between its middle and high schools. Teachers plan to start using it as a teaching tool so students can study things like the water quality of the rain runoff that ends up in the Clinton River watershed as compared to runoff from a tar roof. They're also going to study how the sedum grass grows and adapts to the environment.

"It has a great bloom in the summer and spring," says Stacie Salsbery, a seventh grade teacher and green school coordinator for Fraser Public Schools. "We have noticed a lot of animals going up there like birds and insects."

Fraser Schools have five of the 43 schools in Macomb County that achieved status as a Green School through the Michigan Green Schools Program. The program encourages both public and private schools to become more environmentally friendly through a variety of different ways.

Participating schools can participate by starting recycling programs, becoming more energy-efficient, or building natural wildlife habitats. All of the schools met at least 10 of the 20 criteria to achieve the designation.

Other schools have gone above and beyond: The Macomb Mathematics, Science & Tech Center in Warren recently built a wind turbine, while Austin Catholic Academy found a number of ways to make the new building in Macomb Township energy-efficient.

Macomb County plans to recognize the schools with awards on April 22, Earth Day.

Source: Macomb County
Writer: Jon Zemke
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