Sustainability Champions
Each year in April (Earth Month!) BVSD recognizes people who have gone above and beyond in their work around sustainability. Sustainability Champions exemplify BVSD’s continuing efforts to become a sustainable institution. They make outstanding contributions toward meeting BVSD’s goals as outlined in the BVSD Sustainability Management System or "SMS," which has been in place for more than a decade. They set examples for environmental stewardship and responsibility and inspire the rest of us to do the same.
2023
2022
Eliza Rayner, Broomfield High School
Nominated by: Jane Schissel
I would like to nominate Eliza Rayner, science teacher, to be honored as a sustainability champion. Beyond her efforts to educate all of us at Broomfield High on issues related to the environment and sustainability, Eliza has championed our recycling efforts at the school. Eliza has also used her own time to make the world a better place. She recently spent several weeks at Midway Atoll working with other scientists and the US Fish and Wildlife department to count nesting albatrosses. Eliza also helped with the clean-up of plastic waste that ends up in the ocean and along the Midway Atoll shoreline. While I would like to believe that all of us in BVSD strive to be responsible stewards of our environment and resources, Eliza goes above and beyond on every level. She is very deserving of this honor.
Loree Wilcox, Angevine Middle School
Nominated by: Sarah Bryan
I would like to strongly nominate Loree Wilcox as a sustainability champion. Loree is an amazing para educator, health room assistant, and Gifted and Talented Advisor (GTA) at Angevine Middle School.
Loree works every day to make sure her actions improve our school environment, protect our planet, and she inspires her students and colleagues to do the same.
Loree noticed our school's obsession with Keurig coffee and worked hard with the assistance of the office manager to find a system that would allow us to collect and recycle the pounds of pods that are accumulating every week.
Additionally, Loree goes out of her way to order all the supplies for various student projects from environmentally friendly sources regardless of the additional time and effort it may involve.
When supporting teachers with various science projects she'll spend her lunch time cleaning disposable plastic cups and plates so that they can be used again and reduce our wasteful impact.
I am in awe of her every day - she is a huge asset and inspiration to our school, district, and community.
Her quiet, humble, but tireless work benefits both the categories of Facilities and Operations and Climate and Culture according to the greenBVSD Action Plan.
Special Recognition for these multiple time nominees!
Marti Hirsch, Eisenhower Elementary
Adam Perkins, Summit Middle
Nominated by: Anna Royal, Summit Middle
I'd like to nominate Marti Hirsch at Eisenhower Elementary School and Adam Perkins at Summit Middle Charter School. Marti leads EcoEagles, a club at Eisenhower for grades 1-5, committed to providing students with actionable ways to make their school a green school. She's helped move Ike towards being a Zero Waste school and has organized a very effective waste collection system. Adam Perkins does the same actions at Summit with his club, Net Zero. Both of them would be tremendous candidates!
2021
Cathy Zimmerman
Heatherwood ES
Focus: Outdoor Learning
Cathy has dedicated this entire year on interacting with two Open Space and Mountain Parks / GUB projects (Wood Brothers and Gunbarrel Hill). She (with the help of her co-teacher Aubrey Lockhart) created a yearlong, project-based integrated social studies and science curriculum with the ultimate purpose of teaching the two 4th grade classes about the history of the Boulder Valley. The project also focused on eco-stewardship, developing a connection to public lands, and how to care for their natural environment, as well as other valuable skills.
Julie Thompson
Boulder HS
Focus: Education and Zero Waste
Julie has been working tirelessly on sustainability education and improving the environmental footprint at the school. As part of her Environmental Science course, she has created extremely engaging, hands-on projects for her students to learn about the impact we currently have on our environment and what we can do to improve it. She also helped move the school to become part of the Green Star program, and helps sort the trash every day to ensure everyone is putting trash, compost, and recycling in the correct bins. Julie is an amazing force for the environment and brings her love and enthusiasm every day to Boulder High!
Megan Rossman
Casey MS
Focus: Resource Management
Megan is amazing! She grows food in her classroom, and is always reminding staff to unplug devices before break to save energy. She organizes recycling for hard-to-recycle items like used Expo markers, and is so earthminded. She is a constant inspiration to be more conscious of use/waste of resources, and does so in a very positive and encouraging manner!
Beth Brotherton
Jamestown ES
Focus: Zero Waste
Beth Brotherton is the rock and foundation of sustainability at Jamestown Elementary, including a comprehensive zero waste program.
Tom Lajeunesse and Dan Wisotsky
Fireside ES
Focus: Education and Zero Waste
Tom works tirelessly promoting sustainability in the classroom. He is the champion at Fireside Elementary who makes sure each classroom has recycling and compost bins. Dan is Fireside Elementary's custodian. He monitors every grade in the cafeteria to make sure that only compostable materials go in the compost, only recyclables go in the recycle bin and trash goes where it belongs.
Peter Hurst
BVSD Transportation Department
Focus: Transportation
In honor of Peter's retirement in June, we would like to celebrate the sustainability impact he has had on BVSD by inventing the Trip Tracker program, which encourages students and staff to use green transportation to school. In a recent meeting with the City of Boulder, staff commented that it has been one of the most effective and affordable methods to change travel behaviors of students the past ten years.