History of Sustainability at BNS

• 1990- Present: Grade 3 cleans Plumb Beach - a true act of eco-social action

• Penny Harvest led by Penina; students explore needs and vote on how funds are spent.

• 2000 - present BNS Green Club maintains compost, builds garden space and plants bulbs and beautifies the neighborhood, resparkles and repurposes materials

• 2003-2004 Green Roof investigations are launched by parents

• 2004: Grade 1 begins work at Added Value - Red Hook Community Farm were they learn how to grow food

• 2004: Food Committee and Green Committee are founded

• 2005: Three troughs are purchased for planting...first outdoor gardening space; one disappears over the summer

• 2005: Grade 5 begins to take charge of  the school-wide paper recycling program

• 2006: BNS gets a Toshiba Grant for its Getting Wet and Dirty project

• 2006: Local eggs are sold to community 

• 2006: Kids cooking class, using locally sourced ingredients, begins

• 2006: “Portable” farmers markets are set up at BNS in order to bring locally sourced food to the community

• 2006: First cafeteria recycling of beverage containers

• 2007 to present: The first BNS/BCS Earth Day celebration happens - zoologist bring animals and speak to the kids about the importance of species diversity...this event continues as Ecorama a during the school day event

• 2007: BNS/BCS wins the $7,000 Golden Apple Award from DSNY; both schools start a composting program and expand cafeteria recycling to include paper as well as metal and plastic

• 2008: 1000 daffodil bulbs are planted in the newly expanded tree pits on Henry St

• 2008: Million Trees NYC plants seven trees in the small yard

• 2008: BNS  participates in the first Garden to Cafe event - a milestone on the road toward the office of School Foods sourcing locally produced food

• 2008: School wide composting and recycling program implemented on a large scale;  BNS upper grade students rotate a grade at a time to supply volunteers to help during lunch recycling.

• 2008: Rainwater catchment researched and designed by grade 5

• 2008: 400 sq feet of garden built by BCS Green Club and BNS parents

• 2008: BNS garden is awarded Green Thumb Community Garden Status

• 2008: $13,000 in grants are awarded to the green committee this allows the school to build the rainwater catchment system as well as large scale vermi-composting system

• 2008:  Second annual Earth Day is celebrated - local foods, up-cycled crafts and a composting demo presented by BBG make for an exciting evening 

• 2008: Position of Sustainability Coordinator is created. Works closely with science coach and teachers to incorporate sustainability literacy into curriculum across the grades

• 2009: Green 15 Newsletter is founded by BNS parents as a way to connect eco-minded folks throughout the district

• 2009: BNS becomes a DSNY composting educational site

• 2009: Second year of Garden to Cafeteria event

• 2009: Rainwater catchment system built on the first Earth Day of Service

• 2009:   BCS students build 100 sq. feet of garden space

• 2009: Outdoor classroom - Eco Casita -  is conceived; a $50,000 grant is awarded to build the project

• 2010: BNS is featured on the ‘Lazy Environmentalist’ highlighting vermi-composting system

• 2010: BNS partners with a farmer (within the community) and forms a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture)

• 2010: BNS celebrates the steps it is taking toward Educating for Sustainability by having an “Earth Day Museum” 

• 2010: Kid’s Kitchen is built with the help of $7,000 grant; cooking classes begin 

• 2010: An additional $50,000 grant is awarded to finish the Eco -Casita

• 2010: Brad Landers awards BNS $5,000 to support sustainability efforts

• 2010: BNS wins $5,000 from the NYC for implementing energy saving initiatives

• 2011: Construction of Eco-Casita begins

• 2011 to present:  BNS composts 2 tons of the food waste generated by the students. It is processed by BNS/BCS students and used in the school gardens

• 2011 to present:  BNS/BCS  recycles 60% of the building’s waste

• 2011 to present: Food is produced in gardens on school grounds for Garden to Cafe event as well as classroom activities

• 2011 to present: 100 sq feet of garden space is dedicated to create a pollinator garden - it is planted by the 5th grade 

• 2011: BNS is featured on News 12 highlighting green initiatives

• 2011 to present: The Green Studio—a sustainablity resource room—is created out of an underutilized space

• 2012 to present: Third Graders plant sea grass at Plumb Beach supported by their K buddies

• 2012 to present: Ecorama Blog is started to document student work and our Sustainability Efforts

• 2013 to present: BNS  becomes a Green Thumb school

• 2014:  BNS is  awarded an Eco-Schools Green Flag

• 2015 to present: Green recess is run out of the Eco-Casita led by Sustainability Coordinator

• 2015 to present: Our new farm with in-ground beds is built in our large playground

• 2015 to present:  We place movable planters on Rapelye Street to create a butterfly “meadow”

• 2015:  BNS is awarded a DOS Golden Shovel award for recycling and a Golden Apple Award for Recycling and Repurposing