2023 Champions of Sustainability Winners
Thank you to all staff and students for demonstrating their commitment to sustainability in our Champions of Sustainability Contest. Their project submissions were outstanding – supporting area ecosystems, sustainable school facilities and energy conservation.
Congratulations to this year’s winners. Prizes will be awarded to help implement their sustainability projects.
The first place Green Team Champion Award of $2,500 went to Middletown High School North. The school submitted a project plan for a sustainable gardening system at their school that uses a rainwater-sourced koi pond to efficiently grow plants. This includes engineering a drip irrigation system, which is 25% more efficient than a standard sprinkler system. The rainwater collected will fill the koi pond and serve as an aquaponics garden. As an added benefit, waste from the fish will provide natural fertilizer.
The second place Silver Award of $1,500 went to The Township of Ocean Intermediate School, which plans to create a naturalized stormwater detention basin and Monarch waystation on its property. The basin will provide a natural solution for managing stormwater runoff to reduce environmental impacts, improve water quality, support local ecosystems and promote awareness of sustainable water management practice.
The third place Bronze Award of $1,000 went to Cove Road School in Hazlet. The facilitators plan to create a pollinator garden vital to sustaining plants and crops. The school’s Garden Club grows lettuce, bok choy, kale, basil, cilantro, dill and more in hydroponic towers. Currently, the school harvests are donated to a local food bank.
