Northshore teacher, students are among Earth Heroes award-winners

Skyview Junior High teacher Tom Nowak and Canyon Creek Elementary sixth-graders are among many King County residents who share a passion for environmental conservation and will be honored by Executive Dow Constantine at the county’s annual “Earth Heroes at School” ceremony in April.

“These stewards of the environment are our heroes — for conserving resources, protecting the environment and spreading the word about sustainable practices,” said Executive Constantine. “I am proud to recognize them for their hands-on commitment to the planet.”

The executive will present awards to Earth Heroes at 4:30 p.m. April 26 at Maplewood Greens, 4050 Maple Valley Highway, Renton.

• Nowak is the assistant project manager for Skyview Junior High’s Outdoor Environmental Learning Center and has helped refine and support many sustainability projects, including the school’s water resource and conservation curriculum and its forest and soil units. He also institutionalized the school-wide food scrap collection program and acquired funding and materials to raise Coho salmon in the classroom.

• To reduce Canyon Creek Elementary’s ecological footprint, sixth-grade students created projects to support the waste reduction and the classroom and lunchroom recycling programs they had helped institute. They developed presentations, posters and videos to explain and promote the recycling programs to other students. Their efforts have resulted in a 50-percent reduction in garbage.

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