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Earth Day Celebration Brings Upper School Together

The Upper School had ambitious plans for Earth Day. Unfortunately, April 22 fell on a day when they were in virtual school. So, they waited until all students were back on campus five days a week and planned an Earth Day celebration on Wednesday, April 29 that covered nearly every one of McDonogh’s 800 acres. It was worth the wait!

Part of the junior class took to the Rosenberg Campus Green to spread even more green around campus. After painting terracotta pots, they filled them with an array of air-purifying plants that were then disbursed to classrooms. Meanwhile, the rest of the juniors helped clean up the campus and made nature trails. They scoured the duck pond and the woods leading to the Gwynns Falls collecting trash and debris carried into the area by runoff. They even met a slithery little friend along the way. 

The freshman and senior classes worked together to clean up the Gwynns Falls, unafraid to get their feet wet or their hands dirty as they hauled out a truckload of trash. Finally, sophomores spent the afternoon at Roots Farm, where they rotated through a series of activities that taught them about the journey from farm to fork and the impacts of climate change on agriculture. 

The best part of what looks to become an Earth Day tradition is that it was student-driven. Many of the efforts were coordinated by the student club McDonogh Goes Green, the Sophomore SGA, and the R-L Leaders. Much appreciation also goes to Dr. Josh Jones and Nancy Love who worked closely with the students to make the day a success.