This Earth Day, Clark County Public Health is honoring environmental sustainability leaders in local K-12 schools with the 2023 Green Awards. The annual Green Awards highlight the accomplishments of individuals and organizations and celebrate their commitment to reducing harmful environmental impacts, educating others, and giving back to the community.

This year’s awards recognize a local educator and three student green teams for their commitment to creating a healthy and sustainable culture on school campuses. Winners will receive unique trophies crafted by students at Washougal High School and made entirely from recycled materials.

Here are the 2023 Green Awards winners:

Mark Watrin – Green Apple Award for individual involved in school sustainability programs

Mark Watrin is a retired science educator and current member of the Battle Ground Public Schools Board of Directors. In retirement, Watrin volunteers to build outdoor learning spaces, construct school gardens and lead habitat restoration projects in Battle Ground Public Schools and Vancouver Public Schools. Some of his projects have included a native habitat garden at Laurin Middle School and raised garden boxes at Minnehaha Elementary School.

Illahee Elementary School – Green Team Award for elementary school

The Illahee Elementary School green team has student members in third through fifth grades, as well as parent volunteers and the school custodian. Students on the green team are responsible for caring for the school’s outdoor learning spaces, reducing waste around school, and educating other students on the importance of sustainability. The school’s outdoor classroom is one of the largest projects completed by the green team.    

Washington State School for the Blind – Green Team Award for mixed grades

The green team at the Washington State School for the Blind, the Green Beings, launched last year and has 11 members. The team started using redworms to compost food waste and coffee grounds from the school’s coffee shop. Students on the green team have worked with Clark County Green Schools and Waste Connections to set up accessible recycling locations throughout the school. And they have adopted a city block and participate in regular litter clean-up efforts.

La Center High School – Green Team Award for high school

The La Center High School green team, Environmental Action Team, is leading a districtwide sustainability project to collect food scraps for compost at all La Center schools. The green team students also manage a large natural school garden, complete stream monitoring projects, raise salmon hatchlings in the classroom, lead habitat restoration projects and coordinate events that celebrate school sustainability. The Environmental Action Team is also working to construct a green shed on campus that will be equipped with rain barrels, native plants and solar panels. 

Videos about each of the Green Awards winners will be available on the Clark County Green Schools website.

Clark County Green Schools provides waste reduction education and materials to all public and private K-12 schools in Clark County. For more information, visit the Clark County Green Schools website.