The 4th annual Bay Area Schools Environmental Conference is an annual conference sponsored by the City of San Jose, California with an objective of fostering and fomenting environmental stewardship. Sponsored by the Environmental Services Department’s Go Green Schools program, the conference was established to recognize “green” achievements, allow for sharing of best practices, and connect Bay Area schools with a variety of educational and operational resources. San José’s Go Green program has produced several success stories from schools that have implemented environmental initiatives, Through the conference, the Go Green program hopes to spread the success of such green initiatives to schools beyond San José and throughout the Bay Area region.
“Students speaks for the Trees: Branching out to New Heights” was accepted as conference paper, and it is about the innovative and alternative solutions to recycling (notably the “green basket”) and is focused on the UNO-R students’ environmental stewardship and active involvement in expanding the rural and urban forests and improving the local watershed.
Along with other distinguished presenters on recycling, composting, water and energy conservation, funding for green programs, schools gardens, green purchasing and connecting children with nature/environmental education, notably with Alec Loorz, youth founder of Kids vs. Global Warming. Brother Jakosalem, whose paper brought attention about the current status of environmental degradation in the Philippines and outlining the students’ role in providing alternative solutions for ecological stewardship, he was able to ignite interests and was able to connect with other environmental agencies related to environmental education.
Greenheart Hermitage is the center for ecological initiatives at the University of Negros Occidental – Recoletos (UNO-R) in Bacolod City, Negros Occidental, Philippines. The Greenheart Hermitage runs a recycling depot, a free-range poultry program, an interactive-training center, and an extensive tree planting initiative.
