Eau Gaillie’s ECOmmodores Soar above the Average Environmental Club
*2007 Role Models Foundation Environmental Stewardship Award Winner*

The ECOmmodores have two real mottos.  They are that every day is earth day and that you need to be the change you wish to see in the world.  We try to lead by example and show not only Eau Gallie teachers and students, but the community as well that we can all make a difference.  We’ve given presentations to the student body and to the faculty to encourage energy conservation when we started our CFL low energy light bulb fundraiser last year, and we successfully sold 1,000 light bulbs.  We’ve also set up booths at community events such as farmer’s markets, Fall Fest and many football games to try to raise awareness on current environmental issues, mainly energy conservation and global warming.

Although the club is relatively new, we have accomplished a lot in the two years we’ve existed.  We started a recycling program at a school that didn’t recycle anything.  We now recycle record amounts of paper, plastic bottles and even aluminum cans.  This year we have added recycling aluminum cans with Habitat for Humanity.  The money raised from each recycled can will be used to build houses for local needy families in the county.  To encourage bottle recycling among students, they were told to write their first and last names on bottles.  Every week six bottles were pulled at random, and those six students were presented with a prize.  Prizes included donated items from local businesses such as movie passes, McDonald’s gift cards, Wal-mart gift cards and free passes to theme parks.  Eventually students were weaned off the prizes and this year no prizes were given.  Recycling of bottles is better than ever.

Our Energy Action Patrol was started last year.  It is part of the environmental club that monitors classrooms every other week.  Members check teachers off on whether or not they are recycling, if recyclable items are found in their trash, and also if they turn lights and TV/computer monitors off when they are not in use or not in their classrooms.  Recycling Role Model Teachers are chosen each semester, and money received in grants we have written is used to present these teachers with gift certificates to local restaurants.

Our activities not only benefit the club members and all students and teachers on campus, but also the community as well as the organisms found within.  Our tree frog houses were a huge success at tracking exotic Cuban frogs.  Our butterfly garden has also been a huge success using native plants to attract local butterflies.  The club also raised painted lady caterpillars and released them as butterflies in our garden after they hatched.  Every year we participate in the “Keep Brevard Beautiful” costal cleanup, and our adopted beach the past two years has been Paradise Beach.

This year current project ideas include building bird and bat houses as well as an “Adopt-a-Road” project.  We are also trying to start a program to help get local animals adopted out of the animal shelter down the street.