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At Creative, we believe in conservation. The future of the environment relies on change. If one person makes a change, it will make a difference, which is why we focus on teaching the younger generation the importance of protecting the environment, as they are our future.
There are many ways to teach conservation in our youngest minds, whether reusing plastic water bottles for class project, creating solar ovens, turning off the lights when the room is unoccupied, a no idling zone, or recycling.
In 2020, Creative pledged to reduce our environmental impact. In doing so, we have eliminated the use of Styrofoam and reduced our plastic use at center. We went from daily use plates and cups to reusable. We replaced our traditional water fountains with water bottle filling stations to reduce the overall use of water bottles and plastic use in our facility. As of December 2020, we have eliminated 1,400 plastic bottles at CCC!
"Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not." - Dr. Seuss
Did you know by leaving the water on when you brush your teeth you use about three gallons of water?
Creative takes a stand in improving our carbon footprint.
Making a difference, one person at a time
In addition, we reduced our water waste by replacing our bathroom faucets and making them motion censored. This makes personal hygiene fun for the youngest kids because water appears by itself by placing their hands underneath the faucet.
Creative's Environmental Plan
CCC Comprehensive Environmental 10 year plan is to improve water conservation and reduce the water pollution we emit. Enhancing our operations energy conservation and reducing our solid waste. The third and final phase of our plan is habitat restoration to the areas surrounding our center. In order to effectively execute this plan, we will provide environmental learning opportunities and structures to ensure we are teaching our children the importance of protecting the environment.
Monarch Butterfly Release Project
Each spring, our Young Learners through Kindergarten Readiness participate in raising Monarchs and releasing at our center. Children watch them grow from caterpillars to form into chrysalis and break out of their cocoons into majestic Monarchs, "the king of the butterflies."
In December 2020, the U.S. Fish and Game listed the Monarch butterfly under the Endangered Species Act is warranted. In fact, their numbers have decreased 90% in the last 20 years (resource: Monarch Butterfly 2018 Population Down by 14.8 Percent • The National Wildlife Federation Blog: The National Wildlife Federation Blog (nwf.org) . Their biggest challenge is habitat loss and pesticides.
Did you know, the only food source for Monarch caterpillars is the milkweed plant?
Bringing the Nature and Conservation in the Classroom
Since 2018, Creative Children's Center has partnered with Maryland Department of Natural Resources and Albert Powell Fish Hatchery to raise rainbow trout in the classroom and release them into our local waterways. Children observe the life cycle of the trout in the class aquarium. Children participate in this freshwater conservation by feeding the trout and testing the pH, nitrites, nitrates, and hardiness of the water each day during our extended Kindergarten Readiness Program. Children observe and collect data based on the life cycle of the fish.
Did you know Creative Children's Center is one of the first preschool programs in the state of Maryland to adopt this conservation program?
Organic Vegetable Garden Project
Creative started the organic vegetable garden in 2018 to emphasize the farm-to-table learning experience for the children in our community to promote healthier eating habits.
Every spring, each program participate in the planting and watering of the garden. The garden includes various vegetables and herbs. The School-Age Program tends to the plants throughout the summer. Children harvest the produce and create healthy alternative snacks to the food menu from cucumbers and hummus to baking homemade bread from scratch using the herbs from the garden.
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