Earth Day 2022: Entire school takes part in community, campus beautification efforts

Chester High School science teachers Evelyn Hankins and Carolyn Kish teamed up to coordinate a top-notch Earth Day event Friday, April 22, that involved the entire school in cooperation with the City of Chester.

"Our science classes were involved in a smaller event last year in helping to beautify the CHS campus. This year, we wanted to go all-out and involve the entire school, including teachers, staff, administrators, cooks, and secretaries," said Hankins.

"We even had the cooperation of Mayor Tom Page and the Chester Street Department. Everyone worked together to achieve a wonderfully successful Earth Day event, which helped to clean up the school campus and several areas around the community."

During the all-day CHS event, virtually every teacher, student, staff member, secretary, janitor, cook and even substitute teachers took part in the huge effort.

Chester Street Department employees helped to pick up trash and debris that was collected, and several local businesses and individuals assisted with various aspects of the event.

"A huge thank you goes out to Mrs. Hankins and her Co-Coordinator Ms. Kish for putting the day together," said CHS Principal Missy Meyer. "Weather was perfect and the students did an amazing job helping to clean up and beautify our community. It's a good day to be a YellowJacket."

The fun began with everyone in Colbert Gymnasium to get organized and get a water bottle. Teachers and staff then escorted students to various work locations around both the community and the CHS campus.

One such project included cleaning up the Mississippi River Road from the Park Road to the Chester Water Plant. Steve Colonel and Emily Millburg took 48 students to complete that section.

Bryce Bainter, Erin Belton, and Kish had 20 students working the entire length of the city steps, cutting trees and brush, carrying debris, and generally clearing the pathway of the steps and surrounding area.

Jackie Clendenin, Candyce Geisler and Amy Miller took 34 students to the stretch of roadway from Old Plank Road to Three Springs Road to pick up trash and other debris.

Lila Zeiger had 10 students working at the Chester welcome sign at the north entrance to the city, pulling weeds, picking up trash and planting flowers and ground cover.

Around the CHS Campus, teachers Rana Hodge and Sara Hammel had 30 students cleaning the area from the State Street School House and along Hoppe Road. Michelle Justenin's 11 students cleaned the area around the back parking lot and outdoor basketball courts.

Brittany Mueller and Beth Brown had their 15-student work group cleaning and beautifying the flower gardens in front of the school and at the top of the entrance to the Dr. Charles R. Young Memorial Track and Field Complex. Dawnye Appel took 15 students to clean the south track area while Sophia Durbin and Jacob Wente had a crew of 40 students cleaning the north track area.

Another big work group of 40 students supervised by Marsha Bartley and Cheri Boyd was located all along the roadway leading down into the football field.

"When Principal Missy Meyer and Mrs. Evelyn Hankins came to meet with me about this event I was excited. It turned out to be an amazing success," said Mayor Tom Page.

"I loved seeing the kids and the teachers working together with our city employees to help clean up and beautify the school and City of Chester. I was tickled to death with the results. I take my hat off to everyone for the great job they did!"

At 11 a.m. everyone returned to the CHS campus for a delicious meal on the front lawn of the school. Coach Trevor Kelkhoff, assistant coach Brett Klindworth and Rodney Kribs grilled up several hundred hamburgers to go along with side dishes created by the teachers and kitchen staff.

All students and staff thoroughly enjoyed the meal under the sunny skies with warm spring temperatures.

At noon students gathered in groups on the front lawn to make "seed bombs" that can be thrown onto areas that might need a bit of habitation and beautification.

Seed bombs are made by forming a mixture of damp soil, papier-mâché, and seeds into small balls. Once dried, the balls, or seed bombs, can easily be carried and tossed into an area of ground that is void of flowers or other ground cover.

When the ball dissolves, the soil and seeds will combine with the existing soil and grow to help fill in the void with beautiful flowers or ground cover.

After cleaning up, students and staff moved to the track to finish the day with fun and games.

The Earth Day Games included a trash pickup activity, Pedal Power Relay around the track on tricycles, "Water the Plant," Tree Trivia, and a Flower Pot Walk Relay.

Other students participated in an Earth Day chalk art contest on the high school track.

"We ended the event on the east side of the track outside of the fence with the seniors planting trees," said co-sponsor Kish. "Altogether the seniors planted 33 trees, which will one day provide lots of shade on that side of the track."

Along with the saplings, each senior put his or her name on a small wooden stake and surrounded the tree saplings to protect them from animals. "I am very impressed with the work that our students put in today," Kish said. "They all helped to create a most successful Earth Day 2022."

Special thanks was extended to Rowold Hardware for donating heavy-duty plastic trash bags. Chester Walmart donated plants and Rozier's Country Market donated plastic shells in which to contain the seed bombs. Mary Ann Heberlie donated mulch for use in the flower beds and the IDNR provided the tree saplings for planting.

According to Hankins, the event was a huge success, and students and staff are already looking forward to next year's Earth Day event.