BHS students branch off to save trees in the rainforest

Students collect donations for Canopy Project organization.

BHS students branch off to save trees in the rainforest

Gabby Hamm, Staff Writer

Students, staff, and community members from the community come together to make a big difference with little effort.

Biddeford High School’s AP Environmental Science (APES) class worked with the Canopy Project to save and plant more trees in the rainforest for Earth Day. Environmental Science teacher Charlie Lyons organized the project to bring attention back to the rainforest like Mr. Long’s AP Environmental Science class did back in 2012.

“Typically, the class has always wanted to do some type of project,” said Lyons. “They raised about $4,000 which they went out and bought 43 acres of rainforest that can’t be developed or used again.”

According to Lyons, after finding out how easy it was to replant a tree, the class got very interested.

“Through the Earth Network, they have a thing that if you pay one dollar, they will plant one tree in your name in the rainforest,” said Lyons. “The students got quite excited because this is a real easy thing, one dollar [equals] one tree.”

Funds for the project could not fully be fulfilled through the school, so students had to look to the community as well.

“We are collecting money currently in the cafeteria and in the office as well,” said Lyons. “We’ve also been making fliers and putting containers out into the community and having students check them too.”

Students such as senior Carson Neumann help to organize and get into the spirit of the project.

“I don’t think kids realize how quickly it adds up,” said Neumann. “I’m appreciative when someone donates 25 cents because that’s a quarter of a tree.”

The class would like to reach their goal of $1,000, but so far they have a little bit over $200. Ed Muskie was the 58th Secretary of State while Jimmy Carter was in office. He spoke on April 22, 1970 in front of about 50,000 people on the first Earth Day and later that year. Later that year Muskie passed the Clean Air Act.

“Unfortunately, Earth Day falls during April vacation almost every year,” said Lyons.” Earth Day is always something to look forward to, and most people don’t know that one of the key players in the first Earth Day was Ed Muskie, who is a senator here in the state of Maine.”

The APES program has set goals to achieve, but may not complete the goals in time for Earth Day.

“We have high goals, since you’re suppose to have high goals,” said Neumann. “When it comes down to it, whatever we can contribute helps.”

Lyons believes that what trees do for our planet is valuable and we need to preserve them the best that we can.

“The rainforest really is in peril,” said Lyons. “ It [damage to the rainforest] mostly occurs in third world countries where they don’t know that they are affecting the whole planet.”

According to Neumann, there are plenty of opportunities to save the Earth, but people don’t actually follow through with it.

“It’s not often you get to help out in our world,” said Neumann. “We all want to say that we will carpool, but we never realize how big of an effect we can have.”

Senior Brooke Tardif believes that donating a dollar in the long run can save lives in the future.

“It was a simple project, where if you get someone to donate a dollar, you’re replanting one whole tree,”said Tardif. “That tree could provide enough oxygen for someone’s whole life.”

For Neumann, asking students to donate helps to not only bring awareness to the cause, but it promotes it too.

“I think the funniest part is when I’m in the cafeteria, and people ask if I’m pocketing the money,” said Neumann. “They think I’m pocketing the money, but after I explain to them where the money is going they become more interested.”

According to Tardif and Neumann, the start up of the project was much more difficult than running it after students found out about it.

“Once people know about it, it becomes a lot better,” said Neumann. “I had someone donate $20 because they were so into it, and I think they are planning to donate again.”

Neumann got so involved with the project simply because that’s where he feels the most passionate.

“I wanted to go into the environmental science field as is,” said Neumann. “Being able to help the planet in any way I can is what I’m passionate about.”

Unlike Neumann, Tardif finds her interests more toward the business aspect of the project and uses her ability to her advantage.

“I think I’m going more toward business in college,” said Tardif. “I think this gave me a sense of taking control of a certain situation, and trying to actually make it all work out in the end.”

According to Tardif, she learned more about how important the trees truly are on Earth.

“I didn’t know that one tree can basically provide enough oxygen for one person’s entire lifetime,” said Tardif. “Giving one dollar is giving someone life.”