By Staff
Clif Knight, Hartselle Enquirer
Falkville Elementary School has received another honor for its outdoor classroom.
It was recently named as recipient of the 3M Environmental School of the Year Award in cooperation with the Decatur Recycling Department.
The award was presented to Principal Hank Summerford by James Fincher, 3M site manager, and Jerry Jessup, 3M environmental health and safety coordinator.
"We're very excited. It's a big honor for our school," Summerford said. "The credit belongs to a lot of different people and organizations that have contributed to the project. They include our students who have worked very hard, our Partners in Education and other local businesses and civic organizations.
The award is given annually to the school in Morgan County, Decatur and Hartselle judged best all-around in promoting environmental education.
To commemorate the honor the school received a 3M multi-media projector.
The awards program is coordinated by Emily Johnson, Decatur recycling coordinator.
"I was so impressed when I received this year's applications and saw what Falkville Elementary is doing with its outdoor classroom and recycling projects," Johnson stated. "I'm glad they won. They are doing an excellent job of teaching environmental education and appreciation of our natural resources."
The outdoor classroom was recognized last May as the first in Morgan County and the 10th in the state to be certified by the Alabama Wildlife Federation and the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. It also has been designated as a Schoolyard Habitat by the National Wildlife Federation.
The outdoor facility is used to teach students conservation, ecology and recycling.
Yard waste is composed and used to enrich the soil; rainwater is collected in barrels and used to water the plants and sunflowers and other blooming plants are grown to provide food for birds and butterflies.