RE LOG Spring '25

SPRING 2025 Ransom Everglades LOG 29 Reimagining the Lifecycle of Resources Reducing waste isn’t just about recycling – it’s about rethinking how we value resources. This school year, our community, led by the Ransom Everglades Parents’ Association, advanced impactful initiatives to give materials a second life and keep them from going to landfills. • Our uniform stores not only reduced textile waste but strengthened the culture of shared responsibility within our school. In 2024 alone, over 900 RE clothing items were distributed during our free REpurpose Uniform Pop-up Shop events, held in June and August at the middle school, where RE families were able to select free uniforms and clothing items. Uniforms that are not in good enough condition to be swapped were given to the middle school art department and repurposed into student art projects in the classes of art instructor Ellen Grant. For example, students in her eighth-grade Jewelry & Design class used the shirts to create fabric yarn, which they wove into fabric and then fashioned into purses. • Through used-book redistribution , we kept learning materials in circulation, reducing demand for new resources and emphasizing the importance of sustainability in education. Approximately 1,000 books were exchanged on the two campuses through our book-swap program. At the middle school, families deposited books into designated bins and selected new ones during the uniform pop-up shop events in June and August. For the first time in 2024, the upper school introduced a self-service book swap. Shelves behind the Fernandez STEM Center were stocked with donated books, allowing students to drop off their used, unwanted books and to pick up any they needed for their current courses. A course book list binder was provided next to the shelves, and students could take books on a first-come, first-served basis. Texts and reading books that are no longer being used by classes at RE are donated to local organizations such as Page by Page, founded and run by Lauren Page ’24 and her family, and the University of Central Florida’s Florida Prison Education Project. • Lost and found has evolved significantly , returning more items to their owners while ensuring unclaimed belongings support charitable causes rather than becoming landfill waste. RE uniforms in good condition will be REpurposed at the summer Uniform Pop-up Shops. Of the more than 150 lost water bottles, approximately 60 percent were returned to their owners, while the remaining bottles, along with non-RE clothing, were donated to Goodwill. RE textbooks and class books have been set aside for our end-of-year book recycling program. REducing our Waste and Greening Our Campuses Our e-waste collection initiatives helped students and families responsibly dispose of electronic devices, keeping harmful materials out of landfills and ensuring they are recycled properly. Recycling these materials also reduces the need for the mining of these materials, an aggressive practice that is detrimental to the environment. Everyone in the RE community is encouraged to take part in our e-waste recycling events. Stay tuned for updates from RE or follow the RE sustainability Instagram account, @sustainableransomeverglades , for the latest news and event details. Our composting program continues to minimize food waste on campus, diverting organic materials to support healthier soils and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Since its launch in September 2022, Ransom Everglades has successfully diverted an impressive 75,000 pounds of food waste from landfills. Through TerraCycle , our classrooms recycle disposable laboratory gloves from our science labs. Both campuses also have TerraCycle containers for candy and snack wrapper recycling, with a special emphasis during Halloween. Additionally, we offer ongoing battery recycling across both campuses, and our art departments upcycle everyday items to minimize waste going to landfills. The middle school is home to a vibrant pollinator garden , led and maintained by RE faculty member Heidi Steen and the student-run Eco Raiders and Gardening Club. Both the middle and upper school campuses have been designated as registered Monarch Waystations by Monarch Watch, featuring the host and nectar plants that support the endangered monarch butterfly population. The middle school also boasts hydroponic gardens , which are integrated into the Eco Raiders and Gardening club activities and the science curriculum. Herbs such as basil and mint from these gardens are harvested for use in the dining hall, fostering sustainable and locally-sourced food practices. Mangrove cleanups remain a tradition at the upper school campus, demonstrating our ongoing commitment to environmental stewardship. In 2024, we hosted two large community-wide cleanups, one in April and another in November, alongside smaller cleanups throughout the year. During the November event, volunteers removed an impressive 254 pounds of debris from the campus mangroves in just two hours. In 2024, faculty member Jesse Velazquez introduced Native Plant Walks , providing students, parents, family members, faculty and alumni with an engaging exploration of the native flora and fauna on both campuses. The first walk took place at the upper school, followed by a second at the middle school, offering a unique opportunity to appreciate the rich biodiversity of each site. To enhance the experience, Mr. Velazquez partnered with RE archivist Katrina Patchett to trace the