The Niagara-on-the-Lake school was recently certified silver in the Ontario EcoSchools program, an initiative that addresses how schools run efficiently and what students learn from it. To qualify, the students began to conserve electricity, increased the amount of materials they recycle and cut down the amount of waste that goes into garbage bins.

"This silver certification shows the high level of care and concern our students have for the environment," said principal Marian Reimer-Friesen. "I'm confident we'll achieve a gold certification next year."

The school's science teacher, Brad Digweed, said the school brought in Niagara College to conduct a waste audit around the property.

"The audit found that we were doing a good job of diverting waste, but also showed that nearly 60 per cent of our waste was compostable material," Digweed said. "Our students immediately designed a compost program, educated other classes about it, and since then we've been able to reduce our waste by an additional 50 per cent."

Bulter staff also incorporated environmental education into the curriculum, Digweed said.

"It's very encouraging to see our youth leading the charge for a cleaner, healthier environment."