Earth Day, Mill Bay

30 April 2013Katie R, Mackenzie ‘13

In past decades, multitudes of environmental problems have surfaced; people knew little of the consequences that would come with an oil-consuming, resource-consuming world. I have grown up in a global community that has begun a realization, and carefully we are trying to take steps towards a better global environment. As a contribution to this ongoing effort, Brentwood’s environmental awareness group, the BEAT, hosted a celebratory dress-up day.

In conjunction with the annual Earth Day, BEAT president Asha U, Hope ’13, announced “Thrift Dress” day for Monday, April 22nd. The goal of the day was to have students dressed in either frugally bought outfits or their favorite global message. The day had an environmental agenda: petition signing and awareness for sustainable decisions were included.

Throughout the day, a variation of outfits and messages were seen. Some students were clad head to toe with the trendiest “hobo” gear, looking as if they had just walked straight out of Macklemore’s popular “Thrift Shop” video. Others went for the classic Earth Day attire: green shirt and pants. Finally, there were some like Morgan L, Allard ’14, and Michelle C, Allard ’14, who boasted a “Save Water” t-shirt in order to convey their message.

The day, however, was not just about a change in dress code. Another purpose of Earth Day at Brentwood was to fundraise. The BEAT focused on a special and specific cause: Sansum Point. It is an indescribably beautiful point east of Duncan that TLC (The Land Conservancy) wants to turn into a usable park for people to enjoy. It cost $2 for each student to wear an Earth Day outfit, with all money going towards the TLC’s goals for Sansum Point. They are still far from their goal, and they have a 5 month window to complete it. For more information, visit this link: http://blog.conservancy.bc.ca/get-involved-with-tlc/campaigns/save-sansum-point/.

Brentwood students, in great numbers, also signed three petitions on internal, provincial and federal levels. One, if enacted, would affect Brentwood directly. Signatures, from Mr. Patel to the Grade 9s, filled the page of the petition to stop the selling of bottled water at the Brentwood Bursary. By halting this, less plastic is produced and no carbon is needed to transport the water to our campus. Also, students are encouraged to use reusable water bottles. Similarly, many signatures were added to the petition to ban water bottles in all provincial buildings. Lastly, at the federal level, there was a petition to implement a National Water Protection Program, a plan that will protect our waterways from harm and offer a strong safety net for public health.

As the year is slowly hitting its peak, the BEAT continues to work hard to provide Brentwood with opportunities to help out. Never be afraid to lend a hand, as the BEAT could always use your efforts in working towards a greener, more sustainable, world. Katie R, Mackenzie ‘13

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