Kids Expect Environmental Protection

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Welcome to the
 K.E.E.P. Club

KEEP stands for
KIDS EXPECT ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION  

​And they do! 

We are a grades 5-8 Environmental Club at the Driscoll School in Brookline.  
There are 5 Branches to the KEEP Club: 

• Plastics & Ocean: We are starting right here at Driscoll thinking about how to reduce, reuse and recycle more of the plastics we consume. We are trying to get Driscoll to STOP using plastic straws. We are also working on reducing all single use plastic in our school, other schools and local business establishments. 
• Animal Protection: We will focus on wildlife such as rhinos, elephants, whales, polar bears, wolves, big cats and other animals that are at risk of extinction due to poaching and loss of habitat
• Bird Sanctuary: We will continue to make our bird sanctuary a place where birds, other pollinators and humans can find a safe, healthy and peaceful place to be. *** BREAKING NEWS: The KEEP CLUB just got a $300.00 Grant to improve our Bird Sanctuary. 
• Climate Change and renewable energy: What can Driscoll do to slow down climate change?​ Get involved and help us slow down the ice from melting, the intense storms, fires, and droughts.  
• Reforestation: Nothing can live without the trees that provide the oxygen and habitat for all living things. We will focus on protecting and reforesting land that has been cleared

STOPPING THE USE OF PLASTIC STRAWS

We are starting with some work right at our school.

The Keep Club is working to get straws removed from Driscoll
and around our community. 
 Help us out. Let people know why they need to stop using them! See more information in the plastics branch of our webpage. As we say in the KEEP club, one little straw can do a lot of damage.  Don't let it be yours. 
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One little straw and one plastic cup becomes millions... 

Break up with Plastics
- a funny, little movie! 

​See some information about this at this link if you click 

Trash Talk- A little movie about what is happening in our oceans and what to do

NO STRAWS! 
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Here is the #Stop Sucking Link with alternatives to plastic straws! 

https://www.strawlessocean.org/alternatives/

SAY NO STRAW PLEASE! Please join us to stop plastic straws close to home, far and wide! 
http://www.plasticpollutioncoalition.org/no-straw-please/

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GUEST VISITOR
Marianna Hagbloom  is coming to the KEEP CLUB  on 1/25/18 to share her experiences and knowledge about the highly intelligent and critically endangered Right Whale - Read her blog here- 

 RIGHT WHALES CRITICALLY ENDANGERED! Radio Boston has a news story about our state whale! Helping these whales can help lots of sea life and our life too! See this story. 

Our beautiful, intelligent state whale is at high risk of extinction- fishing nets causing a great deal of harm! - new lobster traps could help! click here for the story! 
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More info about them here- 

Sylvia Earle - Ted Talk Wish for Oceans! Mission Blue... 

Learn more about dolphins and whales from a group trying to protect them- Click here

GHOST GEAR (Discarded fishing gear) KILLING MARINE LIFE! - See the article that explains more 

LAWS TO CHANGE AND WORK ON

Plastic Bag Reduction
H.2121 / S.424 Sponsors: Rep. Lori Ehrlich, Sen. Jamie Eldridge. Would ban single-use plastic shopping bags statewide and require that the alternatives be more sustainable (such as paper bags must have at least 40% minimum post-consumer content).

Public Water not Bottled Water
H.3451 Sponsor: Rep. Chris Walsh. Stipulates that state funds shall not be used to purchase bottled water for use in facilities that are served by public water supplies or potable well water, except when required for safety, health or emergency situations. This bill will save the Commonwealth money, and reduce solid waste and litter.

​Polystyrene Food Ware Ban
H.3252 Sponsors: Rep. Frank Smizik, Sen. Michael Barrett. Would ban the sale of polystyrene foam food containers and their use by food establishments.

NEWS TO KNOW

​FOR KEEP CLUB

The KEEP Club is invited to set up a table at the New England Right Whale Festival in front of the New England Aquarium. It will be a chance to share more information about how we are working to reduce and clean up plastics in order to improve the world we're in! 

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​EARTH DAY- KEEP CLUB STYLE!
On Sunday, 4/22/18, the KEEP club met in the bird sanctuary to plant some bird attracting plants and to pick up litter around the school! It was a beautiful way to spend the day.  
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SPECIAL GUEST COMING! 
This Thursday, 3/22/18 at 2:35 pm Clint Richmond will be at KEEP CLUB! 

Who is Clint Richmond? 
​Clint is a volunteer with the Massachusetts Sierra Club. He leads several areas including solid waste and toxics issues. This includes fighting plastic pollution. He serves as a member of Brookline Town Meeting and is the co-chair of the Green Caucus of Town Meeting Members. He is also a member of the Brookline Solid Waste Advisory Committee. He has successfully led efforts to pass Warrant Articles at Town meeting on topics such as plastic bags, polystyrene and food packaging.

Clint will be helping us to better understand the work he has been doing and how we can use his information in our
NEW KEEP CLUB CARAVAN!!! 

​KEEP CLUB CARAVAN WILL BE GOING ON THE ROAD!

That's right, the new KEEP Club Caravan is gearing up to take our message on the road. We are learning that in order to make change you can't just put up posters and write about it. You have to be willing to get up and  speak directly to people.

The KEEP club is getting ready to go into classrooms, faculty meetings and town meeting. Stay tuned!  

KEEP Club raises $200 at Science Fair! 

Below is the flyer Marty and Alon made to educate others
Stay tuned for our up and coming events! 

​This year's Earth Day is set to focus on...  
Plastic Pollution- Click here to learn more! 

Officially Earth Day is Sunday, April 22nd, but that is during our April Vacation, so the KEEP club will be doing something before or after spring break?
​Stay tuned!   

LOCAL NEWS: Have you noticed more Canada Goose coats around? DID YOU KNOW THAT FUR TRIM ON A CANADA GOOSE COAT IS COYOTE FUR? 

Did you know the torture these canines go through in the process? 

Recently, one can see more and more people around Brookline and Boston wearing Canada Goose coats with fur trim.
​Many coats have fake fur trim, but Canada Goose uses real coyote fur and there are HORRIFYING videos and photos showing the way these poor animals are trapped and killed just so people can wear it on their coats!

I can't and won't look, but if you own a Canada Goose coat or know someone who does, you should know what you are buying.

• www.thedp.com/article/2018/02/carlos-canada-goose-animal-cruelty
• www.onegreenplanet.org/news/canada-goose-is-killing-coyotes-to-make-jackets/
• Cruelty Inside Canada Goose Coats- link​

I don't think people realize the cruelty these coats cause, and on top of it they cost close to a thousand dollars. If you see someone wearing a Canada Goose coat with fur trim, ask them if they know about the coyotes and the way they treat the geese too. 

Sincerely,
Ms. Stark
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GOOD NEWS!!
 ​5 ways the United Kingdom is leading the fight against plastic pollution - Great news for us to try- click here

Blue Planet 2 - Helping people around the world to see how plastics are destroying so much life... 
Two sad videos--- don't watch if you can't bear it, but do show to others who don't understand how each of the plastics they use and throw away can harm so much life... 

So many people mean no harm, but don't understand. 

--- this one shows the albatross birds with plastic 

-- Here is a sad, sad clip of a mother pilot whale and her calf that died... probably from plastics... 

NEWS TO KNOW: Tide of plastic rubbish discovered floating off idyllic Caribbean island coastline - and what to do... click here

Coffee cups... paper & the plastic you don't see- little video...click here 

​CHALLENGE FOR US ALL! “Do you still use plastic garbage bags? Plastic soda bottles? Zip lock bags? Plastic wrap on your food? Do you buy toilet paper that comes wrapped in plastic instead of paper? Do you put your fruit and vegetables in produce bags at the grocery?" Challenging everyone to track their rubbish for a week, she said people would be “disgusted” at how much plastic they would find.

Here are some links for tracking your plastics:
challenges.openideo.com/challenge/circular-design/research/assignments/track-plastics
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We launched the club on Thursday, November 9, 2017; we will meet every Thursday for the rest of the year unless there is a vacation or other closing of school. Once we are up and running, there will be many ways to participate and stay connected. Keep (no pun intended) checking back to see the latest news. 

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