Within the universe of independent schools, Proctor is particularly independent. We don't conform to traditional stereotypes for prep schools. We don't observe Earth Day when the rest of the world does; we observed it Thursday. Below, students assist New Hampshire Fish & Game as they stock the Blackwater River with rainbow trout.
Classes are interrupted for a day of workshops, activities, outdoor projects, film discussion and a speaker. These kids are making biodiesel out of cooking oil.
In the woodshop, we're making bluebird boxes.
This crowd has decorated old maple sap buckets for use as recycling containers.
In the school's organic garden, students are preparing raised beds for planting.
Bud and Ben use hand tools to notch one leg of a rough-hewn bench/chair.
Proctor Pond was the center of activity for a while, as teams competed to construct rafts using kayaks for flotation. This yacht is named "Blurb."
The purpose of the rafts was to enable us to retrieve assorted junk from the bottom of the shallow pond. A race between "Blurb" and "Black Pearl" was organized by Brooks Bicknell. Things got off to a reasonable start, before the "Black Pearl's" kayaks flooded. Note Jake's (left) valiant (and futile) effort to keep the colors dry.
Earth Day 2011 was a fun, hands-on learning experience for all!
