Sustainability Spotlight: Lucinda Zmarzly & Lincoln High School Gardeners
April’s Sustainability Spotlight is shining on Lucinda Zmarzly and student gardeners from Lincoln High School!
Zmarzly, with support from student volunteers and community members, stepped up as the unofficial caretaker of Elliott Elementary school’s garden in 2023. After the garden’s former caretaker moved on from Elliott, the gap in knowledge and attention allowed weeds to spring up throughout the space.
Zmarzly and LHS senior, Alykx Wojcik, led the charge to remove the overgrowth and establish new plantings that would help keep new weeds at bay.
Zmarzly and Wojcik enlisted the help of family and friends, as well as garden volunteers from Sheridan Elementary in their summer 2023 cleanup efforts.
“We’re kind of the caregivers until the next big garden advocate at Elliott comes along and wants to take charge of it.”
With the weeds out of the way, Zmarzly’s attention turned to the future. She and other volunteers planted low maintenance, pollinator-friendly plants including buffalo grass, larkspur, sunflowers and zinnias. These plantings served to both beautify the space and to preserve the gardeners’ weed removal efforts.
“The first year, it was mainly about what cover crops we can put in so it’s not as much of a mess in the spring,” Zmarzly said. “It only takes a season for a garden to get completely overgrown.”
Spring of 2024 arrived and Zmarzly began working with Elliott’s Community Learning Center to bring parents and other community members back into the space.
Seven families participating in the Family Literacy Program signed on to begin growing food in the garden’s raised beds. Each family received coaching on where resources like the watering keys were located, and then had free rein to grow anything they liked.
Wojcik said that part of his role that summer included filling in to water, weed, and harvest the family-led raised beds if their usual caretaker was unable to do so.
While continuing to support the space, he said that he was able to see Family Literacy Program gardeners and their children enjoying the garden, as well as CLC groups and Elliott students at outdoor recess.
“It’s really nice to see someone look at a flower and go “Oh my gosh, that’s so pretty!” and then run and tell their friends to come see,” he said.
While cleaning up the space was the initial priority, Zmarzly said she also advocates for flexibility within gardens. In not meticulously planning every square inch, future gardeners will have the freedom to make the space their own. The work of Elliott’s former gardeners hasn’t been lost, either.
“Whoever started the garden at Elliott planted some really nice things, like raspberries and prairie plants,” she said. “More and more of these plants come to light every season as we keep the space weeded.”
It has been so exciting to see gardeners from Lincoln High School step up to support a nearby garden in need! We are grateful for the incredible example of dedication, energy and community-building that has grown out of this garden revitalization project.
Sustainability Spotlight: Standout Custodians
This month’s Sustainability Spotlight is shining on three exceptional LPS custodial staff members!
They and their teams are integral to managing waste programs and supporting sustainability efforts across the district, and these custodians have really gone above and beyond this school year.
Brendan Patchen at Eastridge Elementary School
Brandan Patchen serves as the Assistant Custodial Supervisor at Eastridge Elementary School, where he has worked for four years. Patchen has been with the district for seven years and started coordinating Green Schools Recognition Program activities with this school year.
Eastridge has already earned an impressive 275 points by reading books from the Climate Action Bookshelf, engaging with energy lessons from LES and collecting over 400 items for donation to the People’s City Mission! Patchen has worked to involve students at every grade level, as well as building staff and the school community.
“I am so proud of how Eastridge’s staff and students have responded to our efforts,” Patchen said. “I couldn’t do this without the wonderful staff at Eastridge who have taken time out of their busy schedules to work with me on new ideas to help our school’s efforts in sustainability.”
Leslie Stroup at Moore Middle School
Leslie Stroup serves as Moore Middle School’s Assistant Custodial Supervisor, where she has worked for the last two years. Stroup has been with LPS for seven years in total, and was part of the team that opened the building in 2017. She has been instrumental in the success of the recycling and composting programs at Moore.
Stroup ensures that each student who comes through the lunchroom waste station feels confident sorting their waste and welcome in the building overall. She and the rest of the custodial team manage waste collection throughout the building, including in the school kitchen. As a distribution location for school lunches, the kitchen generates much more waste than the average middle school as Nutrition Services Staff prepares food for multiple other schools.
“I think Moore just has something special going on here,” she said. “Zappa, our principal, is top notch and supports everything we do, and everyone in the building is onboard.”
Brandon Rogers at Northeast High School
Brandon Rogers started working at LPS 11 years ago and has supported students and staff at Northeast High School for the last four years. As the Custodial Supervisor, he most recently facilitated a container reset at Northeast.
Rogers partnered with the Sustainability team who labeled and standardized waste bins throughout the building to promote recycling, reduce the number of plastic bin liners being used and save time for the custodial team. Rogers said that the December reset has already made an impact on waste management in the building. Clear labeling and easily accessible containers have greatly increased the number of cans and plastic bottles being recycled at Northeast.
“Every TPC and lounge now has a place to put their cans, bottles and paper recycling and every hallway has the right amount of containers to for the amount of traffic our building sees,” Rogers said. “I would say a lot of students staff are playing their role.”
We are so grateful to have custodians like Brendan, Leslie and Brandon in our district! Every one of them is dedicated to making things a little better for staff and students every day, and we couldn’t imagine LPS without them.
Sustainability Spotlight: Schoolwide Composting at Arts and Humanities
The February Sustainability Spotlight is shining on the Arts and Humanities Focus Program!
Thanks to student interest, the building now participates in schoolwide composting and collects organic materials in classrooms, restrooms and offices. The Arts and Humanities Student Council started the conversation about stepping up their composting efforts with site leadership and the Sustainability Team last school year.
Renovations to the interior of the Bottler’s Building over winter break provided the perfect opportunity to upgrade waste containers and signage for the start of the spring semester.
High school senior Basil Sedriks serves as president of the student council and said that the addition of schoolwide composting has helped increase students’ awareness of the kinds of waste they are generating.
The program also builds on existing support for choosing reusable drinkware and food containers among the student population.
“It's made me really happy that we have it in place. The whole community has talked more about it, and talked more about the environment, which I think is very nice.”
Just like other high schools, lunch time at Arts and Humanities sees a flurry of conversations and activity. Discussions among the 94 students in the program are unique, though, in that students are frequently double-checking with posted signage, internet searches and each other when they have waste they aren’t sure how to sort.
“Everyone’s been asking questions about what they can compost, what they can recycle, and paying more attention to that now that we have the compost bins here,” Basil said.
Sophomore Jo Peeks said that while he wasn’t a part of bringing schoolwide composting to the building, he is happy to have the chance to participate and support his peers.
“I do my best to call other people out when they’re not putting things in the right baskets,” Jo said. “I also try to make sure I tell teachers what’s going on so that they can put it up on the slideshows and help everyone.”
Staff and student reception to this new opportunity to keep more waste out of the landfill has been exceptionally positive, and reflects Arts and Humanities’ overall culture of collaboration.
Site Coordinator Mar-Lakuittia Overstreet said that the addition of schoolwide composting has tied in well with the Focus Program’s semester theme of the “re-” prefix, providing an opportunity for students to both think about and take action to reduce, reuse and recycle.
“They were overwhelmed and thankful and super excited when we got the bins,” she said. “This is something that collectively, as an entire school, we wanted to ensure that we were composting and having the materials needed.”
Overstreet said that the process has sparked more interest in sustainability efforts outside of composting, as well. Students are talking more about environment-related clubs, and the coming spring will provide a chance to explore the possibility of incorporating the grounds around Arts and Humanities into new sustainability-related projects.
“As we continue to work with it and get materials, we’ll continue to get stronger and better at what we’re doing,” Overstreet said. “I’m very thankful and excited for the students to continue to learn.”
The Sustainability Team has so enjoyed working with everyone at the Arts and Humanities Focus Program to help implement schoolwide composting, and can’t wait to see what they accomplish next!
Sustainability Spotlight: Kelleen Rosebaugh at Southeast High School
This month’s Sustainability Spotlight is shining on Kelleen Rosebaugh at Southeast High School! As part of Southeast’s World Language teaching team, Rosebaugh integrates sustainability connections in culture and vocabulary into her German language classroom.
Rosebaugh has been teaching at LPS since 2016, and recently presented her approach to teaching both German language and sustainability on a webinar for the Nebraska Department of Education’s World Language K-12 Guest Speaker Series.
After students complete German 1 and 2, they generally have a grasp on basic German language vocabulary and grammar. Once they move into German 3 and 4, Rosebaugh said, part of the focus turns to preparing them for Advanced Placement German and the AP German Language and Culture Exam toward the end of the school year.
Introducing sustainability topics becomes important in the third and fourth years because of the higher level of awareness of and participation in these initiatives in German-speaking cultures, Rosebaugh said. AP German curriculum also includes material covering the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
“We don’t want students to be exposed to this for the very first time as an AP student and be overwhelmed,” she said.
During the Global Challenges unit, Rosebaugh covers topics such as deforestation and habitat loss, recycling and renewable energy.
Students build up their knowledge of vocabulary terms related to each of these areas while also examining–in both English and German–the origins of the issue, who it impacts and the potential solutions to address it.
"It is a great unit to make comparisons between plans the U.S. and other countries have to meet sustainability goals and where each nation places their priorities."
The unit also plays a part in fulfilling district goals to promote student respect for others and the natural world, as well as an understanding of and respect for the connections between people. Rosebaugh’s approach to these challenges includes an exploration of solutions and advocacy options, in part, to emphasize the impact groups and individuals can make.
“If we only focus on the challenges, it’s a gloomy time,” she said. “I’d like for them to know how to make changes, and who to contact if that is something they want to do.”
Rosebaugh said that students have been excited to learn about these ideas, and have expressed surprise that they haven’t encountered the topics in other classes.
Students also use charts and infographics from sources like Statista and Our World in Data to practice reading and interpreting data.
“I like being able to use graphs because it’s less words than having a full text, but students can still see the impact across them,” Rosebaugh said.
These data visualizations also allow students to identify trends, pinpoint outliers, determine sample size and evaluate data collection methods, all while honing their German language skills.
For their final essay, students choose a challenge that interests them and explain the causes, impacts, existing solutions and actions others can take to address it. Rosebaugh said that the previous practice exploring these ideas, as well as the freedom to select their own topic helps with both confidence and retention.
“It’s a stronger memory of what we do in class, as well as helping the language stick better because it’s related to something they care about,” she said.
We are so excited to see how Frau Rosebaugh is guiding students through sustainability topics in her German language classroom, and appreciate similar efforts from Southeast’s Aly Shuster and Northeast’s Nich Andersen!
For the complete NDE World Language webinar, watch via the embedded video above or visit YouTube to access the recording and transcript.
Sustainability Spotlight: Family-led Bike Buses
December’s Sustainability Spotlight is shining on family-led bike buses around the district! Last month, LPS Sustainability and Community Learning Centers Community Builder Ron Kellogg met with bike bus organizers from three schools to learn more about how they got started and what keeps them pedaling forward.
LPS parent Joe Dauer has organized the Riley Elementary Bike Bus since 2023. With support from school administrators and the Riley CLC program, the bike bus grew from five original participants to 15 consistent student cyclists this school year.
The bike bus plays music along its route each Tuesday morning, with neighbors and other cyclists recognizing and celebrating the group as they pass by. Dauer said that his initial concern about how other parents might receive the idea quickly faded once the community saw how much their kids enjoyed riding their bikes to school.
"A lot of parents don't realize how low-stress it is to bike to school."
Sarah and Matt Blankenau started a bike bus of their own this school year after hearing Dauer speak at an informational session this spring. The Blankenaus had considered starting a bike bus to Cavett Elementary School for some time, but Dauer’s advice to start small and have fun helped the couple get rolling this year.
Matt Blankenau said that the physical activity and opportunity to socialize with peers help the 12-15 Cavett Bike Bus riders arrive at school calm and ready for their day. Sarah Blankenau shared that biking with their children to school adds value to her mornings, as well.
“It’s really fun; I feel like I’m a kid again,” she said, “And it’s actually faster.”
Kyle McLaughlin, Brownell Elementary School parent and bike bus organizer, agreed that bike bus mornings are some of the smoothest in his household, too. He said that his kids wake up, get dressed and help get him out the door in plenty of time because they are so excited to bike to school.
McLaughlin contributes to active transportation plans as part of his profession, and began bringing that expertise into his own neighborhood a little over a year ago. Roughly half a dozen Brownell students now join the Thursday morning bike bus each week, and McLaughlin said he is excited to see how his group and the larger bike bus movement both grow.
"The biggest thing is just committing to something."
We appreciate and admire the initiative and dedication each one of these LPS parents displays in leading a bike bus for their school community!
The group shared so many insights into starting and maintaining a successful bike bus as each member told their story. Listed below are some of those suggestions, plus additional resources to help kick off a bike bus of your own!
Recommendations
- Start small: just a few neighbors once a week is a great way to introduce the bike bus
- Use a dedicated group chat to communicate with other families
- Consider organizing a bike rodeo to help build awareness and encourage bike skills and safety
- A maximum 3:1 student to adult ratio helps keep the bike bus safe and fun for students of all ages
- Reach out to your school’s principal for support promoting the bike bus to families in other parts of your school community
Resources
- Joe Dauer’s Creating a Lincoln Bike Bus presentation
- Bike Bus World: How to Start a Bike Bus
- LPS Sustainable Transportation Guide
Photos courtesy of Joe Dauer
2024 ENERGY STAR Certifications
LPS Sustainability is proud to announce that Lincoln Public Schools earned ENERGY STAR certification for 31 buildings in 2024! This is a new all-time high for LPS, and includes 21 buildings that achieved recertification after also being recognized in 2023.
ENERGY STAR certifications help track and recognize the impressive energy efficiency efforts going on across LPS properties.
Buildings districtwide are continuing to improve their ENERGY STAR ratings through a combination of facility upgrades and consistent efforts from the staff and students who occupy them every day.
For example, LED light bulbs reduce a building’s energy usage on their own, but someone switching the lights off when they leave a room makes the impact even bigger!
Certified Buildings
* denotes recertification from 2023
- Adams Elementary – 91
- *Arnold Elementary – 89
- *Beattie Elementary – 83
- *Belmont Elementary – 95
- *Brownell Elementary – 75
- Calvert Elementary – 90
- *Campbell Elementary – 86
- *Eastridge Elementary – 92
- Elliott Elementary – 87
- *Fredstrom Elementary – 84
- *Goodrich Middle – 98
- *Hill Elementary – 92
- *Humann Elementary – 97
- *Irving Middle – 97
- Kahoa Elementary – 93
- Kloefkorn Elementary – 87
- Kooser Elementary – 90
- *Lakeview Elementary – 90
- *Lefler Middle – 94
- *Maxey Elementary – 84
- McPhee Elementary – 94
- Mickle Middle – 94
- *Moore Middle – 89
- *Morley Elementary – 96
- Northeast High – 84
- *Pound Middle – 90
- *Pyrtle Elementary – 99
- *Roper Elementary – 87
- Rousseau Elementary – 88
- *Steve Joel District Leadership Center – 92
- *Zeman Elementary – 93
The Certification Process
To be eligible for certification, a building must earn an ENERGY STAR score of at least 75 on a scale of 1 to 100.
A rating of 75 reflects that a building operates at an energy efficiency greater than 75% of comparable properties in the United States.
Throughout the year, the Sustainability Team enters data on each building’s monthly electricity and natural gas usage.
The eligibility rating system considers building size and purpose, local climate trends, and reported utility data to generate a building’s score.
When a property meets the 75-point score requirement and wants to pursue certification, an independent licensed professional must verify the building’s efficiency data and overall indoor environmental quality.
As LPS works to increase building efficiency districtwide, we expect to see even more ENERGY STAR certifications in 2025 and beyond. The next time you visit one of the district’s certified buildings, look for the blue ENERGY STAR decal at the main entrance!
Congratulations to all the Lincoln Public Schools properties that achieved certification for 2024!
Sustainability Spotlight: LPS Grounds Electric Equipment Pilot
November’s Sustainability Spotlight is shining on the LPS Grounds Department! Two Grounds teams participated in a pilot of electric landscaping equipment over the summer, allowing LPS Operations to collect valuable data and feedback on how well they work.
The Grounds Department takes care of a wide variety of outdoor maintenance at sites districtwide, including landscaping and lawn care. To carry out those responsibilities, the department maintains a well-stocked inventory of power tools and larger equipment.
In keeping with district efforts to electrify buildings and reduce LPS white fleet emissions, Grounds equipment emerged as the next opportunity to pursue a more sustainable alternative.
In May 2024, LPS Sustainability worked with Grounds Superintendent Clark Liesveld to research the electric equipment options available and put together a plan for the pilot.
Together, the two departments decided to start out with only handheld tools, and to stick with a single brand for all purchases to maximize convenience for the participating teams.
A general maintenance crew tested out two string trimmers and a handheld blower, and a tree-trimming crew worked with a chainsaw and a pole pruner. Both teams also received four rechargeable batteries and a battery charging station.
Over the course of the summer, LPS Sustainability collected feedback from each team to see how the equipment performed.
Overall, Grounds team members said that the electric tools were both reliable and effective. Respondents also mentioned that the piloted equipment was lighter-weight, quieter and easier to start up than what they had used previously.
These evaluations line up with some well-documented benefits of electric power tools. Compared to small engines that run on a mixture of gasoline and oil, battery-powered equipment reduces air and noise pollution, is safer to maneuver and requires less maintenance.
“The main benefit is not breathing in chainsaw exhaust. It's also convenient to not have to pull start a saw for every cut when I’m up in the lift truck bucket.”
While the electric tools had the power and precision needed to get the job done, they did not stay running as long as their gas-powered counterparts. Crew members would occasionally be caught on the far side of a site and need to return to their truck to swap in a fresh battery, or pick up where they left off with the gas-powered equipment they had also brought along.
This challenge led to additional research and consultation with the crews to identify and purchase a backpack specifically designed to carry extra batteries.
With these backups at the ready, the pilot’s primary pain point has since been resolved.
“Battery life wasn’t as big of an issue once my route was [prepped for trimming]. I do like the products more than gas at this point.”
It will take more time and planning to add further electric equipment into the Grounds Department’s inventory, but this pilot has provided invaluable feedback towards making that happen.
We are grateful to and impressed by the wide range of people within LPS Operations who took this idea and turned it into reality!
Northeast, Kahoa Honored with Tree Campus K-12 Distinction
LPS Sustainability is proud to announce that Northeast High School and Kahoa Elementary School both received Tree Campus K-12 recognition for the 2023-24 school year! They are the first schools in the district to earn this distinction through the Arbor Day Foundation.
To earn Tree Campus K-12 recognition, each school met four goals:
- Maintain a Tree Campus team dedicated to achieving recognition
- Create an education plan that connects students to trees and their global benefits
- Offer a hands-on experience that engages students with trees and the community
- Hold an Arbor Day observance to celebrate trees within the school or the community
As part of their commitment to tree-focused education, students at Northeast and Kahoa both planted trees in their communities last school year.
Volunteers from across Lincoln helped Northeast’s STEM Garden Club through the planning process and on the planting day in October 2023. Club members learned from urban foresters and landscape architects in the weeks leading up to the big day, and other Northeast students will benefit from the shade and curriculum connections the school’s newest trees have to offer.
At Kahoa, fourth grade students carried out their tree planting in May 2024. After learning about the importance of planting the right tree in the right place, the fourth graders worked alongside community volunteers to plant 40 trees in nearby Kahoa Park.
A tree planting is one of many hands-on experiences schools can carry out in their pursuit of Tree Campus K-12 recognition. For more information, visit the Arbor Day Foundation’s website or reach out to the Sustainability Team.
Congratulations to Northeast High School and Kahoa Elementary on achieving this exciting honor!
LPS Sustainability’s Interns
LPS Sustainability has had a busy summer! Two new faces joined the team in addition to our existing Communications intern. We asked each of our interns to share a little bit about themselves, their niche within the Sustainability Team and where they’re headed.
Katie Berck: Gardens and Outdoor Learning
Katie Berck joined the LPS Sustainability team in February 2024. She is working toward her bachelor’s degree in environmental studies at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a minor in fisheries and wildlife. Berck said she first learned about LPS Sustainability’s work through her classes at UNL.
“I always thought it sounded like a great environment to work in, and I was right!” she said.
Berck supports school gardens and outdoor classrooms around the district by collaborating with LPS staff, students and community partners. She has been especially busy lately coordinating the July 2024 Garden Gathering at Saratoga Elementary School, as well as some larger-scale projects.
“I’ve been really enjoying working on mapping all of the schools and putting together a sustainability dashboard for the district,” she said. “It will be such a great tool for both schools and the greater community.”
Berck is entering her senior year at UNL this fall, and said that she plans to pursue a career in environmental engagement and outdoor education after graduation, as well as fostering rescue cats.
Alex Coffelt: Communications
Alex Coffelt has served as LPS Sustainability’s communications intern since May 2023. She is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in agricultural leadership, education and communication at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln within the agricultural and environmental sciences communication degree option.
“I love being able to put my experience to use for an organization whose mission I feel connected to,” she said.
Coffelt creates a variety of written and visual materials to highlight the people, resources and events that focus on sustainability at LPS. She said that engaging with students, however, is one of the most rewarding parts of her role.
“Whether it’s a tree planting, a kindergarten garbology lesson, or a sustainability experience at an assembly, the students ask amazing questions and are so excited to share what they know,” Coffelt said.
She also said that her work in the department has exposed her to a broad range of topics that fall under the umbrella of sustainability. Coffelt chose to add a minor in food, energy and water in society to her degree program as a direct result of her internship experience.
After graduation, Coffelt hopes to stay in Lincoln and continue working to share information about science, sustainability and natural resources with the public.
Maggie Luttrell: Waste Diversion
Maggie Luttrell joined the LPS Sustainability team as a waste diversion intern in May 2024. She is pursuing a bachelor’s degree at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a major in environmental and sustainability studies and a minor in political science. Luttrell said that this role has provided a unique opportunity to draw from her existing areas of expertise.
“I was excited to experience something new and start to use my academic experience in a career field… [and] I’ve been working with kids for a long time,” she said. “Even though we don’t get to see students all the time, I still enjoy seeing the inner workings of a school district.”
Luttrell is responsible for almost all things waste across LPS, from construction sites to cafeterias. She has recently helped create an updated educational video for kindergarten Garbology lessons and visited a variety of waste-related businesses in southeast Nebraska.
“I loved going to Prairieland Dairy and First Star Recycling,” she said. “I’ve never been, and I got to learn something new!”
Luttrell said she hopes to return to her home state of Colorado after graduation to start the next step of her professional journey.
“I’m not sure what field I want to focus on, but I can definitely see myself continuing to work for a school district doing similar work to what I’m doing now,” she said.
We’re so excited to have such a wide range of interests and expertise on the Sustainability Team! If any of our interns could assist in your classroom, club or event, please feel free to reach out to us at sustainability@lps.org.
2023-24 Green Schools Recognition Program Results
The Green Schools Recognition Program just wrapped up its eighth year! Through this program, schools choose and complete a variety of earth-friendly activities throughout the school year. These activities earn the school points towards Green, Greener and Greenest levels of achievement, plus corresponding funding rewards for future sustainability projects.
11 schools submitted their activities from 2023-24, with 201 activities reported across the district. LPS staff, students, families and community partners spent time in gardens, read from the Climate Action Bookshelf, celebrated Earth Day and more! All of these activities empower students to understand their role in environmental stewardship as they work together to take action.
Congratulations to this year's funding award winners!
- Donald D. Sherrill Education Center:
Earned 350 points, receives $500 as top earning elementary school - Mickle Middle:
Earned 140 points, receives $500 as top earning secondary school - Norwood Park Elementary:
Earned 320 points, receives $200 - Sheridan Elementary:
Earned 225 points, receives $200 - Kloefkorn Elementary:
Earned 160 points, receives $100 - Robinson Elementary:
Earned 115 points, receives $50 - East High:
Earned 90 points, receives $50 - Adams Elementary:
Earned 75 points, receives $50
Thank you to our other schools that participated in the program: The Career Academy, Lincoln High and Roper Elementary!
Contact
Brittney Albin
Sustainability Coordinator
E-mail: balbin@lps.org
Phone: 436-1072 ext. 82007
Latest News
- Sustainability Spotlight: Lucinda Zmarzly & Lincoln High School Gardeners
- Sustainability Spotlight: Standout Custodians
- Sustainability Spotlight: Schoolwide Composting at Arts and Humanities
- Sustainability Spotlight: Kelleen Rosebaugh at Southeast High School
- Sustainability Spotlight: Family-led Bike Buses
