By Jim Beers, Contributing Writer
CHESTER — Earth Day 2022 was Friday April 22 and Chester High School science teachers, Evelyn Hankins and Carolyn Kish, teamed-up to coordinate a top-notch Earth Day event that involved the entire school in cooperation with the City of Chester.
Hankins said, “I was the Sponsor of the event. Carolyn Kish served as my Co-Sponsor and I had help from the CHS Administration, Mayor of Chester and the Chester Street Department.”
This group of CHS students worked hard throughout the morning of Friday April 22 during 2022 CHS Earth Day cleanup activities. They cleaned debris and brush that lingered around the CHD football field perimeter. Jim Beers photos
“Our science classes were involved in a smaller event last year in helping to beautify the CHS Campus. This year, we wanted to go all-out and involve the entire school, including teachers, staff, administrators, cooks, and secretaries.”
This group of young men at CHS picked up limbs and other debris that was trimmed out of the bushes and wooded area around the CHD track Friday April 22 during Earth Day clean-up activities on the CHS Campus.
“We even had the cooperation of Mayor Tom Page and the Chester Street Department. Everyone worked together to achieve a wonderfully successful Earth Day event which helped to clean up the school campus and several areas around the community.”
This group of Chester High School students spent the morning cleaning debris and brush from the woods along the W.O. Smith Football Field at CHS.
The original Earth Day was created on April 22, 1970 to bring light to the issue of environmental responsibility and transforming the public’s attitude about saving our earth. Earth Day was the push that was needed to begin the passing of major legislation to pass laws towards conservation.
The entire student body is shown here at the Dr. Charles R. Young Memorial Track and Field Complex at CHS Friday April 22. The event was part of the 2022 CHS Earth Day Games which were designed after several Earth Day conservation and beautification elements.
Beginning in 1990, Earth Day went global and mobilized more than 200 million people in 141 countries to bring the fight for the environment to the global stage. By 2010 more than one billion people took action for the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day and in 2020 the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day saw the entire world getting on board with Earth Day themes and actions.
During the all-day CHS event, virtually every teacher, student, staff member, secretary, janitor, cook and even substitute teachers took part in the huge efforts scheduled throughout the day.
CHS Earth Day Sponsor Evelyn Hankins (middle) and Co-Sponsor Carolyn Kish (left) pass out materials for the “Seed Bomb”-making activity Friday April 22. The event was a huge success and involved the entire student population and teachers and staff.
Chester Street Department employees helped to pick up trash and debris that was collected and several local businesses and individuals assisted with various aspects of the event.
Missy Meyer, CHS principal, said, “A huge thank you goes out to Mrs. Hankins and her Co-Coordinator Ms. Kish for putting the day together. Weather was perfect and the students did an amazing job helping to clean-up and beautify our community.”
“Special thanks to the guys at the City Garage, Rowold Hardware, Walmart, and Mary Ann Heberlie for their donation of materials. Also, credit to Trevor Kelkhoff, Brett Klindworth, and Rodney Kribs for grilling lunch for everyone. It’s a good day to be a Yellow Jacket.”
The day began with all students reporting to their first hour classes from 8:00-8:15 a.m. for attendance and announcements. From 8:15-8:25 a.m. everyone went to Colbert Gymnasium to get organized and get a water bottle.
Jackie Clendenin supervised Mike Springston’s 27 class members along Old Plank Road in Chester during the 2022 Earth Day event in which they picked up trash throughout the morning Friday April 22.
From 8:25 to 11:00 a.m. some teachers remained at the school to prepare for a lunchtime cookout on the school front lawn, and other activities scheduled for later in the day, while other teachers and staff escorted students to various work locations around both the community and the CHS Campus to complete numerous beautification projects.
Several community projects helped to clean up and beautify the City of Chester! One such project included cleaning up the Mississippi River Road from the Park Road to the Chester Water Plant. Mr. Colonel and Ms. Millburg took 48 students to complete that section.
CHS Band Director, Steve Colonel, and his group of 22 students pick up trash and debris at the Mississippi River Front Friday April 22 at the CHS Earth Day Event.
Mr. Bainter, Mrs. Belton, and Ms. Kish had 20 students working the entire length of the City Steps, cutting trees and brush, carrying debris, and generally clearing the pathway of the steps and surrounding area.
Clendenin, Geisler and Miller took 34 students to the stretch of roadway from Old Plank Road to Three Springs Road and picked up trash and other debris along the way.
Ms. Zeiger had 10 students working at the “Chester Welcome Sign” at the north entrance to the city, pulling weeds, picking up trash and planting flowers and ground cover.
CHS junior Shane Bicket carries a heavy log which was cut halfway down the City Steps in Chester as part of Earth Day clearing activities Friday April 22.
City Street Department employees did a great job of picking up the trash and debris from each of these City of Chester clean-up and beautifications work areas.
Around the CHS Campus, teachers Hodge and Hammel had 30 students cleaning the area from the State Street “School House” and along Hoppe Road. Justenin’s 11 students cleaned the area around the back parking lot and outdoor basketball courts.
Muller and Brown had their 15 student work group cleaning and beautifying the flower gardens in front of the school and at the top of the entrance to the Dr. Charles R. Young Memorial Track and Field Complex. Ms. Appel took 15 students to clean the south track area while Mrs. Durbin and Mr. Wente had a crew of 40 students cleaning the north track area.
Another big work group of 40 students supervised by Bartley and Boyd was located all along the roadway leading down into the football field. Throughout the morning students and teachers did an amazing job of helping to clean and beautify the CHS Campus as well as the locations mentioned throughout the City of Chester.
Mayor Tom Page said, “When Principal Missy Meyer and Mrs. Evenly Hankins came to meet with me about this event I was excited. It turned out to be an amazing success.”
“I loved seeing the kids and the teachers working together with our City employees to help clean up and beautify the school and City of Chester. I was tickled-to-death with the results. I take my hat off to everyone for the great job they did!”
At 11:00 a.m. everyone returned to the CHS campus where a group of teachers had assisted the school cooks and kitchen staff in preparing a delicious meal on the front lawn of the school in front of the Professor James F. Sharp cafeteria.
Trevor Kelkhoff, a CHS Assistant Football Coach and Head Baseball Coach of the YellowJacket Baseball Team, organized a grilling team consisting of himself, Brett Klindworth, a CHS Assistant baseball Coach, and friend, Rodney Kribs, to grill several hundred hamburgers to go along with several side dishes created by the teachers and kitchen staff.
All students and staff thoroughly enjoyed the meal under the sunny skies with warm spring temperatures. The cook-out was a huge success!
At 12:00 noon students gathered in groups on the front lawn to make “seed bombs” which will be used to throw onto areas which might need a bit of habitation and beautification in the area.
“Seed bombs” are made by taking a mixture of damp soil, papier mache, and seeds of various sorts and making the mixture into small balls. Once dried, the balls, or “seed bombs” can easily be carried and tossed into an area of ground that is void of flowers or other ground cover.
When the ball dissolves, the soil and seeds will combine with the existing soil and grow to help fill-in the void area, with beautiful flowers or ground cover. This project was yet another way the students could help beautify the school grounds and City of Chester with their Earth Day activities.
From 12:45 till 1:00 p.m., crews worked to clean and clear the front lawn where the cookout and seed bomb activities were held. Students and staff then moved to the Charles R. Young Memorial Track and Field Complex to finish the day with fun and games.
The “Earth Day Games” consisted with various fun, slightly competitive games that were created with “Earth Day” themes to further foster the goal of encouraging a more beautiful and protected earth.
The 2022 CHS Earth Day Games included a “Trash Pickup” activity; “Pedal Power Relay” around the tack on tricycles”; “Water the Plant” game; Tree Trivia”; and a “Flower Pot Walk Relay” to create enthusiasm and education regarding various forms of conservation and environmental awareness.
Other students participated in an “Earth Day” art contest in which individuals or small groups of students created chalk art on the high school track walkway. All art had an “Earth Day” theme and helped to foster the themes of the day.
Earth Day Co-Sponsor, Carolyn Kish, said, “We ended the event on the east side of the track outside of the fence with the seniors planting trees. All-together the seniors planted 33 trees which will one day provide lots of shade on that side of the track.”
“Along with the saplings, each senior put his or her name on a small wooden stake and surrounded the tree saplings so to protect them and help keep animals from destroying them. I am very impressed with the work that our students put in today. They all helped to create a most successful Earth Day 2022.”
Special thanks was extended to Rowold Hardware for donation of heavy-duty plastic bags with which to store trash and debris throughout the pick-up activities. Chester Walmart donated plants and Rozier’s Country Market donated plastic shells in which to contain the seed bombs. Mary Ann Heberlie donated mulch for use in the flower beds and the IDNR provided the tree saplings for planting.