‘It’s a bit of a stinky job’: Banff Grade 4 students leading the way in composting initiative

Banff, Alta. is shown in a stock photo. (unsplash/@roninkgd)

On Fridays at Banff Elementary School (BES) it’s not the custodian who goes around collecting the class compost bins, it’s the Grade 4 students. It may be a stinky job but it’s one they take great pride in.

Started by Grade 4 teacher Alysa Amirault back in March, the compost club aims to educate students while giving them the opportunity to lead the way in environmental action within their own school.

“I really see the value in it, and I see the value in it giving the kids this opportunity to be leaders in their school, and it’s just been great,” said Amirault.

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After the last school composting program stopped shortly after the COVID-19 pandemic and with the recent G7 Leaders’ Summit in Kananaskis, Amirault felt a call to action and rallied her Grade 4 class.

“I said, ‘You guys, why don’t we do a compost club?’ And [the students] were so stoked until they realized that it’s kind of a thankless job and it’s kinda gross … but they’re really keen,” she said.

With the first unit of the Grade 4 science curriculum being “waste in our world”, students learn about the importance of conservation and are given a hands-on role to take action in their community through the club.

“First, I was really excited [for the club]. I didn’t know that compost eventually turns into soil. I thought [it] would take like a million years or something, but now I know,” said Grade 4 student Tvisha Patel.

“It’s a bit of a stinky job,” she added.

Grade 4 student Alex Stewart wants others to learn more about the benefits of composting.

“I encourage lots of people to [compost] because this is a good thing for the planet. Just throwing your stuff in the garbage bin, it doesn’t really help, but when you throw it in the organics bin, it makes it easier so people can make soil so you can be able to grow more food and eat,” said Stewart.

Every Friday students go to their assigned classrooms, picking up compost bins from around the school. Back in class, the bins are searched for non-organic waste items.

“You sometimes need to talk to [the classes] about putting stuff in because the first run for me there was like a plastic yogurt container [in the bin],” said student Owen Wells.

The next step is data collection where each bag is weighed and recorded. The class has collected 166 pounds of compost since the end of March, according to Amirault.

Walking over to the town compost bin on Moose Street, the students dispose of the organic waste and replace the bins with new compost bags donated to the class by the Town of Banff.

“The cutest thing recently is that the kids have started singing the Single Seed song,” said Amirault.

Written and performed by BES students alongside Banff’s poet’s laureate, Heather Jean Jordan back in May, “A Single Seed” is a song dedicated to the leaders of the G7 Summit in Kananaskis that expresses the student’s hopes and concerns for the future.

The song has now become the anthem of the class as they make their way to the town bins.

“My favourite thing is when we all go to the bin and then we just start singing and it’s really fun,” said Stewart.

Amirault hopes the message of the compost club is that even the youngest can contribute and make change, and that can start with small steps.

“I hope that they’ll remember that they learned some things and that they can be influences too … [in] the not so glamorous part of what taking care of the planet looks like,” said Amirault.

“I just hope that they’ll continue to be curious. Who knows maybe they … find careers and opportunities for themselves to showcase what they know and be advocates for the environment and for the world … but also just on a small level that they can influence their families to just be better, do better.”

As the school year comes to a close, Patel hopes the up-and-coming Grade 4s will eagerly carry on in the initiative.

“I would encourage the other Grade 4s that are gonna come in next year … I would encourage them to do this job and be willing, be supportive,” said Patel.