Now more than ever, environmental issues have been at the forefront of American concerns.What actions were the Barnstable community taking to provide a healthier environment? Seniors Allison Carter and Camryn Roberts-Capak have taken matters into their own hands. In an “Effort to make the school green,” as Carter said, these two created a composting system at Barnstable High School.

Last spring, the girls were vaguely assigned to “Do a project” by their AP Environmental teacher, David Gorill. While brainstorming ideas the word “compost” was mentioned, and it only went uphill from there. Gorill elaborated on the idea, saying that the Challenger Club was on the search for a school to pair with for a composting program. The Challenger Club, a non profit organization that provides athletic opportunities to people with disabilities and special needs, was the answer to Carter’s and Roberts-Capak’s green project.

The girls wasted no time; they collaborated with Kelvin Ing and Andrew Todoroff, the Challenger Club directors throughout meetings in the summer and formulated an action plan to make BHS an environmental friendly high school. Preceding these meetings, Carter and Roberts-Capak spoke with MIT environmental representative from the sustainability department, to decide what composting machine would be the best fit for BHS. This meeting ended with an agreement for an “Ecovim” machine to be installed.

“This was the simplest option, while other machines needed oil and were high maintenance the Ecovim operated similar to a wash machine,” Carter said. Through the Cape Cod Challenger club, Barnstable High School received a grant for the expensive machine.

The next step in the process was implementing the composting bins, and getting students to participate accordingly. “The most effective way to learn is by being involved,” Carter said. And this is exactly what they did.

Three yellow bins, meant for strictly food waste, were placed in the main cafeteria, two in the upper class cafeteria and one in the child development wing of BHS. After a few weeks, a minimal effort of putting leftover food in the bins was seen in the junior senior cafe, so those ones were removed, while other two locations were more successful.

After the last lunch of the day, Carter or Roberts-Capak, along with members of the Challenger Club, condense the food leftovers in the bins and let them sit, in a room isolated in the field house. The bins are then rinsed out and placed back in the cafeteria. The next day, the girls or the special needs students pour the contents of the isolated bin into the Ecovim machine. It then takes nine hours for approximately 66 pounds of fertile soil amendment to be produced.

This process may seem like too much of a hassle for not much of a product, but what many do not know are the environmental benefits of such a system. “Not only does this machine create an efficient soil deposit, but it lowers the amount of food waste by 90 percent, reduces methane gas, provides food for animals, and ultimately turns trash into treasure,” Roberts-Capak said.

Even though this composting project is just beginning to gain momentum and publicity, the girls will be graduated next year, leaving a huge responsibility open. “Even though the Challenger Club has taken matters into their own hands and even formulated a set composting schedule, we are still hoping for another student to step up,” Carter said.

Not only have these two students started an environmental revolution within the walls of BHS, but they’ve collaborated outside the school with members of the National Green Society. This nationwide organization is centered on the ideas of preserving natural resources and keeping our world healthy. Similar to the National Honors Society, the NGS also requires community service hours, but rather than 30 hours this program requires 100. “It certainly is a big commitment, but one we were willing to make,” Roberts-Capak said.

To expand on this notion of an environmental friendly community, Carter created a website, “Mission Cape Cod” where members of the National Green Society can share ideas for green projects, and track their service hours. This website (www.missioncapecod.org/) is also a platform for updates on activities, and to spread environmental literacy where it has been absent in the past years.