MEADVILLE, Pa., June 1, 2022 /3BL Media/ - The Learning Center K-8 School is thrilled to be awarded a $108,600 sustainability grant from Green Mountain Energy Sun Club for the design and construction of a timber-framed outdoor classroom on school grounds. Site specific preparation and student programming started in fall 2021, and work on this project will continue through the next year with the raising and dedication of the classroom planned for spring 2023.

In regions where we purchase wood and fiber in the United States, we actively map endangered forests and special areas using scientific criteria and modeling that assesses high conservation values. GP doesn’t buy wood from these high-conservation-value areas except in unique situations when active forest management is needed to improve habitat for endangered, rare, and/or vulnerable species. As part of this process, we have:

At COP26, more than 100 world leaders pledged up to $19bn USD to help tackle deforestation and forest degradation, which account for 8-10% of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Many ears perked up at the prospect of deforestation hot spots, such as tropical forests in Indonesia and the Amazon, receiving much needed aid packages. The commitments are huge, the intentions noble, and the support for regions devastated by deforestation long overdue. But one has to wonder: Can GHG emissions from forest cover loss really be halted?

Stacey Locke still remembers the first time her grandmother brought her to their family’s forest – the Pine Prairie. She was five years old, and it was filled with young pine saplings just as tall as her. Her grandmother explained how she planted them for Stacey the year she was born and asked her to always take care of these very special trees. And Stacey promised she would. Fifty years later, she’s doing just that, alongside her father and three sisters – and inspiring others to do their part as well.