Carson City teacher earns sustainability award

Carson City School District has announced Kristina Britt, speech language pathologist at Bordewich Bray Elementary School, as a winner of GreenNevada’s (Growing Resources for Environmental Education in Nevada) 2019 Golden Pinecone Sustainability Award.

She was nominated and recognized in the educator category for her visionary leadership in guiding the school and district to implement sustainable practices. The Greenhouse Project, a hands-on learning center at Carson High School, also was recognized as a winner in the nonprofit category.

The Golden Pinecone Awards celebration has been a legacy event run for 30 years by several Reno environmental organizations. The 2019 event, set for 6 to 9 p.m. Feb. 20 at the Renaissance Hotel in downtown Reno, will be hosted by GREENevada and greenUP. The theme for the event will be “The Art of Sustainability” recognizing sustainability is more than a science. The décor will feature recycled art from local artists.

As a member of the CCSD’s Sustainability Action Team, Britt participates in a district-wide culture and behavioral change program call PowerED, sponsored by McKinstry. Her love for sustainability drove her to start a “Green Team” at her school in 2012.

She contributes to green initiatives on many levels and is diligent in making sustainability a high priority at her school and throughout the district. Staying after school and inspiring the students isn’t a chore for her, she lives sustainability, the award stated.

She also has spearheaded a number of projects throughout the years with the help of grants, local nurseries, DRI, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the school district’s operations team. Projects include three raised garden beds, a Monarch butterfly habitat, an outdoor classroom area, recycling stations around the school and much more.

TGP is a nonprofit corporation with a mission of growing, giving and teaching for a healthier and greener community. The organization grows thousands of pounds of produce each year for the underserved in Carson City and provides garden-based learning opportunities for students and the community.

At two microfarm sites, one, “Green Central,” on the campus of Carson High School and the other, “Foothill Garden,” at Carson Tahoe Regional Medical Center, farm managers and staff use organic growing practices and strive for sustainability. A multitude of flowering plants are propagated throughout TGP gardens to encourage native pollinators and beneficial insects to balance garden pests. A solar array provides a percentage of the electrical needs at the high school site. In addition to the produce that’s donated to area food banks, TGP supports Future Farmers of America and provides fresh produce and herbs to the Carson High School culinary program. The Green Central garden at Carson High School also grows and supports more than 80 flower baskets for the downtown corridor of Carson City.