Senior Mark Valadez and sophomores Freya Rich and Lilith Yu, leaders in Project Green, a student-led sustainability organization at Loomis, arranged a "sewing bee" on the last weekend of winter term to make re-usable shopping bags out of donated clothing and materials.

Joining Boomerang Bags, a global initiative to engage local communities in creating free, fun, sustainable alternatives to plastic bags, a small group of student and faculty volunteers turned out the first batch of bags planned for donation to a food pantry set up at Sage Park Middle School in Windsor, Connecticut.

"We did a Project Green clothing drive on campus and received an abundance of unwanted clothing from students and faculty alike," Freya said. "The labels were donated by a friend who owns a silk screen printer."

Freya and a number of regular volunteers plan to create more bags in sewing sessions organized by Project Green during spring term on Tuesdays after classes. The Daily Bulletin has more information and a way to sign up for anyone interesting in participating.

Freya learned about Boomerang Bags through its work in her Massachusetts hometown. The organization began as a grassroots effort in Australia and has grown to include hundreds of local chapters across North and South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia.

Project Green is a student-led sustainability organization, advised by science teacher Julie Hinchman, that strives to educate and increase awareness about preserving the Earth's environment within the school community and beyond. In addition to the shopping bags, students in the group make notebooks from recycled materials, which are sold at school events to raise money for the New England Forestry Organization.

Freya said Project Green members are looking forward to collaborating with the environmental and agricultural proctors — student leaders in Loomis' sustainability programs — and engaging the school in informative and fun activities to mark Earth Week in April.