David Darlington, Director of the Environmental Education for Kids (EEK!) program in Livermore, California, knows how to talk about waste management in terms kids can easily understand. "Nearly every time we eat, shop or work we end up with garbage. In one year, we make enough garbage to fill a line of garbage trucks halfway to the moon." he tells his young audience. "It's causing a big problem for your health and the health of the planet." "The good news, " David says " is that you can do something about it".

Since 1995, David and his team have visited Livermore classrooms using games, art projects, and activities to introduce and inspire use of the 4Rs: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Rot. to hundreds of thousands of eager K-12 students. Why Rot? By saving their school lunch waste, EEK! students get one of the best lessons in sustainability. The food that would have cost the school money to be hauled away is going one of BioSystem Solution's specially designed school composters (the BioSafe) outside their cafeteria. The children get a valuable education in science while they learn the interdependency they have with even the smallest creatures. The worms and microbes that eat their lunch scraps give back nutrient rich compost and "tea" that feed the beautiful vegetables in the school garden.

Is it working? Each year, through participation in the EEK! program, Livermore schools are diverting 70% (over 300 tons) of school-generated waste from landfills, resulting in a potential savings for the school district of more than $46,000 in waste hauling fees. Even at their young age, these students quickly learn how to do the math.

Reaching about 10,000 Livermore students annually, EEK! is helping create a generation of environmentally aware students who are growing up incorporating waste reduction practices into their lifestyles, helping protect our resources, saving tax payers' money, and setting a positive example for future generations.

Thanks, David. You're a hero.