Two local educators received awards this week for instilling green practices at their schools through educational programming and environmentally friendly projects.

The Richland Soil and Water Conservation District (RSWCD) named Rabbi Meir Muller, principal of the Cutler Jewish Day School, the 2017 Conservation Principal of the Year and David Kenga, science lab teacher at St. John Neumann Catholic School, the 2017 Conservation Teacher of the Year. The awards are presented annually by RSWCD to educators who promote environmentalism and appreciation for the natural world.

Muller was commended for creating an outdoor classroom for students, including a nature trail with an accessible boardwalk and an amphitheater with tree stump seating, and fostering a school culture that values spending time in nature during the school day and through after-school explorations. 

Kenga has established the importance of conservation and environmentalism through several different facets, including installing recycling signage, building drip irrigation systems for the school’s gardens, encouraging composting, creating butterfly habitats, monitoring bird feeders and birdbaths and raising funds for a state-of-the-art saltwater aquarium in the science lab.

Muller and Kenga will be honored for their work at RSWCD’s Awards Banquet on May 18. To learn more about the award recipients and the Richland Soil and Water Conservation District, visit www.rcgov.us/rswcd.