On Saturday, March 19th, Youth Corps Elementary School Student Rylee hosted her 4th annual Grades of Green Festival at Madison Elementary School in Redondo Beach! She invited her whole school community to attend to learn about how to protect the environment. Booths were set up and representatives from Grades of Green partners such as Heal the Bay, Enviroscape, LA Water Keepers, and Algalita talked with the more than 225 attendees about what they can do to protect the planet. Did you know that bunnies are the most environmentally friendly pets? Linda from Too Many Bunnies was also there and spoke with the elementary school students and their parents about how to care for the animals and why it is important to distinguish between domestic and wild rabbits! In addition to petting the bunnies, guests were able to play interactive environmental games and did fun eco-friendly crafts such as making colorful streamers from used plastic water bottles and decorative cards using fruit and veggie stamps. Once guests visited the Grades of Green booth and learned about what they can do to be more environmentally responsible, there was a pledge wall for them to write which actions they will commit to in order to do their part. Rylee encouraged all attendees to bring their e-waste and recyclables to the event so it could get disposed of responsibly. She also encouraged guests to bring old pairs of shoes that she could give to fellow Youth Corps Student Sam for his Grades of Green Project, where he donates the shoes to Soles 4 Souls. Throughout the event, Rylee was able to collect 30 pounds of e-waste, 27 pairs of shoes, and 9 bags of bottles and cans! Congratulations to Rylee on organizing such a fun and successful festival! Interested in hosting an eco-festival at your school? Check out the earth activities on the Grades of Green website to get some ideas!