Science Teacher Named Conservation Teacher of the Year

Science teacher Leonard Guindon has been named the Ohio Conservation Teacher of the Year by the Ohio Federation of Soil and Water Districts.

“Leonard is passionate about the environment and he inspires passion in his students. He involves them in local conservation efforts,” says Beverly Riddle, program administrator of the Belmont County Soil and Water Conservation District office.

She notes that Guindon involved students in applying for Federal funding to protect the Captina Creek watershed, whose head waters originate on the Olney campus.

Guindon and his students gathered data to support the successful application. As a result of their efforts, the Ohio Division of Wildlife created a watershed coordinator position to monitor and preserve the health of the waters, which flow into the Ohio River.

Other student projects have included reforestation, counting fish to monitor water quality, and assisting the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) with stream water monitoring.

“His students compete each spring in the Envirothon and they always finish near or at the top,” says Riddle. The competition tests students’ knowledge of ecology and environmental issues.

On the Olney Friends School campus, Guindon’s students have sponsored a Green Cup Challenge to inspire their classmates and teachers to reduce energy usage.

Last year, students succeeded in reducing the school’s electricity usage by 12% and its natural gas consumption by 9.5%.

Olney Friends School is located on 350 acres in the foothills of the Appalachians. For more information about biology and environmental science programs at Olney, please call 740-425-3655.

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