Taos High Eco Club shows garden yields, recycling plans and hosts 2026 Youth Eco Summit bid
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Summary
Taos High Eco Club students presented garden and recycling work to the board, reporting weekly yields and plans for greenhouses, rainwater capture and a 2026 Youth Eco Summit; board members offered recruitment, publicity and grant‑support suggestions.
Taos — Students from Taos High School’s Eco Club presented a progress report on Nov. 19 to the Taos Municipal Schools Board, outlining garden yields, recycling projects and plans to host a 2026 Youth Eco Summit that would bring students from other states to the campus.
Flora, the club’s lead, described garden operations and increased yields: "We plant, tend, and harvest a variety of fruits and vegetables and herbs every single day within our garden," she said. Presenters said the garden currently produces between 50 and 100 pounds of tomatoes in a single week from three planters and that most of the produce supports the school culinary program and local food banks. The students said they recently completed a waste audit and are using that data to build reuse strategies: glass-to‑gravel, plastic adobe bricks for insulation, compressed paper mulch and aluminium recycling.
The club outlined future plans that include constructing greenhouses from mostly upcycled materials, installing rainwater collection and converting systems to solar power. They also said they are preparing an instruction manual and grant‑writing guidance so the program will continue after current leaders graduate. During Q&A, board members encouraged recruiting underclassmen and suggested collaborating with community partners; the superintendent said he would help connect students with local media for a success story.
Student presenters identified a foundation grant as supporting their work and described sponsorship plans for the Youth Eco Summit. Board members praised the initiative and asked the club to share its newsletter with the board; one board member asked the club to consider community signage and public‑service outreach to reduce litter.
The board did not take formal action on the presentation but offered to help with publicity, potential grant contacts and verification of how bond‑eligible facility improvements (for example, greenhouses) might fit into district capital projects.