A group of students digging through the garbage will mean an extra $1000 for the Churchill High School in La Ronge.

The school was one of the winners of the Saskatchewan Environmental Society’s energy conservation contest.

Pam Belcher, Education Coordinator for the Environmental Society, says they were very impressed with the school’s Waste Not Want Not campaign where students actually looked through the daily garbage.

“From there they figured out what their waste issues were at the school and what things needed work to reduce waste,” said Belcher.  “That’s a very valid way to make a project.”

The society launched the contest on March 23 and schools around Saskatchewan took on the challenge of saving energy, water and reducing waste.  Argyle School in Regina was the other winner through their Gators Go Green campaign.

Belcher says it was great to see the practical lessons the La Ronge students learned through their campaign.

“When they are just learning something from a website it is not as real as looking through their garbage and saying we have a problem with plastic bags in our school,” said Belcher.  “It just makes it real for them.”

The Churchill High School will be receiving their $1000 prize on June 24.