Jefferson Officially Recognized as a NOAA Ocean Guardian School

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has officially recognized Jefferson Marine Science Elementary School as a NOAA Ocean Guardian School, the first in the state of Connecticut.

An Ocean Guardian School is committed to the protection and conservation of its local watersheds, the world’s ocean, and special ocean areas, like national marine sanctuaries. The school makes this commitment by proposing and then implementing a school- or community-based conservation project.

An Ocean Guardian School:

• provides project(s) for students related to the conservation of local watersheds, the world's ocean, and/or special ocean areas, like national marine sanctuaries.
• provides opportunities for students, teachers, parents and friends to participate in a range of environmental and sustainable activities.
• provides learning programs and opportunities that reflect environmentally sustainable practices that enable all students to be environmentally active and committed "Ocean Guardians."
• provides ways for classrooms to promote best environmental practices within local communities, while at the same time projecting a positive image of the school itself.

Jefferson’s project focused on the Garden Pathway, which included several initiatives:

• Built six 4’ x 8’ garden beds
  • Assisted by Eagle Scouts Aaron DeHaemer and Logan Wholey
  • Soil donated by Recino Landscaping
  • Only native plants were used in the garden
• Students composted 12,000 pounds of waste to be converted into fertilizer
• Grades K and 1st planted sweet peas, radishes, carrots and zucchini
• Grades 2-5 planted a pollinator garden, a pumpkin patch and “chaos garden” where all types of lettuce are thrown into the garden to produce mixed greens
• Storm drain painting contest focused on learning what goes in the storm drain and how to protect the water that leads to the Norwalk River Watershed and eventually the ocean

The garden is named “The Rachel Carson Memorial Garden” in honor of Rachel Carson, considered to be the mother of the environmental movement. Carson was a marine biologist and famed author of “Silent Spring,” which proved the deadly and poisonous nature of DDT (Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane), a synthetic pesticide.

Jefferson was certified as a Wildlife Habitat by the National Parks of America. A renewal of the project will allow the school to expand and maintain the garden and habitats protecting native wildlife.
During the 2024-25 school year, a group of Jefferson fifth grade girls interested in technology and saving the ocean also started Sea Saviors. Their goal was to use technology to inform the school community about ways everyone can help protect the oceans.

Sea Saviors created a website that highlighted the Norwalk River Watershed and ways to prevent pollution and plastics from entering the waterways. It also highlighted how destructive plastics can be on the fishing industry and local marine life.

About Ocean Guardian School

The Ocean Guardian School (OGS) program is a grant program supported by the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation (NMSF) and coordinated out of NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS). The program furthers the educational goals of ONMS by supporting hands-on, ocean stewardship projects in K-12 public, private and charter schools. Schools are awarded small grants ($1,000 to $4,000) to carry out their own school or community-based conservation projects that make a difference in the health and protection of their local watersheds and/or the world's ocean.