Mr. Nokes is planning a trip to Little Rock which will take place Monday, April 18.  AP Environmental Science students who attend the trip will have the opportunity to learn about Heifer International as well as various types of green architecture.

“We’re going to look at a LEEDS building which is a platinum.  Heifer international will explain their program which is designed to help countries in poverty around the world become self-sufficient,” Mr. Nokes said.

The LEEDs system is a system of rating  green buildings and rewarding them with a silver, gold or, platinum level, based on several criteria such as energy efficiency.

The building owned by Heifer International is rated platinum because almost every part of its design reflects careful thought on the environment.

“They use all natural light, it’s built in an arc to take advantage of the angle of insolation of the sun.  They also collect water from the parking lot that has been contaminated from leaks and automobiles and purify it,” said Mr. Nokes.

In addition to this, much of the building is built on a brownfield that was reclaimed.  The building itself is constructed using recycled materials and bamboo, the fastest growing wood fiber renewable plant in the world.

Mr. Nokes orginally hoped to make the trip down by charter bus, but this turned out to be too pricey. Even using the district’s bus, the students will have to each chip in to pay for the cost.

“The trip will cost around $1,600”, said Mr. Nokes.

After Heifer’s presentation, students may also get to go to the Clinton Library, which is a retro LEEDS building.  There is also a possibility the group will go to the Clinton School of Government Brown Bag Lunch where they will be introduced to a discussion of a wide range of current world and regional issues.