A handful of Durango high school graduates opened their next chapter with a recognition for literacy in climate issues. You're watching the Local News Network brought to you by Happy Pappy's Pizza and Wings and FLC Center for Innovation. I'm Connor Shrieve. Seven DHS students recently graduated with the additional distinction of engaging in real world problem solving. The district honored their efforts at tackling community climate issues with a seal of climate literacy on their diplomas. Stanford bound Alex Ford led a team that created district-wide guidelines for sustainable landscaping on new construction

Where we don't need pavement and impermeable surfaces. Trying to make that some kind of permeable surface like rocks or permeable pavers where the water can actually seep through into the ground through them. And then also trying to utilize more native plants and also like more drought tolerant plants 'cause that's kind of the environment that we live in.

She hopes to limit the amount of dirty runoff from campus into the nearby Animus River. The river's proximity also inspired Leo Stevenson to organize a campus cleanup.

For me, it felt like it was an easy way to like do something small that would have a big impact because while like it may just seem like a little bit of litter on our campus with just a little bit of wind or some rain, all the trash we have here can really easily wash into the river and start to hurt the environment and the wildlife there.

The second year Seal of Climate Literacy program encourages students to recognize and take action on climate issues. Stevenson is part of the green team, a student club that focuses on environmental action.

Last semester we also did a lot of work to try to get the climate literacy bill passed. We just kind of do stuff like that. Mainly focusing on like what we can do to have a positive environmental impact within our school. And Durango Community

Ford, who may be unsurprisingly plans to study environmental science at Stanford says she was first inspired by taking an environmental science class at DHS.

Yeah, just walking around school noticing things. I wanted to make some changes. I think it's really important for everyone to care about the environment. It's what provides for us, it's what we live on. We're a part of it. Without helping the environment, we're not really helping ourselves either.

Ford says the project gave her real world experience.

They just completely gave me the architect blueprints for Miller and all of the landscaping blueprints, and I like had no idea how to read them. And so I had to go and ask professionals. I worked with some people at Mountain Studies Institute and they helped me kind of figure things out. And then I just talked to other like plant experts around town. I talked to Katrina Blair, who is a big part of Turtle Lake.

All seven students were recognized for their action by a local nonprofit ra, as well as the La Plata Electric Association. The seal which does appear on student transcripts may signal to an admissions office or prospective employer that graduates have skills in climate, understanding, problem solving, and community engagement. Find more information about this and other stories at Durango Local News. Thanks for watching this edition of The Local News Network. I'm Connor Shreve.