Students donate to ocean conservancy with prize funds won for 'recycled' scarecrow

Lacordaire Academy students have donated $500 to their favorite charity after creating an environmentally-friendly scarecrow with a message about recycling that took first place in a Montclair contest.

Recently, students in the Art Club and Environmental Club at Lacordaire Academy teamed up to create a scarecrow for the 2022 “Scarecrows in the Garden” exhibit at the Van Vleck House and Gardens. The students opted to create a scarecrow version of their mascot, Roary the Lion, using only recycled materials. Their creation, cleverly dubbed “Recyclable Roary,” was displayed at the Van Vleck House and Gardens from Oct. 17 – 31. On Oct. 27, the students were notified that their scarecrow had been voted first-place winner of the scarecrow competition in the school/class category.

Starting in 2020, the “Scarecrows in the Garden” exhibit is now an annual tradition at the Van Vleck House and Gardens. The scarecrows are created by Scout troops, nonprofits, local businesses, families, students, and individuals from the community. Garden visitors voted for their favorite scarecrow across multiple categories.

“Recyclable Roary,” created by students at Lacordaire Academy, is displayed at the 2022 “Scarecrows in the Garden” exhibit at the Van Vleck House and Gardens. It won first place in the school/class category.

According to the Lacordaire girls who participated in the exhibition, the process of making the scarecrow was a bonding experience. As the deadline to finish the scarecrow approached, “everyone really started to work together,” said Francis Feliciano, a member of the Art Club Leadership Panel. “We all pitched in to help each other out.”

Aside from bonding over the scarecrow construction, the 24 girls who worked on the project connected due to their passion for recycling and environmental activism.

“We chose recycled plastic as the material to build Roary because we want to make a difference for our planet’s future,” said Feliciano. “We wanted to reuse plastic to make something more meaningful with it.”

In his encyclical letter Laudato Si’, Pope Francis urgently appealed for a new dialogue on shaping the planet’s future.

“We need a conversation, which includes everyone, since the environmental challenge we are undergoing, and its human roots, concern and affects us all,” Pope Francis wrote.

In the spirit of Laudato Si’ the girls involved in the project are taking action to shape the future of the planet. The students received a $500 grand prize, which they elected to donate to their favorite charity, the Ocean Conservancy.

The girls’ donation will be allocated directly to the Ocean Conservancy’s Trash Free Seas Program. Through research, mobilizing clean-up crews, and working directly with manufacturers to prevent plastics from entering the waters, Trash Free Seas is “leading the way with practical solutions” to water pollution, according to its website.

The Art Club, led by art teacher Delaney Lima, is composed of 12 Upper School students, including Leadership Panel members Kelly Miller ‘23, Jolie Reyes ‘24, Frances Feliciano ‘25, Halle Jules ‘24, and Victoria Hui ‘25. The Environmental Club, which also has 12 active members, is led by president Kelly Miller ’23 and vice president Kaili Martinez-Beasley ‘23, under the guidance of science teachers Spencer Wight and Susan Goldstein.

“The girls involved with this project are really dedicated to the environment,” Kelly Reilly, Assistant Director of Advancement Support at Lacordaire Academy, said. “They care a lot about recycling and preserving the oceans.”

The responsibility to take action to protect “our common home” falls on the shoulders of Catholics around the globe, according to Laudato Si. In archdiocesan Catholic schools, students are empowered while empowering others to be more environmentally conscious and fight for the planet’s future. The activism demonstrated by the Upper School student at Lacordaire Academy is a shining example of how Catholic youth are taking on the fight for a sustainable future.

Lacordaire Academy Art Club and Environmental Club members accept the $500 grand prize for their winning scarecrow at the 2022 “Scarecrows in the Garden” exhibit at the Van Vleck House and Gardens. The prize was donated to the Ocean Conservancy’s ocean plastic removal program, Trash Free Seas.

Featured image: Members of the Art Club and Environmental Club at the Lacordaire Academy Upper School pose with their scarecrow, “Recyclable Roary,” at the 2022 “Scarecrows in the Garden” exhibit at the Van Vleck House and Gardens (photo via Lacordaire Academy)