Michael Powell

WETA Hometown Hero November 2007. Michael Powell is the assistant principal at Patuxent Elementary School in Patuxent, Maryland. He has made educating students on environmental issues a priority and has created numerous school programs that inspire children to recycle, plant trees and respect wildlife.

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Michael Powell, Assistant Principal at Patuxent Elementary School in Upper Marlboro, Maryland is the WETA Hometown Hero for November 2007.

WETA selected Powell for his efforts at educating students on environmental issues through numerous school programs he created that inspire children throughout Prince George’s County to recycle, plant trees and respect wildlife.

Powell, a resident of Prince George’s County, shares his love for the environment each day with kindergarten through 6th graders as he walks the hallways of Patuxent Elementary. Powell has introduced numerous programs that involve recycling, tree planting, and other hands-on learning opportunities for students.

The planting projects he has established on school grounds have created no mow zones to help attract wildlife, along with introducing over 1,600 native trees, shrubs and flowers to the region. His work projects also include the planting of shade trees to screen the school in order to reduce energy consumption and the use of more environmentally friendly products in the school cafeteria. Powell even has the ambitious goal of trying to get the school off the power grid by the year 2010.

In order to help accomplish all of this, Powell takes advantage of the Livable Communities Initiative, a local Prince George’s County program which promotes healthy, safe, litter free environments, to leverage free trees and planting materials for the school grounds.

“At the heart of true environmental stewardship and sustainability beats a universal prosperity message – not found in man-made riches, but in hope for the future,” said Powell. “I read that the great architect of the universe gave mankind dominion over the fish, the fowl, the air, the land, and every creeping thing. What better legacy to leave to our children than clean air and pure water?”

In addition to being an inspiration to his students, Powell also encourages parents, colleagues and the community to get involved with helping the environment. Each year on Gorgeous Prince George’s Day, Powell persuades more than 200 students and community volunteers to plant trees and other native vegetation at the school. He also motivates school board volunteers from the surrounding community to participate.

Under Powell’s leadership, Patuxent Elementary School has won numerous environmental awards. The school consistently wins the PLANT (People Loving and Nurturing Trees) award from the State of Maryland Department of Natural Resources, for the planting of trees. In addition, Patuxent Elementary School has won the Citizens Concerned for a Cleaner County award, the National Green Flag award, and has been designated a Maryland Governor’s Green School.