These kids are protecting our world

Do you raise salmon in your classroom at school? Do you ever have class while floating down a river in a boat? Do you ever throw your school lunch leftovers into a compost bin?Probably not. But it's all part of a normal school day at in , US. The school is known as a "green" school.Being green means that "everything in the building is designed with the environment in mind," said Marjorie Drucker, a teacher at Barnard.For example, the lights go off when people leave the room. Then special windows provide light. It helps cut down on the need for electric lighting. When a window is open, the air-conditioner automatically turns off.Saving energy is not all that students do. Students found out that there were fewer and fewer salmon in rivers. They decided to do something to help out-they raised more salmon.In the classrooms there are big fish tanks filled with salmon eggs. The eggs are kept in water at . When the young salmon have grown, students put them into the river.Composting is another part of taking care of the environment at Barnard. Students throw the leftovers from their lunches into a compost bin in a greenhouse. There the food becomes fertile soil and can be used to help grow plants.Most students' dream jobs are about helping the environment.

"When I grow up I want to be a scientist, because I want to study different kinds of animals," said Crystal, a girl.