Bowmar Elementary students got a crash course in recycling, composting and other environementally friendly habits as part of the school’s Earth Day program Tuesday.

Volunteers from the U.S. Army Engineer, Research and Development Center, or ERDC, visited the school and highlighted the importance of recycling as well as planting trees and creating a worm-based compost pile.

Before the planting began, students who had been collecting recyclables this year brought them on the stage to show how much just one year of recycling can reduce waste.

This year was the first that Bowmar had a day of schoolwide activities in recognition of the holiday.

Though the expressed goal was for students to learn how to preserve the planet’s natural resources, the programming fit well with the school’s Leader in Me program, said Tondia Ferracci, Bowmar Elementary’s science, technology, engineering and math teacher. Earth Day, held annually on April 22, is a worldwide event to demonstrate support for environmental protection. It was first celebrated in 1970 and is coordinated globally by the Earth Day Network.