Gorilla Assembly
Last spring, Farmingdale High School French students held a small electronics recycling drive to support gorilla conservation efforts in the Congo. They wound up collecting 170 old cell phones, iPods, iPads, tablets, and MP3 players, which were sent to ECO-CELL, a leading electronics recycler.
The environmental initiative was spearheaded by French teacher Jill Nimphius. “Many people aren’t aware of how modern technology is impacting wildlife and contributing to the gorilla conservation crisis. The mineral coltan that is widely used in cell phones and other electronics is sourced from mines in the French Congo, the only place where Grauer’s gorillas live. Recycling cell phones and small electronics reduces the need to mine inside the gorilla’s habitat.”
Ms. Nimphius has shared a letter she received from Rory Keating, U.S. Assistant for GRACE, thanking Farmingdale students for all their support. He wrote, “Thank you so much for continuing to support GRACE and gorilla conservation through your recycling drive! The number of items you and your students were able to collect is truly fantastic. It is always great to see kids getting involved in and learning more about gorilla conservation, and we truly appreciate you leading the charge and enabling them to take action and make a difference.”