A boy's green life

When 9-year-old Evan Whitemyer climbs Mt. Moosilauke in the White Mountains this weekend, it won’t just be for fun.

The soon-to-be fourth grader at South Shore Charter Public School in Norwell is determined to hike ten, 4,000-foot mountains in New England this year to raise $5,000 to help his school become more eco-friendly.

Evan Whitemyer

Only about halfway through the mountains, Evan has raised more than $4,700 from family and friends. This weekend, the Rockland boy will be climbing the 4,800 foot-high Moosilauke with his younger brother, father and grandfather.

Evan got the idea after learning about someone who hiked the Appalachian Trail to raise money to fight a disease. If he could get people to sponsor him hiking mountains, he thought he could raise money for his school. After discussions with his dad, Evan decided to focus on helping the school become more environmentally friendly.

Evan, who hopes to be an inventor and hike the Appalachian Trail one day, is chronicling his adventures on the blog http://summitsformyschool.blogspot.com. Some outtakes include watching his brother slip into a mud hole, seeing a bear cub after a hike and navigating down steep inclines. He also gives green tips, such as don’t dump toxic liquids in the woods where plants can absorp them.

"I want my goal of climbing mountains to help my school,'' Evan's blog reads. "I learned that my school is trying to “go green.” I want to raise at least $5,000 to give to my school so the teachers can find new ways for SSCPS to be better for the environment. Please help me meet my goal."