Schoolyard Naturalization
 |
Big News:
We have been awarded $4000.00 from Manitoba Hydro to fund planting trees.
We also have been accepted into EVERGREEN'S Learning Grounds Helping Hands Project, a program which provides opportunities for our committee to access resources, network with other schools and gain knowledge and skills to help our school ground naturalization project become a success!
The Schoolyard Naturalization Committee is made up of students, staff, parents and community members.
There is a strong commitment on the part of the members to ensure the success of this and other projects related to environmental enhancement, conservation, rehabilitation and sustainability. Participants will feel a sense of accomplishment and pride at each stage of the process.
Background:
During the past few years, we have been attempting to revitalize our schoolyard. We have built and installed four planter boxes, but our school grounds remain very bare. We planted many flowers in the boxes. However, we would like to plant some native trees in and around our schoolyard to provide habitat for birds and insects, to provide shelter for the school and to enhance the aesthetics.
Goal:
Our long-term goal is to create an urban garden and outdoor classroom.
Objectives
of Schoolyard Naturalization:
The primary objective is educational value, as the John W. Gunn’s Outdoor and Environmental Education Projects will focus on studying native plants and tree species. We are integrating our entire school curricula to incorporate Environmental Education. An equally important objective is to create environmentally conscious citizens. We want to “Turn Grey into Green” through implementation of this and other related projects. We have involved students, parents, teachers and the community in the initial stages and wish to increase access to and involvement in the process to all stakeholders. The planning being done by the students is a large part, but the benefits of having several trees in our schoolyard are numerous. One of our goals is to decrease the energy consumption in our building. Planting the trees near the school will provide insulation during our harsh winter months and shade during the summer. We also appreciate the benefits in our air quality that trees provide. The aesthetics are also a great benefit.
Educational
and Environmental Benefits of Schoolyard Naturalization:
This will improve the
appreciation and understanding of the importance of trees and the benefits they
provide, such as habitat for animals, reduction of energy consumption
(insulation value), and enable outdoor recreational and educational
opportunities and experiences in a natural, real-life setting.
Additionally, we wish to beautify the school grounds and community.
Through our Environmental Education students may gain a better
understanding of and respect for nature as well as the impact we have on it. We want to ensure a better understanding of reduction of
consumption, recycling and waste management.
Student Initiatives:.gif)
Each year all grade 6 students
(approximately 150) participate in a unit titled Schoolyard Naturalization.
In small groups, they research plants Native to our environment and
create a design of how they would like our schoolyard to look.
They must create a three-dimensional model with a corresponding map and
key, as well as a typewritten research project.
This unit takes up a significant portion of time during the school year,
and the students not only gain a great deal of knowledge but also really enjoy
this unit.
Parents
& Community Members:.gif)
This year we have created a Community
E-Team, which involves both parents and members of our community along with
students and some staff members. This team is involved in preparing grant applications to help
fund programs, accessing sources of information for the students on native plant
species, and assisting the students during their unit within the school.
Kara McDowell, a student in her final year of Landscape Design, has volunteered
to work with the students' ideas to develop a plan for the schoolyard.
Staff Involvement:
We have recently had the equipment for an indoor greenhouse donated to our school. The Grade 8 teachers will be involved in the planting and nurturing native plant seedlings that will eventually be planted in our naturalized school grounds by the grade 6 students.
During the grade 6 compost bin building, we had the assistance and guidance from our Industrial Arts Teachers for all 6 sessions of the building of the bins. Homeroom teachers also became involved in the building.
Recently our school staged the production “Being Green”, which was an environmental awareness raising performance. It challenged the audience to make some changes in their day-to-day lives. The topic of the Environment is a school-wide theme.
Maintenance Program:
The maintenance plan for our school grounds is very organized. During the school year, we have a team of students who water, weed and maintain the grounds, but during the summer, not all of these students are able to assist. Last year we received a grant from the Urban Green Team to hire a senior high school student from our community to maintain the gardens. This student did any care or maintenance that was required over the summer months. We are planning on having the same plan for next summer, along with student volunteers to assist.
Links:
|
Posted & maintained by Janice Biebrich |
    |
Updated October 2/02 |