Vision

The students in the Eco Club 2019-2020 began researching what types of changes they could make on school property in order to support local insects, butterflies and birds. They started to learn that certain native species supported particular insects, butterflies or birds. They decided to create a native species garden, in order to start learning about these relationships.

Action

The students chose a garden at the front of the school, outside of the play zones, for this project. This garden would beautiful the front of the school, but also be a quieter space for insects, butterflies and birds to visit. Because this area was quite dry and relatively sunny, and because grasslands mitigate the effects of climate change while also providing habitat for species at risk, students settled on grasslands as a theme. They then decided to broaden it to plants native to Ontario, and they plan to research each plant and provide some information that will be affixed on the fence near the garden, in order to educate other students and anyone passing by, about the particular plants they have chosen. Students will also promote the benefits of activities such as maintaining a garden, including benefits to the ecosystem and to the mental health well-being of those participating in the garden maintenance.

Reflection & Celebration

This project was interrupted by COVID-19 and and the fact that the Eco Club was on hold during the past 15 months, the students are ready to resume their research in the fall of 2021, once the Eco Club can resume. In the meantime, parent volunteers were able to source some of the plants from the student wish list from nearby local native plant nurseries, and planted in the garden in the fall of 2020 and spring of 2021, so that they could get established over the course of summer 2021. Students will resume the research and education portion of this project in the fall of 2021. The Eco Club will announce the garden to the school community in the fall of 2021, at which time a celebration will be planned.