Vision

The Green Walkway Revitalization Project aims to transform a previously asphalted area beside the school into a vibrant green walkway. This student-led initiative will incorporate native plants and shrubs, enhancing biodiversity and providing a natural cooling effect for the school building. The project will also feature trellises and archways adorned with climbing vines, creating shaded areas for relief on hot days and natural cooling effects for the building.

The urban Vezina school environment lacks green spaces, contributing to urban heat island effects and reduced biodiversity. Through regular gardening and horticultural workshops, students identified the need for a more sustainable and pleasant outdoor area for relaxation, ecological benefits and outdoor learning. Through discussions and observations, they recognized the potential to convert underutilized asphalt lane into a green walkway that fosters connection with nature, mitigate and enhances the school’s aesthetic.

Action

Provide students with hands-on experience in gardening, landscaping, and environmental stewardship. Engage students in research about native plants, learn ecological design principles, and allow them to gain skills in teamwork and project management. Cover topics such as sustainable landscape and design principles, ecological benefits of native plants, natural gardening, and the importance of green spaces in urban environments.

Convert asphalt to green space, so as to help mitigate urban heat island effects, reduce storm water runoff, and promote biodiversity. Introduce native plants that will enhance habitat for local pollinators and wildlife, adding greenery that will contribute to improved air quality, provide natural cooling, and carbon sequestration.

Reflection & Celebration

This project is part of a bigger plan to create an outdoor classroom for our schools. We are greenin/beautifying the space, helping pollinators, and educating our students in environmental stewardship. We will revisit all we’ve done in our final Spring 2025 session, and plan to celebrate this part of the project, as well as the finished project in Fall 2025. The initial gardens are well underway, but there is still work to be done as we wrap up the year and begin academic year 2025-26. We will then plan a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate all the different aspects/elements of our work.