Vision

Our vision is to learn about the impact of plants in our environment.

Action

The theme for our project this year is “Watch It Grow”. Our Eco Club looked at the benefits of plants in our community and looked at all the steps in the process of growing and caring for plants, from compost to growing plants from seed. Our group reinstated the Green Bin program in classrooms and learned about the benefits of composting organic waste to create new nutrient-rich soil. We then purchased air-purifying plants for each classroom, which also has been shown to help improve mental health and well-being. We then purchased a grow-light kit and started vegetable plants from seed, which Eco Club members will be able to take home and plant in their own gardens once the weather warms up. Eco Club participants have demonstrated that their knowledge of planting, growing and harvesting has increased throughout the year, and becoming directly involved in the Green Bin program has increased their awareness of the importance of composting organic waste rather than just throwing it in the garbage. Our plan is to use the remaining funds (approximately $38.00) to purchase canning jars and local fruit and produce next autumn. This will extend the learning to teach students about the benefits of purchasing local produce and learning techniques for preserving seasonal items to reduce waste and take advantage of locally grown foods during their local growing season, thus reducing the amount of imported food purchased.