Vision

Argyle High School “Nature Buddies” will develop and deliver land based environmental lessons in Early and Middle years core curriculums. Students will provide lessons, workshops, and educate others by reaching out to other schools in our division, model stewardship for our students, neighbours & larger community. Argyle’s unique Outdoor Classroom has the potential to provide opportunities to infuse & integrate ESD pedagogy into education, curricula & learning and strengthen ESD capacity building at the early and middle years levels. Through this project, we are honouring Article 29 of the UNDRIP, enacting our Road to Reconciliation Plan in addition to incorporating the UNESCO Priority Areas 2-4.

Action

Nature Buddies welcomed three elementary classrooms (grades 4-6) throughout the year, for an afternoon of learning in Argyle’s Outdoor Learning Classroom. Stations incorporated environmental games, scavenger hunts, land based learning through storytelling and art through making bark quilts and snow paintings that were used as bird feeders. Students learned about climate change, snow, adaptation, hibernation, migration, pollinators, trees and lichen through hands on activities.

Reflection & Celebration

Nature Buddies welcomed 2 schools (70 grade 4-6 students) over the course of the school year. Our group of high school leaders grew from 6 to 21 throughout the year with new students seeing what was happening in the outdoor classroom and wanting to be a part of the program. The goal of Nature Buddies was to get outside and look at our land around our school, think about our community and get to the heart of the community. We hoped to explore our relationship with the Land, how we care for our Land, and think about the actions we take. We feel that Nature Buddies successfully built bridges between our elementary school communities and our Argyle school community.