Vision

This project started out as a small project where students planned for a hypothetical pollinator garden and what plants they might put in it. Once we received this grant, this small idea became a school-wide project across all the grades in our elementary school. The vision is to educate students about the importance of pollinators in our community and how they can positively contribute to their local ecosystems. Students will learn about specific species of bees, butterflies, and other pollinators that live in our area. This project will also provide students with practical ways to apply scientific and mathematical concepts that they have been learning throughout this year. Some examples include perimeter, area, volume, ecology, plants, soil, and pollination. This project will also help students to re-connect with nature by preparing the garden plot, starting plants from seed, and establishing the plants in the future garden space.

Action

The younger grades (grade 1-2 and kindergarten) are responsible for promoting pollinators and the importance of having them in abundance in our community. They learned about bees and butterflies as insects and as important pollinators in our community. Then the students were able to create art projects that were displayed during Grandparents Day to help spread awareness of what the students are working on. These lessons helped the students learn about what bees and butterflies do as well as how they can help take care of the pollinator garden and other gardens that they come across outside of school.
The grade 3/4 students were able to plant annual pollinator plants (sunflowers and zinnias) and learn how seeds germinate by growing these plants that will be into the final garden next week. This helped teach them about the parts of a plant, how germination works, and what plants need in order to survive and grow. They also tested our soil levels once the digging of our new garden space had begun. This was a practical way to test soil levels in a space where we needed to check for current levels. After the older students mixed in sheep manure, the students were able to re-test the soil to see how our work has changed the soil levels. This is important to learn about before starting to plant plants because it helps students understand how human actions can affect the quality of soil. Some examples of this could include fertilizer use, pollution, litter, or agricultural use.
The grade 5-8 students started by digging up the existing grass and relocating it into the corner of the playground where there is currently only dirt. They were then able to continue digging up the space and preparing it for planting. The students learned how to cut the edges of a garden space and how to use tools such as a handheld shovel, large shovel, handheld trowel, and a garden rake. This section of the project was particularly enjoyable for the students who continually asked me (their teacher) if we could move class outside so that they could continue to work on the project, rain or shine. They were very motivated to complete the project so that they could get more fresh air and create a wonderful pollinator space. This project enabled my upper school students to apply their math (perimeter, area, and volume) and science (ecology, soil, pollination, and plants) knowledge into an applicable situation right in the school’s playground. The grade 5 students will be planting pollinator plants from Ontario Native Plants while the grade 7-8 students will be planting pollinator plants from several local places. The grade 7-8 students did some research prior to picking plants using several local resources from the City of Guelph website as well as local native pollinator plant nurseries. They individually chose all of their plant choices before purchasing them and will continue to plant them in a couple weeks. The garden will be completely done by mid-June when all the plants have been picked up and the weather is suitable to finish planting.
This project relates to sustainability in that it was primarily created by native plants from local greenhouses within an hour of the school. This helps to support local businesses and will help us create a sustainable garden that does not introduce any new or invasive species into our playground ecosystem. Instead, the grade 7/8 students chose plants that are native to this area and that will thrive and support local existing ecosystems. This is important to our school community because we want to be a part of broader pollinator gardens and the impact that they play in our ecosystems at large. It is also important because next year, our students hope to create another garden (this time in a raised planter bed) for vegetables that can be used in our monthly hot lunch program. Having a pollinator garden will encourage pollinators to come to our area which will also help to naturally pollinate our vegetable plants in future years. It will also help bring more pollinators into the local neighbourhood which will help others’ gardens to thrive as well as local bee populations.

Reflection & Celebration

So far, the students have thoroughly enjoyed this project and have continued to ask if they can work on it, rain or shine. This tells me that they are engaged and eager to learn more about what they can do to help pollinators. Due to weather challenges (a very wet spring and incredibly hot, humid weather during the past week), we were unable to completely finish the project before the due date. The grade 3-4’s will be planting their annuals from seed during the first week of June. The grade 5’s will be continuing to dig the last portion of the garden next week followed by planting their pollinator plants from Ontario Native Plants during the second week of June. The grade 7-8’s will finish mixing the sheep manure into the existing garden dirt later this week. They will then start planting their pollinator plants next week and will finish up sometime mid-June.