Vision

St. Clement CES Climate Change Action Team 2023-2024

Our Story

The Climate Change Action Team of students that attended the Youth Forum in October came back inspired to share what they learned about climate change with the school community. The six students got to work researching and preparing a slide show presentation suitable for primary students and one for junior intermediate students. Classroom teachers signed up to have the presentation for their class during the month of March.

Discussion about Climate Crisis Anxiety at the forum seemed to resonate with the team. They wanted their action project to somehow reduce anxiety about the environment and focus on being hopeful about the future. After several meetings about what action project they would like to work on, they decided to build no dig raised garden beds to grow food to share within the school and the wider community. The students want their fellow students to have a chance to connect with nature and nourish and care for growing plants. Our head custodian Mrs. McGivern has made several no dig raised beds in the past for her own family and helped the students design, plan, and cost out the project. Due to the simplicity of the design, students were able to independently assemble the raised beds in one work session.

This action project has brought together members of the climate change action team and both grade 7 and 8 classes. They worked together to gather leaves and plants that died back last fall/winter to use as compost in the lower layer of each bed. Both classes were involved in the planting of the gardens.

The action team will be leading activities to ensure that the gardens are very interactive and accessible to all classrooms. All classes will be invited and encouraged to spend time visiting the garden beds, help care for the plants, and make observations as the plants in the garden grow.

Over the summer months, our custodian will water the garden. Student volunteers have also committed to water and weed the gardens with their families during these months. As vegetables ripen, students will be encouraged to harvest and share what is grown in the garden. Students are encouraged to bring their families to the garden and sample any ripe produce available.

The action team are proud of what they have built and planted. They hope the gardens will be enjoyed and cared for for many years to come.

Action

The Climate Change Action Team decided to build no dig raised garden beds to grow food to share with the school community.

Wednesday April 10, 2024 planning
This sketch was drawn by one of our team, to help determine what materials would be needed for the project.

Wednesday April 24, 2024
The building of the no dig garden beds.
With the help of our head custodian Kristina McGivern, students built the beds.

Wednesday April 24, 2024
Collecting compost for the raised beds

Filling the raised beds with soil donated for our initiative – May 3, 2024.

Planting – First Raised Bed – May 21, 2024
The team researched the spacing, and planting depths for each of the plants. They came up with a plan to position the plants in the bed.

Planting Second Raised Bed – May 22, 2024
The soil needed for our second raised bed arrived this morning. This soil was purchased from facility management – the receipt will be submitted when we are invoiced. We expect it to be approximately $40.00.

Going forward:
Plants- carrots (seed tape), peppers, cherry tomatoes, basil, and marigolds to act as pest control will hopefully grow and produce vegetables.
For the remainder of the school year the team will organize a schedule for classes to water, weed, and visit the garden to make observations.
Members of the climate change action team will join primary classes to help them draw pictures of the plants, measure, make predictions, and learn about the plants in the garden.
As vegetables ripen, students will be encouraged to harvest and share what is grown in the garden.
Over the summer months, our custodian will water the garden and a number of student volunteers have offered to water and weed with their families during these months.
Students are encouraged to bring their families to the garden and sample any ripe produce available.

Reflection & Celebration

Students will enjoy produce from the garden as it ripens. Over the summer the community will be invited to help themselves to produce from the garden.