With the planting season well underway, school gardens have been a source of learning and a rich way for students to connect with the environment and build awareness of sustainability. What follows are some of the many examples across the District, including a project where the lead student was honoured with a City of Burnaby Environmental Award, as well as a revitalized garden project at one of the learning pathways sites for high school students.
Award-Winning Collaborative Secondary and Elementary Project
A group of Grade 12 students at Burnaby Mountain Secondary have been leading a collaborative project with elementary students for several months. As a garden club at Mountain, the students secured a $1000 grant from Youth to Sea, which helped them revitalize the school鈥檚 greenhouse and outdoor gardening bins.
Partnering with the non-profit charity Sprouting Chefs, the students have been working with nearby elementary schools, including Forest Grove, Windsor, and Edmonds Community School. The younger students have been doing the planting and the high school students have been nurturing the growth in the greenhouse over the winter. Plant and seed donations came from local businesses. The students hope to share their harvest with the community and support awareness of the environment, growing your own food, and Indigenous plants.
For her leadership on the project and other work, this month Grade 12 Student Casey Lo from Burnaby Mountain Secondary received an Environmental Award in the category of Youth from the City of Burnaby. The award statement outlines her impact on the community:
Casey鈥檚 commitment to this project demonstrates environmental stewardship and climate resiliency to her peers and the younger students… Casey has been an inspiration to her peers while showing a desire to create positive solutions for the future in permaculture, growing food and protecting the environment.鈥
Learn more about Casey鈥檚 work and award on the City of Burnaby website 听about environmental awareness work happening in Burnaby Schools and read the District鈥檚 Sustainability Strategic听Plan听here.
Posted June 2022