St. Mary’s Peace Garden

After attending the Eco League symposium, five students and I were inspired to form an Eco- club and to apply for the $400 Greening with native plants grant. The Eco-club selected this specific project because we felt it represented one of our Catholic Faith beliefs which would allow us to be positive stewards for the earth.

Our Peace Garden in front of our school was intended for outdoor classroom use and environmental education but this space was so over grown that it was not being used by anyone. Through this grant, we were able to work in our garden to enhance maximum plant growth, optimize learning opportunities, encourage teamwork and to create lasting positive environmental effects. With the leadership of the Eco-club, we educated our students and worked together to help green this natural space with native perennial plants, shrubs and trees. Once established, all of the native vegetation planted will require no additional watering thus reducing St. Mary’s environmental footprint on the local water table!

We are very happy to report that our Peace Garden has been improved significantly both aesthetically and environmentally. This green space is now a functional and beautiful area where outdoor learning can be achieved by our school community. It is very exciting to see how the initiative of a few motivated students can impact so many. This project was an incredible experience as the knowledge gained by the students can be extended beyond the school to their homes, families, friends, communities, etc. It is projects like these that teach our youth that you really can make a difference by taking action and working together towards a common goal! St. Mary’s is very proud to know that we made a difference! St. Mary’s appreciates the financial support received for this action project through the EcoLeague ® Program at Learning for a Sustainable Future (LSF). Founded in 1991, LSF is a Canadian charity dedicated to integrating sustainability education into Canada’s education system.

View the original story: http://www.thechronicle-online.com/2012/06/14/st-marys-peace-garden