Creating green legacies at your neighbourhood school with Evergreen

BY ADRIEN BYRNE, ADVISOR, STRATEGIC RELATIONS

Evergreen is the leading national environmental organization that makes our cities more liveable. Through our urban sustainability programs – “Evergreen Common Grounds” and “Toyota Evergreen Learning Grounds” – we are the leading national funder and facilitator of local sustainable greening projects in schoolyards, parks and communities across Canada.

Since its inception in 1995, the British Columbia division of Evergreen has engaged, educated and inspired over 10,000 students at 250 schools by deepening their individual connections with nature. Students and schools engaged in Evergreen’s Learning Grounds program learn practical, on-the-ground solutions for the restoration and care of their school and local community’s green spaces.

The School Plant Officials Association of B.C. (SPOA) is recognized by Evergreen as a key stakeholder when it comes to planting and greening our school districts. Strong relationships between Evergreen, like-minded associations such as SPOA, and leaders in the B.C education system are seen as integral to our values of bringing students and nature together.

How Does Learning Grounds Work?

Learning Grounds experts work closely with school principals, district officials, teachers and students to create outdoor classrooms that provide students with a healthy place to learn, play and develop a genuine respect for nature. Our expert Learning Grounds consultants are based across the country, including the Vancouver region.

We provide up to $3,500 in start-up funding for individual schools and up to $2,000 for daycares, subject to a grant appli-

A group of school children learning about plants via Evergreen’s Learning Grounds program.

cation process beginning September of each year. Funding is distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis. The Learning Grounds program also encourages a spirit of fundraising through the local school district and broader community.

One entrepreneurial school in the Vancouver area successfully raised over $300,000, in both cash and in-kind donations, to create a vibrant natural space in a high-density inner-city neighbourhood. This greening project also interwove culture and place through the creation of a wild bird habitat and ethnobotanical garden featuring plants traditionally used by First Nations for food, materials and medicinal purposes. A variety of detailed case studies and success stories are available on the Evergreen website.

Evergreen also maintains a comprehensive database of native plants, providing detailed information on a variety of plants suitable to your school’s ecozone. We provide a range of design services and resources that will help get your school greening project off the ground – and native plants into the ground.

Summarizing the success Evergreen has had with schools in British Columbia, Learning Grounds coordinator Dolores Altin says, “Schools appreciate the support they get from their school district and ground maintenance staff. It is about working together to develop guidelines and processes for approvals and long-term stewardship that don’t just build projects, but leave green legacies.”

Along with Learning Grounds, Evergreen continues to be a national leader in all matters of urban sustainability. In B.C., alone, we are actively engaging municipal and provincial government, the business community, a broad network of volunteers, the non-profit sector and our key stakeholders to develop an environmental legacy within the province. As a result, we continue to deliver an exciting and diverse range of projects including community gardens, farmers’ markets, urban orchards, parkland and riparian zone restoration, as well as a range of educational workshops for members of the community.

To learn more about Evergreen, Learning Grounds, funding and grant opportunities for your school, and the leading urban sustainability charity in Canada, please visit our website at www.evergreen.ca.