February 2012 issue of the Green Schools Newsletter is out!
Highlights:
1. Ministry Update: BC’s Education Plan in Action
2. School Districts Spotlight: Northern BC
3. BC Green Games: Submit your Project Now!
4. Resources: Eco Canada Green High Schools
5. Events & Announcements
Click on this link to view: GSN February 2012
Interested in efforts to conserve Salmon around the province?
This newsletter delves into some profound stories of communities galvanized on a common cause. For active supporters, there is an opportunity to organize a workshop in 2013.
StreamTalk is The newsletter for stewards of salmonids and their habitat • Volume 18 • Number 2 • Fall 2011_Nov_2011
In this Issue:
One Mile Lake Nature Centre......2 Workshop queries .......................3 Citizen science.............................4 Didymo alert................................5 Cleanup at Lake Errock ................6 Pinks return to Britannia Creek....7
This is a re-post from the old blog site that I did not want to lose! With Spring around the corner, Brooksbank students are eager to see some activity – either their seed bombs growing into tiny lupins in Spring, or bees arriving and searching out the homes they have made. For others interested in studying bees in nature, Ric and Sharon have a very informative website, beefriendly.ca
Brooksbank Elementary School boasts a plethora of Green initiatives, but most exciting is the recent initiation of the students in Mr. Clarke and Mrs. Reichert’s classes to the rank of “Guardians of the Bees.”
Partnered up with local expert and dedicated volunteer guardians Ric Erikson and Sharon Lisette, the two classes spent a beautiful morning learning about bees, creating native plant seed pod bombs to plant in surrounding areas. Throughout the year monthly workshop sessions will include learning about the lifecycles of bees, their role in our ecosystems and mitigate the effects of dwindling populations. The students look forward to creating bee homes for, to name a couple of these non-aggressive species, mason and leafcutter bees, caring for them over winter and releasing them . They will also learn to identify and count bees to add to the collective knowledge of North Shore Bee populations, and how they can be helped.
The bees the students raise will have a positive impact on surrounding areas, and help pollinate the Loutet Park Urban Agriculture Project gardens, fondly called Loutet Farm by locals. Ric and Sharon have permission to raise honey bees in hives, as well.
Brooksbank was especially pleased to welcome Mayor Darrell Mussatto to his former elementary school, and School Board Trustee Linda Buchanan to witness the inaugural event and join in the tour. Brooksbank school Principal Arlene Martin also joined in the event. Green Hats Off to Brooksbank!
Our thanks to Carisbrooke Elementary for hosting our second DC get together this school year. Participating schools were able to share their progress in Waste Avoidance at their schools, delve deeply into the life cycle of disposable beverage containers and look forward to sharing their projects at our annual Green Fair April 17, 2012. It was great to see the elementary and high school students, teachers and support staff and parents all working together!
“The ultimate test of man’s conscience may be his willingness to sacrifice something today for future generations whose words of thanks will not be heard.”
-Gaylord Nelson former governor of Wisconsin, co-founder of Earth Day
Photobooth: Students test their creativity preparing their “DC Idol” opening act.
TAPBottles presenters were at Brooksbank in December to demonstrate for the students why we should eliminate the use of plastic water bottles. The presentation was informative, interactive, and I recommend you book them right away to come to your school. TAPBottles has recently been invited to present at EPIC, Vancouver’s Sustainable Living Expo slated for May 11-13, 2012, and are presenting to interested schools and organizations.
An introduction from the group:
“We are a group of Grade 10 students from Carson Graham Secondary, trying to make a difference in the world. Our mission is to eliminate plastic bottles from both our school, and the school district.
Last year, we decided that we wanted to make a positive environmental change in the world. We heard from our counsellor about a girl named Jennifer Hao, who was and still is trying to get rid of plastic bottles from her school in Burnaby. We decided to try to do the same. We have participated in Justice High, a series of workshops about the UN Millenium development goals. We have also presented for the Vancouver Chapter of Surfrider, and we have done some presentations in our school. We are planning on presenting to elementary school students this year, and also, we are planning a BBQ against Bottles in the near future. We are selling stainless steel, BPA free water bottles to support our cause and replace plastic bottles.
We hope that our organization will continue to grow, and we will reach our goal.”
Here is a link to the Prezi they show during their presentation
For more information contact us through Leslie McGuire
lmcguire@nvsd44.bc.ca
(This is a repost from the earlier version of the GreenScreen blog)
You can tell right away that Keith Lynn Alternate Secondary School Leadership Team sponsors Janice Rodger and Brad Slater engage others in their committed to social justice in its broadest sense, including environmental sustainability. A large group gathered on the day I visited and enthusiastically filled me in on their initiatives this year. Previously, the group has participated in invasive species plant pulls with the Lower Mainland Green Team, collected a mountain of coats and winter weather wear delivered to residents of the Downtown Eastside, and were reportedly one of the few groups to successfully dance the dance at BC place in honour of We Day. After filling me in on those initiatives they dove into developing plans for the remainder of the year, which include recycling campaigns to reduce the amount of styrofoam packaging going from the school to the landfill, composting and gardening. They plan to recycle the cleaned out styrofoam packaging at WCS Recycling, a local green business that offers “Red Bag” recycling “Beyond the Blue Box” for home residents as well. Janice Rodger has worked hard over the years to set the school up with equipment needed including compost facilities, garden tools, a garden, and visitors to the school should take note of the beautiful tree specimens, grasses bulbs and other annuals the group has planted along the front of the school near the entryway. Our Green Hats are off to KLASS students and staff!
Congratulations: NVSD’s Environmental Learning Centre made “Canadian Architect” Magazine last month – see the digital archive here.
NVSD schools Boundary and Argyle might recognize a name below, as would the Highlands community. Highlands staffmember and one of Highlands’ Green Team Sponsors Edie Rustermeyer is mom to none other than…
Jen Rustemeyer, Producer
Jen is the woman behind the clean bin project blog; she’s the one who said “ok” to Grant’s crazy idea to live zero waste for a year. Jen spent her fair share of time both in front of and behind the camera during the making of the clean bin project, an experience which cured her of her deathly fear of public speaking. When she’s not busy researching, recycling, and making things from scratch, she is a GIS Analyst for an environmental consulting company in Vancouver.
Jen and her partner present to audiences across North America, and their documentary is award winning. Consider booking them for your location.
LETS SEE THEM AT HOME ONE DAY!
Australian elementary school students show us how to
