Greening Hilson Ave PS

1. Greening Hilson Ave PS

2. Presentation Overview • Greening the School Ground/Creating an Outdoor Classroom • Objectives • Process underway + future • Roles • Long Term Vision • 2011/12 achievements • 2012/13 objectives • Other Greening Opportunities at Hilson

3. Objectives • Create a school ground with more greenery, diversity, usability and activity potential • Buffer yard from the busy road • Create segmented areas for Students to enjoy being outside – doing different types of activities • Maintain spaces for sports • Develop an outdoor classroom in the southeast corner with sitting / work tables, garden planters, sitting stones, etc. • Create more shade and sitting areas for kindergarten yard • Ensure long term sustainability of the project • Outcomes • Students enjoying a more diverse experience at Hilson • Students connecting with nature while in an urban setting • Student leadership maintaining grounds/gardens • School connects with the environmental values that most children have inherently

5. Process

6. Roles Green Team • Volunteer Coordinator – Ted Ferguson • Teacher leads – Collette Brooks, Li-Shien Lee • Student leads – Grade 6 Green Leaders Group • Board - Jeff Kaster/Evergreen advisor • Parent council – Jen Stelzer (Funding)

7. Evergreen Support

8. Funding Opportunities • Grant programs Evergreen TD Friends of the Environment Foundation • City of Ottawa • Tree Canada • Local Businesses • Parents • Hampton Iona Community Grant

9. Long Term View • Project is implemented over three phases, and three years • Greening Coordinator position keeps attention over the long term • Ongoing maintenance and upkeep will be required • Students and Teachers will play a big role in the usage, upkeep, and oversight for the spaces created by this project.

10. Conceptual Plan

11. Outdoor Classroom Plan

12. Proposed Stages and Phases • Phase 1: 2011/2012 • Outdoor classroom features, clean up entrance way with gardening, mulch, new plants etc. • Phase 2: 2012/13 • Green buffer along Richmond Rd. fence line, main yard and kindergarten yard greening improvements, continue adding to outdoor classroom, tree planting to replace lost Ashes. • Phase 3: 2013/2014 • Complete both yards with additional improvement options, continue maintenance of accomplishments.

13. Phase 2 Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 2 Phase 2 Phase 2 Phase 3 Phase 1

14. Phase 2 Phase 2 Phase 2 Phase 2 Phase 3 Phase 2 Phase 1 Phase 1 Phase 2

15. Phase 1 2011/12 Accomplishments • Students surveyed • Grade six students engaged in outdoor classroom planning • Major outreach to parents and local business and community • Funding target ($20,000) surpassed ($21,000) • Initial work on outdoor classroom tendered and completed • Butterfly garden designation and planting initiated • Entrance to school re-naturalized and ‘greened’

16. 2012/2013 Objectives • Fundraise an additional ~ 25k • Create plan for main yard and kindergarten yard transformation in consult with teachers • Begin construction on plan in summer 2013 to be completed before September • Spring work for butterfly and food garden in outdoor classroom • Plantings in fall 2012/spring 2013 • Fruit trees planted in October 2012 – tended to in 2013

17. Info boards, Volunteers, Entrance Area Improvements

18. Outdoor Classroom

19. Other Greening Opportunities • Eco-schools opportunity • Additional environmental improvements? • Curriculum • Recycling • Organics composting (green bins) • Renewable energy • The coordinator position through the Parent Teacher council is tasked with looking at creating additional environmental initiatives at the school.

20. Thank you! • For more information: • Ted Ferguson, Hilson Greening Coordinator • 613-715-1747 • thefergusons@primus.ca