Supporting Wild Canadian Bees

2021, Calgary, AB, Canada

Protecting our native bee population is something that can have lasting positive effects on our way of life, and no one knows this better than Aisling, a grade 9 student at St. James School in Calgary, Alberta. Aisling had a growing concern for the local bees and pollinators in her schoolyard after realizing that bee habitat was lacking. This inspired her project to create biodiverse pollinator gardens at her school, to complement the existing bee hotels and native gardens.

While pollinator garden projects were started at St. James School in the past, Aisling was determined to improve them by planting various native wildflower species to attract local bees and other effective pollinators. In doing so, these bees would have healthy habitat to live in and pollinate, and, with a bit of luck, allowing their population to grow. She and her fellow students hope that the increase in pollinator habitat and populations will have a positive impact on the natural areas in her school and community. These environmentally conscientious initiatives will subsequently benefit the greater watershed, and improve life on land for all.

Fast-Growing Dense Mini Forest

2021, Calgary, AB, Canada

When Will, a grade 9 student from St. James School in Calgary, Alberta learned that road transportation produces a majority of CO² emissions in Canada, he decided to take action with his “Fast-Growing Dense Mini Forest” project. Noticing that his school lacked natural green space, and acknowledging his school’s proximity to two major highways, Will proposed a plan to improve his school’s native gardens by planting more fast-growing and resilient trees and shrubs to help combat CO² emissions while also restoring biodiversity.

Will’s research into these miniature forests showed that they can grow 10 times faster and become 30 times denser than a traditionally planted forest. Additionally, these mini-forests can absorb significantly more carbon while creating prime, natural habitat that could attract hundreds of wildlife species. With this in mind, Will proposed the planting of dozens of tree and shrub saplings in a small area of his school yard in an effort to fight climate change and improve life on land.

His project gained outstanding support from his school and community. St. James School is a long-time CFOW participant that have spearheaded multiple initiatives, including running their own composting program (which is being enhanced to involve more students). Will and many of his fellow classmates began to take action. Students have already planted over 100 tree saplings and seeds in their school yard, and have been watering, weeding, replacing mulch, and repairing their natural area in hopes to establish their very own miniature urban forest. Will’s project has allowed his community to learn more about their environment and watershed, and they hope to inspire more schools to follow suit and plant more native vegetation in their schoolyard to support our urban ecosystems.

Mountain Bluebird Bird Boxes

2021, Calgary, AB, Canada

Jessica, Sage, and Zoee, grade 8 students from Cardston Junior High School in Cardston, Alberta looked to help bird populations in their community, their county, and the Oldman Watershed. After speaking with Parks Canada, they researched a lesser known native species, the Mountain Bluebird, which relies upon the Oldman Watershed in the area. These small, colourful birds are declining due to habitat loss and increase competition with other birds like sparrows and starlings. Jessica, Safe, and Zoee decided to take action by working with the Mountain Bluebird Trails Conservation Society in Lethbridge, and planning, building, and donating wooden bird boxes to help some of these birds.

Jessica, Sage, and Zoee worked with a local hardware store to prepare the materials, and educated their classmates on native bird species throughout the process. They garnered the support of their teacher, principal, siblings, and parents in the school community to help out with various aspects of the project, such as transporting supplies and cutting the wood. All four grade 8 classes were involved in learning about the bird boxes, as well as assisting with the construction of them. These three organized everything into kits, taught other students how to construct them, and delivered the bird boxes to the conservation society. The organization will then install them throughout the area so that they are ready for the birds that may need them for years to come, including the beautiful Mountain Bluebird.

By researching, planning, and fostering interest in this cause, Jessica, Sage, and Zoee hope to help support local bird populations by providing consistent shelter and safe nesting sites, while raising awareness about native bird species and the factors that may be contributing to declining populations. The whole project – from idea to proposal to implementation – was a fun and engaging learning process that has taught these students to better appreciate efforts to protect and care for our watersheds!

Vertical Garden Project

2021, Sacramento, CA, USA

When Ella Waite and Mia Andrade from George Washington Carver High School started researching vertical gardens, they were impressed by the myriad of environmental and social benefits they could provide. For their Caring for Our Watersheds project, Ella and Mia decided to not only build a vertical garden, but to also document the process and share through social media. With this added component, they could more widely demonstrate the benefits of the design and hopefully inspire others to try this type of gardening. As detailed in their proposal, vertical gardens allow people to efficiently utilize the space available in urban environments to provide food, improve air quality, reduce heat-island effects, save energy, and increase biodiversity.

Pollinator Garden Project

2021, Sacramento, CA, USA

George Washington Carver High School students Alicia Hernandez, Nyla Jones, and Brandon Chu initiated a project that aims to raise awareness about declining pollinator populations well as establish habitat and nectar sources for native bees. The group grew pollinator- friendly plant species from seed to establish gardens and to give plant starts to members of their community. A brochure that discusses the importance of pollinators, the benefits of the species chosen, and tips for plant care will accompany the plants they distribute. Caring for Our Watersheds funding from Nutrien helped the group purchase materials needed for planting and outreach.

Water-Wise Garden Project

2021, Sacramento, CA, USA

Malisa Cheng and Samantha Vang, students in Grant High School’s GEO Academy, know that drought in California is an ongoing issue. In an effort to reduce the amount of water used on landscaping, the students decided to focus their efforts on planting a variety of water-wise plant species that would still serve as habitat for native bees and butterflies. The students researched plants, and found that yarrow, penstemon, and salvia sp, were especially suited to the local climate and region and provide nectar sources during spring and summer. In addition to planting these species, the students also planted a few drought tolerant trees that will provide habitat, fruit, and can help sequester carbon, especially when mature.

Drought Tolerant Garden Project

2021, Sacramento, CA, USA

For their Caring for Our Watersheds project, Grant High School students Madeline Her, Cady Moua, and Alexa Martinez focused on conserving water through water-wise gardening. The team worked to identify drought tolerant plants, such as lavender, ceonothus, and blanketflower, that not only require less watering than traditional landscape plants, but also provide habitat for a variety of pollinator species. Due to COVID-19, each team member planted a small demonstration garden in her own yard that utilized these species, and, in 2 yards, removed a section of the grass area that needed frequent watering. The project allowed for the students to reduce landscape water use as well as share their new knowledge about the process with family and neighbors.

Planting for Pollinators

2021, Sacramento, CA, USA

Julia Vang, Cinthia Hernandez, Jorge Martinez, and Hansome Lee worked together to propose and plant a drought-tolerant garden that would provide excellent habitat for pollinators. Their project addressed the issue of ongoing drought in California as well as declining pollinator populations. When students came back to campus part-time, the group planted salvias, lavenders, and select roses in a new section of the garden dedicated to pollinators. These species will attract and provide nectar for bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies as well as be a beautiful addition to campus that students can be proud of.

Campus Garden Project

2021, Sacramento, CA, USA

In an effort to promote water-wise landscaping while providing a biodiverse habitat for local birds, Grant High School students Alex Thao and Harmony Xiong designed a garden project which included several different drought-tolerant species that would provide nectar and food sources for species such as Anna’s hummingbird and Western Meadowlark. In addition, their design placed the garden near the outflow of a downspout off the roof, thus utilizing and slowing the flow the storm water. The original design proposed the garden in Harmony’s yard, but they were unable to build it there. While Harmony and Alex remained in distance learning, their classmates, Brianna Garcia and Alexander Martin helped find a place at school that was quite suitable and put in the plants, which included a Crape Myrtle tree, several Salvia species and bunch grasses. The students also plan to add signage to the garden to educate others on campus about the plantings and their benefits. This is a great example of students working together to accomplish a project despite the circumstances of COVID-19.

Promoting Fair Trade and Reusable Products

2021, Sacramento, CA, USA

When Grant High School students Faith Xiong, Nicholas Vang, and Tralisa Cheng started researching environmental issues and sustainability, they learned about Fair Trade certification, and that it is a way to make a conscious choice to support responsible companies, empower workers, and protect watersheds. They knew they wanted to do a project to promote the fair trade industry. They also knew they wanted to promote the use of reusable products to reduce the waste from single-use plastics, styrofoam, etc. They proposed a unique project that allowed them to do both. The students created coffee mugs for their teachers with their own original artwork and environmental messages. With the reusable mugs, they provided Fair Trade coffee and attached info cards that described the fair trade mission and benefits and encouraged recipients to support fair trade products. Their project raised awareness about Fair Trade, promoted reusable products, and expressed deep appreciation for their teachers working hard through distance learning in a pandemic.