Put Up a Paradise is one of the two articles published by Green Teacher in its February 2016 edition that is freely available to read. We are highlighting it here to draw your attention both to the article, and to Green Teacher itself, as this is a journal that NAEE finds to be consistently informative and interesting.
The article begins …
On a sunny Saturday in May 2014, teachers, students, and community volunteers were out in full force at Rideau Heights Public School in Kingston, Ontario. Donning safety boots and gloves, volunteers pried up square slabs of asphalt from the school courtyard. When they were done, 96 square meters (115 square yards) of soil had been exposed, creating a space for an outdoor learning centre featuring a butterfly garden, native trees, perennials and a sensory garden filled with scented herbs.
Schoolyard greening has many social, physical and environmental benefits. It is no surprise that more and more schools want to turn hard-surfaced playgrounds into green oases that stimulate senses and inspire the imagination of their students. A school’s ability to renovate its playground is often limited by money, but with a little ingenuity, your school will be able to tear up old surfaces and plant new ones.
To read the rest of the article, go to the Green Teacher website where you will also find details about how to subscribe.
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The picture at the top of this feature was taken in the Algonquin national park in Ontario.