1. A lack of awareness about the Greenbelt among youth.
2. A disconnect between the necessities of urban life and the awareness of the wide expanse of threatened greenery that provide for them.This in turn lead to inaction when protection efforts are most needed.
1. By connecting student ambassadors directly with the Greenbelt by highlighting certain crucial regions and services that it provides us.
2. By revitalizing a naturalized zone to help students connect, appreciate and feel at one with the surrounding greenery.
R.H. King Academy is committed to environmental initiatives in our school that connect youth to nature. We host school events, like the Greenbelt Youth Charter support petitions as well as fundraising events, like our e-waste drive and our upcoming initiative to sell seedlings to students to raise additional funds for our projects.
At its heart our project addresses two key issues prevalent among our youth – the lack of awareness about the importance of Ontario’s Greenbelt and the disconnect between the typical student’s urban life and the natural areas all around us. We aim to tackle it on two fronts; through a hands-on, guided tour through key areas of the Greenbelt and in re-establishing and revitalizing our naturalized zone.
1. Firstly, groups of five students from each grade led by ambassadors from the Greenbelt Youth Charter tour will receive the opportunity to embark on a trip around key areas of the Greenbelt – similar to the Youth Greenbelt Charter trip. These students will gain firsthand experience on the expanse, beauty and critical role that the Greenbelt plays to our functioning society. In particular, the students will visit the Rouge Valley Watershed and Ganaraska forest. At the Rouge the students will learn about the importance of a watershed and the threats they currently face. At Ganaraska forest students will learn about responsible and sustainable resource management as well as explore the link between the , natural and recreational components of nature. Using what they learn these students will then become ambassadors for their peers, their communities and families, helping to spread the word of the importance of our Greenbelt.
2. Secondly, our school’s Environment Council will work toward revitalizing our naturalized zone – a small expanse of land that has been designated as protected land by the TDSB. By removing invasive species, introducing native ones, implementing bird houses and mulching the paths we can reinvigorate the area, stimulating new plant life to grow and attracting new wildlife. From there, we will begin to monitor the conditions of the area, documenting plant and wildlife, and furthermore, encouraging students to use the area as a means of connecting with nature amidst the urban bustle.
Ultimately, we believe that by connecting youth with the Greenbelt and having a local naturalized zone, we can bridge the disconnect between urban life and our deteriorating natural expanses. The key to the success and sustainability of our environment lies in awareness of key threats and unity with our greenery, both of which culminate in meaningful action.
Our youth will be the decision makers of tomorrow: voters, politicians, ecologists and parents. It is only by acting now that we can make profound, meaningful change. By instilling in our generation a sense of appreciation, of urgency and of conservation we can assure that our children’s children will continue to have healthy, happy lives.