Are there more to plants than meets the eye? Could there be plant "families" and "communities," like human families and communities that communicate and nurture each other to ensure survival of the species? This beautifully filmed episode of David Suzuki's The Nature of Things takes viewers on a journey through the mysterious world of plants and their behaviours. If you've only got a few minutes to view the episode, fast forward to the section with Dr. Suzanne Simard (36:00) and her work on how trees communicate (if you've seen the movie Avatar, you'll find her work even more fascinating!)
If you haven't yet watched this series of films, this summer may be the perfect time. Few films have captured nature's beauty as the BBC's Planet Earth has done. Divided by topic into 11 films (exploring everything from the deep unknown places in the caverns and oceans of the world to the highest peaks of the Andes and Rocky mountains), this series is our EcoSchools staff's perennial favourite!
Another visually stunning film, Home goes beyond filming the rich beauty of the planet and asks the hard questions about the environmental and social costs of human activity on this planet. While most of the film presents realistic and stark reminder of nature's fragility, woven throughout is the message of hope in its resilience and our ability to take action to make positive environmental changes. At the end the film's narrator asks, "What are we waiting for?"
Here's a shorter version of Dr. Suzanne Simard's work in BC's Redwood forests to uncover the vast networks of roots and fungi that help trees communicate with each other. She draws upon the similarities between a forest system and the neural networks in the human brain.
A slow, human breath, in and out, is the only sound in this quick Greenpeace video that highlights the connection between our oceans and the air we breathe.
This list wouldn't be complete without another staff favourite. This WWF one minute video puts nature and humanity side by side and reminds us that we are indeed all connected.
Summer Web Surfing
1. Catching Up on Environmental Issues
The David Suzuki Foundation
Who has time to delve into any website that gives us food for thought about the major issues of our times? The David Suzuki Foundation website won't let you leave easily once you settle in! A perfect spot for a summer visiting, even briefly, after surfacing from the end of the school year. Do these pages offer material to make "the environment" come alive in merging media literacy, critical thinking, civics, and STSE expectations?
Climate change Check out four places to cut your carbon. Yes, you've heard these suggestions before, but there's something peaceful about limiting the number to four and looking at our lives with this purpose in mind. That peaceful feeling may dissolve upon reading, so choose a moment when you're feeling resilient! The site reports that Canada is "the largest consumer of energy in the world on a per capita basis, and the second largest producer of greenhouse gases (after the United States). We have just over 30 million people, but we use as much energy as the entire continent of Africa, home to 700 million!"
Energy ♦ Transportation ♦ Food ♦ Take action
Access to knowledge David Suzuki's essay "Muzzling scientists is an assault on democracy"lists a long series of federal government actions that are changing citizens' and journalists' access to research. Such "big picture" writing help to piece together the fragments of news that get scattered amidst the noise of everything else going on. Definitely a piece to save for a time when you can sit and absorb it all. What does the government say in response?
Once bitten by the "homegrown park" bug, it seems no growing space is too small! For more, read the article reprinted from the June 9th Toronto Star.
Charles G. Fraser PS Part of the "Homegrown National Park"
A new project of the David Suzuki Foundation has trained 21 "rangers" living in the Garrison Creek part of town to entice people to become part of creating a "homegrown park" right where they live. The Charles G. Fraser PS community got involved in the project this spring by transforming a bit of lawn into a native butterfly garden.
Kids' fiction from teacher-librarians:
a few favourites
Teacher-librarians in our schools play a large and important role in our schools. Many are engaged in using books and videos to foster a love of nature, problems in nature and the environment, people helping nature, linking the environment and social justice. Two have responded generously to a late request for a few of their "top of mind" favourites to share with our readers.
Jill Kelsall at xxx PS starts with "picture books I love to think about life with":
*I Am I (Mary Louise Fitzpatrick)
*The Rabbits (Marsden and Tan
Earthdance (Ryder)
Paddle To The Sea (Holling)
All The Colours of the Earth (Hamanaka)
Magical Earth Secrets (Burford)
Looking Down (Jenkins)
*Old Turtle and the Broken Truth (Wood)
*Varmints (Ward)
*The Sneetches and The Lorax (Seuss)
Dear Children of the Earth A Letter from Home (Schimmel)
The Blue Stone (Liao)
*Only a Pigeon (Kurtz)
*The Falling Raindrop (Johnson)
*"Books I wouldn't want to teach without!"
"Off the top of my head--novels that inspire a love of nature: [OLD SCHOOL]: My Side of the Mountain, Rascal, Hatchet, Paulsen's books in general, Sounder, Old Yeller, Marley and Me
, etc.
Lisa Teodosio at Thomas G. Wells writes "I can think of many must-reads on the topic of science and/or eco. lit. (the hazards of being a teacher librarian!)" but limits herself to a few, saying "you asked for two...I could go on; I get rather excited about eco. lit and books."
Winston of Churchill: One Bear's Battle Against Global Warming
The Little Hummingbird (how one bird made a difference against a forest fire)
Wangari's Trees of Peace: A True Story From Africa
A Child's Garden: A Story of Hope
Lisa adds, "I have tons on social justice which I weave into eco. lit.":
Listen to the Wind
The Enemy
Mr. Maxwell's Mouse
Mrs. Marlowe's Mice
Apple blossom poetryIn the garden
"Madame look!" The student pointed at the light pink pedals falling from the large apple blossom tree in the schools garden courtyard. "It's like the arbre pleut (tree is weeping) white raindrops!"
- Thanks to F.I. Kindergarten teacher Teresa Tan for sharing this gem.
John English garden
In a recent David Suzuki Foundation website article, psychiatrist Dr. Shimi Kang talked about how important being in nature is for our mental health. "Our internal biology rewards us when we do something important for our survival. That reward is a feeling of well-being, rejuvenation or pleasure, and it is mediated by our brain's neurochemicals. Anyone who has ever felt better by going outside in nature has experienced this reward. It is biology's way of telling us to do it again-being in nature is important for our survival....Why do you think almost all babies stop crying when we take them outside? We are biologically driven to be in nature."
What's new here is the focus on how our brains change when we-and those of growing children more particularly-go out into nature. Even well-chosen plantings in a school courtyard garden can make a difference to how we feel, as the students at John English can tell us!
John English students connect gardening and mental health
John English students connect gardening and mental health,
teachers sing the benefits of learning outdoors
Having learned about the mint and sage plants growing in their courtyard garden, students in John English's Eco Club researched what else they might add to one of the full sun beds. Lavendar was a clear winner-it's hardy, attracts butterflies, and produces a sweet and calming scent. The Eco Club joined with the Equity Club to create a lavendar garden to provide a place for mental health exercises such as yoga and meditation. Equity committee students are using the garden during lunch for yoga sessions.
Teacher Helga Trudeau makes a compelling case for the benefits of learning in the garden, starting with life science observations and going beyond to make wider connections in, about, and for the environment.
"I use the outdoor gardens to teach the Life System strand of the science curriculum. There is nothing like an authentic hands-on experience to learn about the needs of creatures and plants. The students get to see the garden habitat and learn about how the plants and creatures need each other to survive.
The garden is also a good way to teach students about the importance of preserving our green spaces. It gets the students active in recycling and composting. We also discuss green energy and how it helps preserve our environment.
The outdoor garden also makes a great place for learning. The students love having their lessons taught outdoors. The air is fresh, the sound of the birds and the wind is soothing, and the scenery is calming. I also know that, for some students who do not have a backyard, this is an experience they only get at school."
Thanks to teacher Carolyn xxx for this story and many wonderful pictures showing us the students' pride and delight in their work.
Summer Institute:
Using Inquiry Learning
to Build Community
LSF and Natural Curiosity host this 3-day opportunity to collaborate and reflect with other teachers, explore teaching outdoors and using knowledge-building circles that can transform learning and build citizenship skills.
Who: K-Grade 6 (ECEs too!)
When: July 23rd-25th
Where: 45 Walmer Rd., Toronto (The Dr. Eric Jackman Institute of Child Study Laboratory School)
Time: 9:00-4:00
Cost: $150.00 (includes breakfast, lunch, and refreshments)
Registration: July 8th, 2013 at inquiry.eventbrite.com.
Energy Conservation:
"Shut the sash" may be coming to TDSB schools!
Our Sci-Tech staff sleuths have uncovered a fumehood energy conservation program at Harvard University that we could adopt to reduce energy use and costs in our schools! Steve Bibla tells us that TDSB school chemistry labs have 200 fumehoods, 75 of them in 12 schools. He observes that chemistry studies have changed a lot; we just don't need as many of these fumehoods as we once did. Harvard has shared its campaign "shut the ash" sticker with us. Watch for more development in the fall!
Summer Learning Opportunities
Learning Community:
School Food Garden Ecosystems Workshop
Spend a summer day with one of Toronto' veteran garden educators to explore activities that incorporate school food gardening into classroom learning! Sunday Harrison and Green Thumbs Growing Kids have been supporting school gardens since 2001. You will learn about plants and compost; how to design your school's food garden; planning food for humans and butterflies; school gardening tips, and designing a naturalized space, and tour the gardens at Rose Avenue, Sprucecourt, and Winchester PS.
Early bird special; $30 before July 1; then $50. Includes lunch and resources. When: Friday July 19, 2013, 10am-3 pm Who: Teachers, caretakers, educational assistants, educators Where: Winchester Public School in downtown Toronto
Get your students excited about eating and growing fruits and veggies while teaching them about the connections between the food we eat, the environment we live in, and our health and wellbeing as well as that of the global food system. Two workshops left in this series:
Good Food Education Cost: $200 When:July 11 and 12, 10am-3pm,
Location: FoodShare, 90 Croatia St.
School Grown Innovations Cost: $200 When: August 8 and 9, 10am-3pm Location: TBD
*University of Toronto Forestry graduate students' analysis reveals that 70-75% of all of our trees have suffered trunk damage from lawn mowers and string trimmers or student/neighbor vandalism. This problem has a solution! Planting trees properly with protective cages, combined with a good mulching program, will significantly reduce lawn mower and string trimmer damage and keep students far enough away from the base of trees to minimize the impact of excessive soil compaction.
*Fifty-one percent of our TDSB urban forest is currently made up of just 3 different species-ash (18%), maple (21%), and locust (12%). So little biodiversity means that our trees are vulnerable to more blights and infestations as the climate changes and invasive species become more common.
New TDSB Urban Forest Management Plan
The board has a forest?!!
Well, not a forest in the unusual sense. But across the city we have 36,000 trees on our schoolgrounds, which does make up an important part of the city's urban forest.
The need for a set of principles to guide the management of the TDSB's entire "forest" of trees became evident last summer as staff began responding to the emerald ash borer infestation. At least five thousand of our schools' 6500 ash trees will die as result of attacks by this Asian beetle. There is no known cure; all that can be done at present is to inject the trees with a bio-pesticide every two years. Last year 129 trees were injected as part of a pilot program; this summer we are aiming to inject about 1500 still-healthy ash trees.
In keeping with the Board's Environment Policy we need to take the longer view. In a climate-changed and climate-changing world, we need to go beyond the immediate impact of this single invasive species.
The new Urban Forest Management Plan consists of 9 guiding principles and 8 "quick-starts." Quick-starts include the re-assignment of 4 general maintenance workers to a dedicated urban forest maintenance team, a doubling of number of trees planted to 400 a year, and the support of a PhD study of the TDSB urban forest. One of the most startling pieces appears in Appendix A: Projected Future Weather Changes Compared to Recent Weather taken from a recent City of Toronto report that forecasts changes over the next 40 years.
The new plan aims to set the Board on the path to creating the healthy and diverse urban forest that we want for all of our students now and for generations to come.
Monarch Teacher Network of Canada Workshop Valley Park MS July 3 & 4, 2013
Bring the magical story of the Monarch to your classroom! This workshop teaches about the Monarch's life cycle, migration, and habitat requirements through indoor and outdoor experiential activities and games, drawing on both visual and performing arts.It also a discussion ofethical and political considerations related to species conservation and social justice issues in Mexico. Learn how to handle and feed a Monarch and what's involved in tagging and tracking them.
Cost is $95 plus tax. Includes snacks and all supplies.
The latest edition of the Nature Guide dives into the wonderful world of monarch butterflies. The arrival of these beautiful winged migrants to their northeastern habitats has begun, although so far there have been few sightings in Ontario. Is your school in a part of the city where Monarchs might stop
by? If not, maybe your school garden would welcome
the addition of milkweed species such as Common Milkweed, Swamp Milkweed, or Butterfly Milkweed. The marvels of insect life are partly reflected in sheer numbers and size-a single Monarch female may lay as many as 400 eggs. The eggs hatch within 4-5 days and tiny caterpillars (the larvae) emerge. They grow an amazing 2700x their original size in just two weeks--no wonder they have to grow new skin (molt) five times!
Visit the web page for more details and to check out their "top picks" for extending classroom learning.
Expanded Large Tree Program
also thanks in part to the emerald ash borer!
With 5000 ash trees expected to die, the Board will be doubling the large tree program. The City will donate 400 trees a year; the Board will re-direct resources (as outlined in the Urban Forest Plan) to plant, protect, and maintain them.
What's the process for getting trees? This fall, schools will be considered for large trees to be planted in fall 2014 if they have received an on-site design consultation. Watch for a new application process that will be in place by this September!
Environmental Issue:
Alberta oil sands clean-up harder than first thought
The complexity of removing the tailings (fine waste suspended in water) after the oil has been mined through fracking has left the industry and regulators stymied. All four licensed operators that so far come under the regulation have failed to meet their deadlines for clean-up.
A co-editors we'r e always watching for small items that may pique our readers' interest. Jenn found a lot of eye-opening information in this article and suggested it was a good follow-up to last month's oil sands piece. But it was this dead-pan explanation for failure to comply that caught Diana's eye: "Some operators, such as Suncor, hoped to dry thin layers of tailings in the sun, but have found the weather unco-operative. She erupted with "That darn weather. How dare it be unpredictable or unco-operative!"
What sentence or piece of information in this short article might stop you in your tracks? Click here to find out!!
Creating Gardens of Goodness: Annie's How-to Guide for Five Kinds ofchildren's Gardens
Cultivating a garden with children offers a life-affirming
context for strengthening child-to-child, child-to-adult,
and human-to-nature relationships. When working or
playing in a garden, we all learn to slow down and connect
with each other and our surroundings.
-Preface, page xx.
Contains lots of eye-pleasing illustrations and common-sense directions for just about everything you need to consider for any of the five types--window sill, vertical, raised beds and container gardens, large-scale, or cold-frame, tunnels and green house gardens. Of particular interest for the teacher-gardener enthusiasts in our climate may be this last set which illustrates how to extend the growing season and provides instructions for creating basic structures.
Each section begins with advantages and disadvantages and lists location choices, materials, choices of plants and soil, care and maintenance. This downloadable 66-page booklet is a wonderful advertisement for the power of good design. It makes the content so clear and accessible that it can bounce the reader into thinking--at least for the moment--"What a good way to engage kids in their learning. I can do that too!"
School Tree Maps
thanks to Bruce Day and Uof T Forestry students
Chances are that your school has its own tree map!
Bruce Day knew years ago that we needed to know what trees were planted on our grounds. He linked up with the UofT Forestry department staff who saw that summer inventorying was a great learning opportunity for its graduate students. 405 of our schools now have maps of the trees on their grounds. For the past 9 years, 2 or more U of T Forestry students have spent the summer creating inventories. One of the great benefits of this work has been our ability to locate our ash trees and find those that have not yet been attacked by emerald ash borers.
A teaching and learning opportunity...
What might spark students' and colleague's interest in your school's tree map? Our School Ground Greening Design Facilitator Gail Bornstein throws out a series of questions to challenge our knowledge of trees and of the school's natural history.
What does a tree need to grow?
What happens to a tree as it grows?
What keeps a tree from falling over?
What do you see on the ground around the tree? Can you see differences in the ground surface?
How old are the different trees at your school?
If there are any really large trees, do you think they were there before the school was built?
How has the community grown around that tree?
What are the benefits of a tree for students, the building, and the school's neighbours?
Which schools don't have tree maps yet?
Schools in Wards 4, Ward 1 (except Westmount JS) , and Ward 5 (except Fisherville) have not got tree maps; those areas were quarantined because of the Asian long-horned beetle. Forestry students will complete the inventory of remaining school grounds in other wards, then turn to these three.
Tree maps ready thanks to our co-op student Akash Patel
