Stay connected--follow us on twitter!
|
|
|
|
Vital Innovation Award
| |
| |
Transformative or scalable interventions for 100 in 1
Day Toronto will be eligible to apply for a Vital Innovation Award of up to $10,000 from the Toronto Community Foundation. (Schools, teachers, organizations, collectives and groups will be eligible to apply)
|
|  |
Tommy Thompson Park open to the public for
weekend exploration!
Visit this special wilderness area right on the edge of the city, which 316 species of birds pass through each year.
November to March 9 am - 4:30 pm
April to November 9 am - 6 pm
No pets! No vehicles!
Map
How to get there
|
Getting to the heart of the issue: Does consumerism blunt feeling?
| |
"People consulted in poorer countries feel, on average, much guiltier about their impacts on the natural world than people in rich countries, even though those impacts tend to be smaller." In his latest blog, UK writer George Monbiot struggles to understand why it is so hard to sustain interest in climate change, especially in wealthier countries. He reasons that hyperconsumption smothers feelings, for both people and the planet. It's a vicious cycle: "The constant bombardment of advertising and marketing...seeks to replace our attachments to people and place with attachments to objects....And the more hyperconsumerism destroys relationships, communities, and the physical fabric of the Earth, the more we try to fill the void in our lives by buying more stuff."
Where do we go from there?
For a summation of some recent studies in this area, click here.
|
|
|
|
|
Sneezing more? Climate change and allergies
"You may be allergic to global warming" says David Suzuki's latest blog. Here's why: "A warming planet means longer growing seasons and stimulated plant growth in many areas....And rising atmospheric CO2 actually increases pollen production." A US Department of Agriculture study showed that pollen production doubled from five to 10 grams per plant when CO2 in the atmosphere went up from 280 parts per million in 1900 to 370 in 2000! If you don't already subscribe to this Friday post, it's often a great way to stay in touch with thinking that reminds us of how everything is connected! Increase your ecoliteracy by reading one article a week--just click here.
Allergies aside, staff is concentrating on school visits and certification audits--that great opportunity to be in touch and learn about all your good work and how we can continue to improve the program to meet your needs and aspirations! |
World premiere of Duck Fever at Mountview Alternative PS on Wednesday May 14th
Looking for new angles to prompt student discussion about how people use resources? Duck Fever is the third play in teacher Roberto Livolsi's hilarious trilogy of stories that dramatize the themes of environment, human vs environment, humans vs. humans. The play is a comedy set in New York City on the first day of spring, 1917, just weeks before the United States enters World War One. The plot involves a philanthropist arriving at his sister Maggie's doorstep only to find Maggie not at home but the postman waiting for her return before delivering the mail. No way to predict where the play will go as it invites the audience to think about missing connections--you have to see it to believe it! All-student cast, grades 5-6, directed by Livolsi.
Location: The gym, Keele PS-Mountview Alt PS, 99 Mountview Ave
Time: 6:30 pm
Cost: $5
Audience level: All ages
|
|
Building nature-smart communities
Tuesday May 20th
How can we enrich our lives in Toronto? Join Richard Louv, the author of Last Child in the Woods and The Nature Principle, and panelists Jennifer Keesmaat, Chief City Planner, and Cam Collyer, Evergreen Program Director, for a presentation and discussion on reconnecting with the natural world, curing nature-deficit disorder, and building nature-smart communities. Hosted by Evergreen and the Toronto French School.
Details: click here.
Location: Evergreen Brick Works
Registration and networking: 6 pm
Presentation and panel discussion: 7-9:30 pm
Cost: $20
|
|
Inquiry and the indigenous perspective Saturday May 24th
N'gwii Kendaasmin (We'll learn and teach together):
Drawing on Indigenous Knowledge to Transform Teaching and Learning in Mathematics and Science
This one-day event will support educators in recognizing indigenous ways of knowing in inquiry-based math and science (K-6).
For more information, visit the website.
Cost: $50 (includes lunch)
Register online: contedreg.oise.utoronto.ca
|
|
Change our city: 100 in 1 day
Saturday June 7th
EcoSchools Section 5 , Question 5.6 
How do we make change? What if hundreds of people united, each putting in place the changes they wish to see in their city, all on the same day? This is the challenge offered by 100 in 1 Day.
Can you and your class develop an "intervention" showing how to make Toronto a better city to live in? These interventions can help transform the city by inspiring others to join in making positive change. No action is too small!
When your intervention is ready, submit it online at 100in1day.ca/toronto.
100 in 1 Day Toronto is presented by the United Way and Evergreen.
For details (and to view a 3 minute video showing "interventions" that happened during Montreal's 100 in 1 Day event), visit 100in1day.ca/toronto. Or contact 100in1dayTO@gmail.com
|
|
TRCA Winged Migration program for grades 4, 6, 7, 10 in late May, early June
EcoSchools Section 4 , Question 4.2 and 4.7
Here's a special chance to combine a visit to Tommy Thompson Park on the Leslie Street spit with focussed learning about, in, and from nature! Students will get to ponder the wonder of migration as well as engaging in activities to hone their observation and data collection skills. If weather  permits, students will get to examine migratory species at the park's Bird Research Station and observe staff and volunteers doing daily monitoring and bird banding. A short half-day immersion in one of Toronto's richest patches of urban wilderness right on our waterfront can offer a unique learning experience to city dwellers of all ages.
Focus has been placed on meeting the curriculum expectations outlined in:
Grade 4: Science - Habitats and Communities
Grade 6: Science - Biodiversity
Grade 7: Science - Interactions in the Environment
Grade 10: Biology - Applied and Academic
Apply now! Spots are very limited.
Time: 10.00 am - 12.30 pm
Available dates: May 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 and June 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Program fee: $200 (no HST) for 30 students and 3 adults plus bussing costs
For more information or to reserve your spot, contact: Caroline MacGillivray at 416-667-6295 ext. 206, cmacgillivray@trca.on.ca or Lindsay Bunce at 289-268-3914, lbunce@trca.on.ca
|
|
York University students available as classroom mentors next year
 Interested in giving your EcoSchools program a boost? A new York U.-
EcoSchools program for Environmental Studies students who can spend up to 10 hours a week in classrooms is in development. Details and an application form will be coming soon. Start thinking now about whether your school would be interested!
The deadline to apply is Friday, June 13th.
Click here to complete the questionnaire.
More information, is available here.
Questions? Contact Tim Leduc at tleduc@yorku.ca |
|
Environmental Education AQ course
 Want to expand your knowledge and practice of environmental education? OISE has partnered with the TDSB to offer a new Additional Qualification course in Environmental Ed that is being offered this summer. This interdisciplinary AQ course will take an inquiry-based, experiential approach for elementary and secondary teachers, using both in-class and on-line learning.
To support EcoSchools teachers, the TDSB will subsidize $400 of the cost for the first 20 TDSB teachers who register and successfully complete the course!
For more information, click here |
|
Resources for digging deeper
|
|
Fracking growth outpacing scientific knowledge in Canada
EcoSchools Section 4 , Question 4.2, 4.3, 4.4 and 4.5
In response to a request by Environment Canada, the Council of Canadian Academies has issued a report on the state of hydraulic fracturing, urging the industry to 'go-slow' until credible baseline data, scientific knowledge, and necessary monitoring is more fully available.
"In most instances, shale gas extraction has proceeded without sufficient environmental baseline data being collected (e.g., nearby groundwater quality, critical wildlife habitat). This makes it difficult to identify and characterize environmental impacts that may be associated with or inappropriately blamed on this development."
The report also notes that while all oil and gas wells leak as they age, fractured wells have a tendency to fail more often as a result of the high pressures they must withstand: "Information concerning the impacts of leakage of natural gas from poor cement seals on fresh groundwater resources is insufficient....The nature and rate of cement deterioration are poorly understood and there is only minimal or misleading information available in the public domain. Research is also lacking on methods for detecting and measuring leakage of GHGs to the atmosphere."
Becoming ecologically more literate is an ongoing project. Here's something worth knowing more about in weighing risks and benefits of resource development for the economy, the environment, and all of us. Read the full report or Andrew Nikiforuk's clear assessment of it here.
|
|
US report: Climate change is happening now
 The US National Climate Assessment report received by President Obama last week contains the biggest amount of climate change data ever assembled, collected over decades by more than 300 experts. The report's online version with its many interactive charts, graphs and maps might even call to mind some of our EcoSchools climate change presentation from past years! The Climate Trends section provides a stunning overview in 12 short sections--good material for a senior science class review!
|
Is yours the greenest school in Canada? The Canadian Coalition for Green Schools and the Canadian Green Building Council are inviting applications to their contest to find "the school that truly exemplifies how sustainability can be integrally woven into the infrastructure, culture, and curriculum of a school."
Eligibility: Schools that offer any grade from K-12 in Canada
Judging criteria:
- Efficient use of resources and reduced environmental impact
- Enhanced health and learning among students, teachers and staff
- Emphasis on sustainability and resource-conservation education
The winning school will receive $2,000 in prize money and the title of Greenest School in Canada.
How to apply: Click here to fill out the submission form now, email by June 27th to be considered for the Greenest School in Canada 2014.
Questions?...about submission criteria, the submission form, or green schools in general - email at any time.
|
|
From the editors' desk...
Think global, keep "acting local"!!
Spring 2014 brought us important reports on climate change from the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the US Global Change project mentioned above. Does it matter that our own government avoids the issue so completely? Yes of course it does. While this silence and inaction is slowing the progress we can make as a country, it doesn't deter students, staff, and parents from continuing to chip away, making changes that will lead to thinking and action that reduces the environmental impact of our schools and departments. Through EcoSchools participation we can keep renewing the idea--and the reality--that together we are making a difference. As David Suzuki puts it, the "solutions are in our nature." This is also the message of the Australian Climate Council, undeterred by being recently de-funded by its federal government: its 6 facts that show beating climate change is totally possible is good food for thought and action anytime, but especially in the spring!
Keep up your good work. And if you have found (or created yourself!) any resources that you'd be willing to tell us about, we'd be happy to include them in our summer reading issue. Surprise us--drop us a note!
Best wishes,
Eleanor Dudar and Jenn Vetter
|
|
|
|
|
