The Sudbury we see today—green and lush, with thriving forests—shouldn’t be taken for granted.
Not that long ago, Sudbury was a land of barren black rock. Mining processing practices had resulted in serious environmental damage and destruction.
Yet students today are often unaware of this local history. In fact, when asked about regreening, most aren’t familiar with the word or the concept, nor do they realize that efforts continue to take place today. They’re amazed at before-and-after photos that show the effect regreening has had in areas that were mostly barren soil and rock.
This is precisely why the story needs to be shared. Greater Sudbury is an inspiring example of hope and demonstrates the positive impact people can have when they work together as a community to rebuild forests and increase biodiversity. The next generations are key to the continued healing of our local ecosystems. By learning from our past, we can ensure we do not take the health of this land for granted and that we continue our efforts to help nature recover.
Local scientists have even been invited to other countries that face similar struggles. They share key knowledge gained through local regreening efforts, including community collaboration efforts that are affecting change.
View Against All Odds: The Sudbury ReGreening Story here in English and here in French.
Meet Regreening Educator Camille Tremblay Beaulieu
Camille Tremblay Beaulieu has an undergraduate degree in Biology (with a specialization in Zoology) from Laurentian University, as well as a postgraduate certificate in Environmental Visual Communication through Fleming College at the Royal Ontario Museum. She has held several positions in communicating environmental sciences.
“I was always interested in environmental sciences and loved the great outdoors. I also always loved the arts (visual arts, photography, writing and videography), so when it came to studying, it felt like a difficult choice,” she says. “After my undergraduate degree in science, I decided to merge both paths by studying Environmental Visual Communication. In this program, I got to explore and refine my skills in various creative mediums of communication such as photography, design and videography, and was able to stay in the environmental field.”
Camille started working with the City of Greater Sudbury as a Regreening Educator in the fall of 2024. By the end of April, she will have already visited more than 1,000 students in over 30 schools, across all four local school boards.
“Most students today don’t know how badly our landscape was affected by industries such as mining. They have been fortunate to grow up in a city that is now much greener than many of us knew growing up. Many of them are shocked when they see what Sudbury used to look like not so long ago compared to today,” says Camille. “It’s important for them to understand the history of our city and how it relates to their own lives. It’s also encouraging to share some positive aspects of human impact and how we as a community were able to bring back forests against all odds to the area.”
The experience has been great so far. “Every group is so different, and because I am working with age groups from Grade 4-12, no day is the same. Students come up with the best questions that keep me learning and help me grow as a communicator. It has also been very encouraging to see so many students that are interested in learning about regreening. Not only is it more enjoyable to see them interested in what I have to share, it also makes me very happy to see how many of them care about the health of the environment,” she says.
Her program is free to all schools within the City of Greater Sudbury and includes:
First visit: A presentation that includes a game. These interactive curriculum-based visits vary by grade level and explore the history of our city as well as the science of regreening.
Second visit: Teachers can choose from the following outdoor workshops, most of which align with EcoSchools actions.
- Build a forest: Help us build a small forest in your schoolyard with native trees.
- Cover that soil: Explore the importance of soil cover in schoolyards, natural ecosystems as well as our own regreening efforts here in Greater Sudbury! Plant native species in your own schoolyard.
- Hike to the past: Come visit a regreened site and see the difference humans can make when they work together for positive change. (Busing is covered.)
- From ashes and smoke: Draw with limestone and join us in creative projects related to regreening. No need to be an artist!
- What lives in your schoolyard?: We talk a lot about biodiversity in natural ecosystems, but what about urban areas? Explore and measure the biodiversity found in your schoolyard.
She continues to offer first visits to schools and soon she will be starting some of her second visit workshops. There are still openings for both visits which are offered to all schools within Greater Sudbury, from grades 4-12, free of charge.
Says Camille, “It’s encouraging to see the interest of so many students in the environment and our local story. It gives me hope in how this next generation will care for these landscapes we call home. Knowledge is power, and I hope that these students will take what they have learned and apply it to their everyday lives by protecting and caring for the health of their local ecosystems.”
Learn more about the City of Greater Sudbury and its commitment to reducing greenhouse gases and helping the community achieve its net-zero goal by 2050.
If you have a project you’d like the City to highlight, contact Jennifer Babin-Fenske at [email protected].
To book your in-class presentation, email [email protected].
RESOURCES
- Regreening Classroom Presentation
- Regreening resources - For schools that are interested in bigger regreening projects in their schoolyards