With school grounds often resembling parking lots rather
than places of inspiration and learning, the need to bring
nature back to students is a growing concern for many parents
and teachers, a press release states.
 
To help address this concern and re-connect its students with
nature and provide hands-on access to the outdoors, Alexander
Public School applied for and received funding in the amount of
$500 from Toyota Evergreen Learning Grounds.
This support will help the school transform part of its school grounds into a natural play area and outdoor classroom conducive to expanded curriculum and learning opportunities involving nature. A 2003 Evergreen study titled, "Gaining Ground," reported that students show more enthusiasm and engagement for learning when it occurs on green school grounds.
"The intent of the project is to give our students an opportunity to learn about and experience nature first hand," said Lisa Piquette, principal, Alexander Public School. "Coupling nature with an expanded curriculum makes learning fun and tangible for students. We're so happy to receive support from Evergreen and Toyota to help create a special, natural area for the students to grow."
Plans for the school ground include further planting of shrubs and adding mulch in the Wildlife Habitat Garden, started in 2005. The garden is used as an outdoor classroom to teach students about nature, as well as a natural play area. An ongoing element is the spring and fall regreening days when students at the small school will be in charge of mulching, weeding and general upkeep of the area. 
"We initiated the plan to naturalize the school grounds at Alexander Public School because we wanted to give our students the gift of nature," said Naomi Grant, parent.
"The idea is to give students somewhere to go, a more natural gathering place," said Piquette. "Every class has done something to be a part the project. It's amazing to watch children discover nature - and the opportunity for them to learn from it is priceless."
All the elements of the greening project at Alexander Public School provide students with opportunities to study the environment in a hands-on manner and to connect to each other in a more natural sense.
"As children become disconnected from nature, they become disconnected from each other," said Geoff Cape, executive director, Evergreen.  "And soon, their lives can become as artificial as their environment. That's why it's so important that Evergreen continues working with schools as the primary starting point to reintroduce our children to their natural environment and instil a sense of wonder and stewardship within them."
Toyota Evergreen Learning Grounds strives to increase the educational use of school grounds and their ecological diversity; improve children's health and well-being, nurture child development, and improve the energy - and cost-efficient design of school grounds.
