CBA 2016: Wayne Hugli wins Environment award

A well-designed and environmentally-friendly schoolyard where children can play and interact can be as important to learning as the indoor classroom. A study conducted in Barcelona, Spain, found children who had more vegetation around their schools had longer attention spans and greater retention.

In addition, an inviting schoolyard can be an outdoor classroom or gym, and a safe recreation centre for an entire neighbourhood.

Unfortunately, school board budgets rarely can be stretched to pay for landscaping. Grass, trees and gardens are usually kept to a minimum because there are limited funds for maintenance.

Wayne Hugli, an educator, devoted gardener, and a member of VETAC, the city’s Regreening Advisory Panel, championed the idea of regreening schoolyards in Greater Sudbury. His efforts are applauded with a Community Builders Award.

Borrowing ideas from Ann Coffey, co-ordinator of the Canadian Biodiversity Institute’s school ground transformation program, who started the Ugliest Schoolyard Contest in Ottawa, Hugli and his VETAC subcommittee launched the local contest in 2005. Schools in all four boards were invited to participate. School administrators loved the idea and many schools applied for regreening support through the contest.
 
Because the committee had no funding designated for the initiative it was important to seek community donations.

“I tried to recruit people to make it happen,” says Hugli. “The Sudbury Horticultural Society came on board right away as one of its mandates is to work with youth. I talked to the Master Gardeners too; their mandate is to provide expert horticultural advice to the public. Both contributed a total of about $1,000 to get the project started and a group of volunteers offered their time to work on-site with the teachers and students.”

“Almost everyone I spoke to was keen to get involved. Businesses and organizations realized that it was a big project that would be difficult for one group to take on, but understood that if they each just threw in a little bit, they could be part of an important project that would make a difference to the winning school.”

Hugli thanks VETAC members Tina McCaffrey, supervisor of regreening program, and Stephen Monet, manager of Environmental Planning Initiatives with the city, for their early and on-going support and encouragement.

A landscape designer volunteered her time and met with Hugli and a few other volunteers. One by one Sudbury businesses signed on to the project donating services, materials and labour. Many are still supporting the Ugliest Schoolyard Contest a decade later.

St. Paul the Apostle School in Coniston was the first winner. Hugli estimates the value of the labour and materials donated to that project to be as much as $50,000.

Encouraged by the results, the committee has sponsored the Ugliest Schoolyard Contest every year since. To date, 39 schools have benefitted. In 2007, Glencore: Sudbury Integrated Nickel Operations, became the major corporate sponsor allowing the group to expand its work. In addition to one major makeover each year, runner-up schools receive cash to develop their own regreening projects with support from the committee.

“We always try to include the kids and teachers so that it becomes their project. It is our belief if you just give it to them, they won’t value it, but if they become actively involved, they will make sure it is looked after,” says Hugli.

Much of the groundwork and tree planting is done at the schools in August. The creation of garden beds and planting of hardy native shrubs and perennials by students, takes place in September when the children are back in class. Ideally, teachers will take advantage of the project to teach their students about the environment and gardening. Many schools have established gardening clubs responsible for upkeep.

Hugli, a retired teacher/librarian, is currently serving his second term as president of the Sudbury Horticultural Society. He continues to co-ordinate the group’s successful annual Sudbury Gardening Festival. He also has a passion for history and contributed a great deal of time toward the success of the Sudbury Regional Heritage Fair. He is currently secretary/treasurer of the Ontario Heritage Fairs Association.

“Wayne Hugli has the ability and persistence needed to turn ideas into reality. His efforts are leaving a very important legacy to this community, not only in the beautification of schoolyards themselves but in the community’s enthusiasm for working together for the betterment of an important environment in our children’s lives,” says Tina McCaffrey, who nominated Hugli for the CBA.