Fresh Air, Exercise, Eco-learning, history and geography all wrapped into one fun outing!

That is exactly what the children of Mount Pleasant Elementary School experienced when Gary Dover took them on a guided Fall Nature Walk this week. The walk was part of the Green Team program which promotes environmental literacy and leadership. Helping children connect to nature, along with reducing waste and conserving energy at their school are the main tenets of the program.

Dover told the children that he first fell in love with the woods when he was their age. “I use to go out in the forest with my field guide and explore for hours,” he told the kids. Later in life, when he became a cabinet maker, his interest in different types of wood and the forest in which the trees come from grew deeper.

As he spoke, Dover weaved a complex story for the children of the inter-connectedness of the various tree species, the soil, as well as the history and geography of the region dating back 8000 years to the past ice age.

He helped the children understand their own relation to the land. Dover explained, “You know, trees help nourish the soil and if we don’t have healthy soil, we can’t grow vegetables. Without trees to clean our air, we would breath in pollution.”

Fifty-three kids participated in this Fall Nature Walk.  The rapt expressions on their faces illustrated their level of engagement as Dover showed the group what looked like an ordinary tree, “This Hemlock tree is between 800 and 1000 years old!”Then he brought in the local history with, “You can look around and see all the materials the First Nations People needed to build canoes. They likely traveled these routes to hunt deer.” Bringing the group back to modern times, he pointed to a Canadian Yew, “This is a key ingredient in cancer fighting chemo therapy today”.

Professor Christopher Buddle, local entomologist and parent of three children at the school, was also in attendance. He pointed out the connection between the trees and the local bird population and their symbiotic relationship.

There is much talk today about Nature-Deficit-Disorder in children caused by excess screen time and over-scheduled lives. The importance of helping our children reconnect to nature is paramount, especially as they will be the ones with the heavy burden of healing our planet. Kudos to Mount Pleasant, Lorel Crawford (Principal), Jennifer Weir (lead teacher), as well as the volunteer parents and community members who are supporting the Green Team program in the school. It is an excellent example of parents working together with the school and community for the benefit of a holistic green education for kids.


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