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Presentation Overview
• Greening the School Ground/Creating an Outdoor
Classroom
– Objectives
– Process underway + future
– Roles
– Long Term Vision
– 2011/12 achievements
– 2012/13 objectives
• Other Greening Opportunities at Hilson
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Objectives
 Create a school ground with more greenery, diversity,
usability and activity potential
 Buffer yard from the busy road
 Create segmented areas for Students to enjoy being outside –
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doing different types of activities
Maintain spaces for sports
Develop an outdoor classroom in the southeast corner with
sitting / work tables, garden planters, sitting stones, etc.
Create more shade and sitting areas for kindergarten yard
Ensure long term sustainability of the project
 Outcomes
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Students enjoying a more diverse experience at Hilson
Students connecting with nature while in an urban setting
Student leadership maintaining grounds/gardens
School connects with the environmental values that most
children have inherently
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Process
1. Support of the
Principal
6. Attend Board
Greening Workshops
(2011/2012)
7. Apply for Funding
2. Connect with Board
resources – affirmation
of opportunity and
process
5. Refine landscape plan
with student survey
input, and further
discussions with Board
resource (Jeff)
8. Stage gate different
parts of the project
implementation (multi
year?)
3. Connect with
Teachers and Students
4. Connect with Parent /
Teacher Council – get
their support - create
‘greening coordinator
position’
Enjoy New School
Ground!
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Roles
Green Team
 Volunteer Coordinator – Ted Ferguson
 Teacher leads – Collette Brooks, Li-Shien Lee
 Student leads – Grade 6 Green Leaders Group
 Board - Jeff Kaster/Evergreen advisor
 Parent council – Jen Stelzer (Funding)
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Evergreen Support
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Funding Opportunities
 Grant programs
Evergreen
TD Friends of the Environment Foundation
 City of Ottawa
 Tree Canada
 Local Businesses
 Parents
 Hampton Iona Community Grant
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Long Term View
 Project is implemented over three phases, and three
years
 Greening Coordinator position keeps attention over
the long term
 Ongoing maintenance and upkeep will be required
 Students and Teachers will play a big role in the usage,
upkeep, and oversight for the spaces created by this
project.
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Conceptual Plan
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Outdoor Classroom Plan
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Proposed Stages and Phases
• Phase 1: 2011/2012
– Outdoor classroom features, clean up entrance way with
gardening, mulch, new plants etc.
• Phase 2: 2012/13
– Green buffer along Richmond Rd. fence line, main yard
and kindergarten yard greening improvements,
continue adding to outdoor classroom, tree planting to
replace lost Ashes.
• Phase 3: 2013/2014
– Complete both yards with additional improvement
options, continue maintenance of accomplishments.
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Phase 2
Phase 1
Phase 2
Phase 2
Phase 2
Phase 3
Phase 2
Phase 1
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Phase 2
Phase 2
Phase 2
Phase 3
Phase 2
Phase 1
Phase 1
Phase 2
Phase 2
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Phase 1 2011/12 Accomplishments
• Students surveyed
• Grade six students engaged in outdoor classroom
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planning
Major outreach to parents and local business and
community
Funding target ($20,000) surpassed ($21,000)
Initial work on outdoor classroom tendered and
completed
Butterfly garden designation and planting initiated
Entrance to school re-naturalized and ‘greened’
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2012/2013 Objectives
 Fundraise an additional ~ 25k
 Create plan for main yard and kindergarten yard
transformation in consult with teachers
 Begin construction on plan in summer 2013 to be
completed before September
 Spring work for butterfly and food garden in outdoor
classroom
 Plantings in fall 2012/spring 2013
 Fruit trees planted in October 2012 – tended to in 2013
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Info boards, Volunteers, Entrance Area Improvements
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Outdoor Classroom
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Other Greening Opportunities
 Eco-schools opportunity
 Additional environmental improvements?
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Curriculum
Recycling
Organics composting (green bins)
Renewable energy
 The coordinator position through the Parent
Teacher council is tasked with looking at
creating additional environmental initiatives at
the school.
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Thank you!
 For more information:
 Ted Ferguson, Hilson Greening Coordinator
 613-715-1747
 thefergusons@primus.ca
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