Time to plant some seeds,
Donated by a local garden centre,
But what to plant them in?
Then a colleague offered
A tool for making pots.
All that's needed are old newspapers,
Torn into strips,
Then wrapped around the handle,
Which gives shape to the pot,
Before being turned gently around the circular base,
And there you have your paper pot.


Then fill the pot with potting soil,
Before making a hole for the seed
With the end of a pencil.
Next plant the seed in the soil
And cover completely.


Water slowly and carefully,
Then place each pot on a large tray,
Before carrying to a ledge by the window.

Pitch In,
A time for picking up garbage,
Other people's garbage,
With help from our big buddies.


We cleaned up the area on either side of Joseph Creek,
By the Tamarack Mall,
Where garbage gathers.
Sadly this year was no different,
And, after close to an hour of hard work,
We had filled more than 20 bags.
But we should all feel proud of our efforts!!


It is also a time to reflect.....
Oh for the day,
When Every Day Is Earth Day!!

Earth Day,
A time to reflect
About the natural beauty
All around us,
And how amazing
Nature is.

Four sessions with the grade 8s
To prepare and present two plays,
With an Earth Day theme.

The Wartville Wizard tells the story
Of an old man, who gets tired
Of picking up other people's garbage,
Until one day he can't take it anymore.
Then Mother Nature appears,
And gives him special powers
To return garbage
To those, who threw it away.
Many strange-looking people,
Covered in garbage,
Wait to see the village doctor,
Who has never seen anything like it before.
What will happen next?


In The Great Kapok Tree,
A woodsman enters the tropical rainforest,
And swings his axe at the mighty tree,
Until the heat gets to him,
And he lies down for a rest.
While he sleeps,
All the animals, that depend on the tree,
And a child from the Yanomamo tribe,
Draw close and speak to him,
Telling him why the tree is important to them.


When the man wakes up,
He sees all the animals and the child
Staring at him.
Slowly he stands up,
Picks up the axe,
And then looks one more time
At all those around him.
What will happen next?

Great news about the chicks born recently!! Thanks for the update, Judy.!!

By the way, one of our kindergarten classes has had lots of excitement with baby quail, ducks and chickens being born in the past two weeks!!

We gather round a stream trailer
Where we learn about our creek,
Our watershed
And sinuosity.

As a tap is opened,
And water flows down the channel,
We have fashioned
With hands and trowel,
We quickly notice
That the banks are collapsing,
And the soil is being carried
Downstream.


It's time for us to problem solve
About how to prevent erosion.
Will planting shrubs help?
Can their roots
Hold the soil in place?


As the water is released
To flow downstream,
We watch closely
To see whether the plants
Will do their job.

This workshop helps us
Better understand
How plants can reduce erosion,
And provide food and shelter,
As well as shade
For fish and other creatures.

In a few weeks
We will visit the creek
To plant some native plants,
And put into practice
What we have learned.

On a sunny, windy afternoon,
A Canada goose family goes for a walk
By the lakeshore.


Not far away
A western painted turtle
Suns itself on a log
Close to a wooden dock.


A stick lying on the trail.
A movement.
A small, smooth head,
Raised slightly off the ground.
Slowly it wriggles
Into the tall grass,
And then it is gone.
A garter snake!

In class we review
What we've learned
From working with the stream trailer,
Before walking to the creek.
Streams meander.
Trees and shrubs
Are important
Because they provide oxygen,
Food and shelter,
And shade,
Which helps keep the water cool
In the heat of summer.
The roots stabilize the ground,
And reduce erosion.


As we walk upstream,
We experience the power of water,
The sinuosity of the creek,
And see for ourselves
How plants help the creek.


We stop to pick up some fallen twigs
And drop them in the water,
Watching excitedly
As they are carried off downstream.