Not a Waste of Time - Waste Free Lunch Challenge Winners
Grade 6 students at Golden Learning Centre Public School, KPDSB, were recently awarded a prize of $1000 for their participation in the Recycling Council of Ontario’s Waste Free Lunch Challenge. The RCO awarded twenty $1000 prizes on November 12, 2010.

Over 50,000 students in Ontario participated in this challenge which involved sorting and comparing the mass of garbage, recycling and compostable waste that was collected during nutrition breaks for 5 days, and comparing the average amount of waste produced per student during the challenge with the waste collected on a day prior to the contest. MORE

National Wildlife Week and the Year of the Forest
In celebration of the International Year of the Forest, the theme of the Canadian Wildlife Federation Robert Batemen Get to Know Art, Writing and Photography Contest is "Wild Neighbours of the Forest". The contest launches during National Wildlife Week, April 10-16 and wraps up on May 23. The forest poster depicted on the left can be ordered from the CWF here.

The CWF’s Walk for Wildlife takes place that week, encouraging students to head outdoors to explore wildlife in their local area and log their kilometres as part of a national tally.

CWF’s Habitat 2020 is a program with funding opportunities for youth to develop a habitat improvement project for wildlife..

The United Nations appointed Yann Arthus-Bertrand to produce the official film for the International Year of Forests which can be seen here.

Download free educational posters for schools around the world celebrating the Year of the Forest at GoodPlanet.org.

Local Partnerships developed at the Living Locally Fair at St. Thomas Aquina
St. Thomas Aquinas, CDSBEO, hosted the Living Locally Fair in partnership with the Russell and District Horticultural Society on Saturday January 22. Almost 1000 people from the community came out to the school to learn about local farms and organizations that offer produce, goods and activities,and how buying local reduces our ecological footprint.   

Students from grade 9 to 12 helped set up and host the Living Locally Fair and attended workshops and presentations on everything from climate change to cooking demonstrations using local ingredients. 

Students had a chance to work closely with the Horticultural Society members. In return, the Horticultural Society shares their knowledge and guidance with the school as they grow heritage vegetables to plant in their Giving Garden which is open to the community. 

Students collected food and $576 in cash donations for the Good Neighbours Food Bank.

Take Your Kids Outside Day Resources
To help promote the Back to Nature Movement, one of our EcoSchools board representatives, Roberta Oswald, is challenging all teachers in Ontario school boards to take your kids outside on Friday May 6. It can be for thirty minutes or the entire day. Teach a lesson or simply enjoy natural beauty in your school grounds or local natural setting.

Roberta has created an activity list for the day as well as a template for identifying 12 wildlife species with your class in your local area on May 6.

Any class participating in Take Your Kids Outside Day can write about their experience to takeyourkidsoutside (at) gmail.com to have their efforts acknowledged.

Green Songbook
Alfred Music Publishing, in
collaboration with Guitars in the Classroom has published a
new guitar songbook celebrating environmental education in song with
The Green Songbook. Visit greensongbook.com for more information.