Greening of school grounds and other facilities

[Tess Frost]

I have just come up with an idea. I tend to jump in with all 4 feet, and then wonder what the heck I have got myself into, but I feel that if I get enough people who are the same to start working on this kind of project, we will be able to share the load and this not be overwhelmed individually. I would love to co-ordinate this initially, but would also be happy if someone with more savvy in this kind of thing were to offer to take over the overall management and I would concentrate on contributing where I am most able to.

So below, here is the idea. Contact details at the end of this letter, and I am also a member of Transitions Ottawa, so you can send info/questions via this page.

Generally read "Transition Ottawa Member" where-ever I have written "Home-scholar".

This kind of project would further the Transition Ottawa agenda and gather disseminate a lot of knowledge and skills regarding sustainability and structuring communities for a high quality of life that does not involve being a millionaire. There are other institutions that could benefit from or be created within this kind of activity. The landscape architect colleague I refer to mentioned that he had been involved in the creation of transition home communities for homeless people, to assist them in moving from homelessness back into a more pleasant role in the community. This was in other cities. I am sure there are other projects like this that we could tackle. The people who benefit from this kind of thing would have to be involved and contributing actively - first so that they will buy into and take ownership of such projects, and so that they will feel empowered by their participation, not patronised or "catered to", and that they will feel a level of commitment to the project that they would not otherwise gain, having invested something of themselves in it.

So please read on and if you would like to be a part of this, or have ideas or anything to contribute, please contact me.

E-mail posted to Home-scholars network

  

Hi everyone,

 

I work for a landscape architecture company. This involves a lot more than landscape design. This website of some schools that have already been through this process will give you some idea of the issues encompassed by
the landscape architecture.

 

http://schoolgrounds.ca/sitedesign.html

 

The whole concept here looks like an extremely exciting thing to do - helping people to achieve this enhancement to their lives. So I am looking for anyone interested in an opportunity to apply many learned skills
as well as get new skills.

 

For my part, I would be learning a huge amount about landscape architecture, project management and so on by spearheading something like this for different schools (I am not qualified as a landscape architect -
I just work for them).

 

So I wondered if any home-scholars would like to be involved - kids and parents. We might have access to other groups for more muscle power - fire-control people, community service groups and so on.

 

For the home-scholars, I see this as a chance to see and participate in the process of co-ordinating, or just participating in, a large project, and seeing how many facets are involved, as well as learning about
those facets - such as working with technical drawings, (Lots of map skills and
math skills required, opportunity for use of arts skills to render possible
scenarios - by hand or on computer if you have the facilities and the programs)
- learning about land use, how to make it sustainable, dealing with the powers
that control these things (city council, school boards etc) coming up with
ideas, sorting through them for the best, learning teamwork and how to
compromise and so on and so forth.

 

If people are interested in participating, I will not rule out ANY age group. Getting a 3yr old's perspective on what a playground should be, or watching the response of a 1yr old to implemented ideas could be
valuable. Older children might like to survey their age group, suggest things,
and so on. And everyone can contribute to planting trees and flowers, or
painting models.

 

Obviously participation will be limited by individual enthusiasm, imagination and abilities, but if a 10 yr old displays the ability to construct a detail model or modify a detail technical drawing, that is jes'
fine by me.

 

The important thing is to be involved, to be able to commit to a certain number of hours (this will vary according to ability preference and aspect committed to) but I say the more the merrier. I would expect parents
to assist their youngsters in learning the requisite skills, or at least
finding the resources to allow their kids to get the requisite skills. While I
will provide whatever I can, I can't provide everything.

 

Hopefully we will have at least on qualified and experienced landscape architect to guide us (one of my colleagues has experience in this area and is being very encouraging, and has indicated a general willingness to
be a part of it).

 

I am also hoping to get "Transitions Ottawa" (please google, but basically a group committed to increasing local self-reliance, community building and mitigating/surviving global warming and
the rising oil prices as reserves are depleted or become more expensive to
exploit.) to help, learn and provide additional ideas.

 

Fundraising will be another aspect - any of you parents got experience in that? There are apparently various schemes one can tap into for this kind of thing, but that would need looking into. This is an area that I
have very little knowledge of, but would be willing to learn.

 

Any parents/students that would be interested in administrative aspects of the program would be most welcome too.

 

If you would like to contact me as groups or individuals, just to discuss, to offer ideas or to commit to participation, please do. I am hoping interest will be strong.

 

Thank you for your consideration -

 

Tess Frost

[e-mail]

 

[Transition Ottawa (/jd)]

One of Transition Ottawa's members, Ann Coffey is, I believe, involved with the schoolgrounds.ca program here in Ottawa. You might wish to contact her as a first step. Contact details are here. A great idea! / jd