Biodiversity comes from two words: biological and diversity, and means “the variety of life”1. Our earth has millions and millions of different species on it, yet only a small number of these (less than 2 million) have been identified by scientists. This wealth of life is around us every day - from wildflowers to insects to mammals and birds. Did you see a squirrel when you walked to school today? Maybe you saw a bird, or heard one?
Biodiversity is important. All human life, including your’s, your family’s, and your friends’, depends on the way all living creatures relate to each other, and the world they live in. Without biodiversity, we wouldn’t have the foods and medicines that we have. Natural systems help keep our air clean, and play a key role in keeping our land healthy. As well, people enjoy spending time in nature and wild places. But in our world, people are making it hard for some plants and animals to survive. When cities get bigger, and air and land pollution gets worse, the biodiversity of wild places and wild animals is hurt. Nobody knows for certain how things will change if some animals or plants become extinct, which means they disappear forever.
159 countries gathered together at a meeting in Brazil in 1992 to sign an agreement called the “Biodiversity Convention”. All these countries agreed to work together to save the variety of animals and plants in the world. When you, your family and your school, make decisions to live sustainably, you are taking a step towards protecting the earth’s biodiversity.
We live in an amazing world. You are part of the reason it is wonderful! We can all do our part to help keep it that way. The animals and plants around us are helped when each of us make sustainable “green” choices like turning the lights off when leaving a room, composting food scraps , and walking or biking to school.
Sustainability + You = Making Sustainable Choices!
Yes, our students and teachers are making a difference!
STEVENSON'S New Butterfly Garden
Kyle and Danielle, from the Living Prairie Museum, came to Stevenson to help us create a "Butterfly Garden".
This is the fifth Butterfly Garden to be established in the St. James-Assiniboia School Division. With the help of Kyle and Danielle, we started the project by choosing a site for the garden. Then, they made a presentation to Miss Picard's grade 2/3 classroom about the importance of having native prairie plants in our community. The plants help sustain many insects, birds and animals. The grade 2 and 3 students got to plant many different types of plants while learning about what each type of plant provides. We invite you to come by and see it anytime on our front yard. Tell us if you see any butterflies! We would like to thank our caretaker, Mr. Johnston and our School Division Grounds Maintenance staff, Mr. MacLeod and Mr. Franklin, as well as their summer staff, for their hard work in preparing our "Butterfly Garden" site. It looks beautiful!. For more information, contact Jane Couch. (June, 2010)
Strathmillan School participated in the Butterfly Project because we wanted to create an environment where butterflies that were raised by classes could live. Classes wished to learn about the maintenance of a mini-habitat through caring for a garden, the life cycle of the butterfly, and how to care for a living organism.
We enjoyed the presentation that Kyle Lucyk from Living Prairie Museum gave to all of the classes involved in this project. We learned that butterflies are known as things of beauty, but they have also an important role to play in our eco-system. Butterflies pollinate many of our plants that we harvest. They are second only to bees. Butterflies also serve as a barometer for the health of a local environment. Unfortunately, butterfly populations are deceasing due to a loss in habitat. There are far fewer natural meadows present in our cities and suburbs. Butterflies can be enticed back into an environment by simply planting a garden that will have plants for caterpillars to feed on as well as flowers from which butterflies can sip nectar. Kyle taught us that different plants attract different types of butterflies. Butterflies love sun so at Strathmillan School we located our garden at the front of the school facing west which would provide good exposure. The location by the front entrance also protects the garden from strong winds. It would be difficult for the butterflies to feed properly if they were being buffeted by the wind. The staff at Living Prairie Museum assisted students in planting the garden. We are ensuring frequent butterfly visits by planting a wide variety of annuals, perennials and shrubs. This provides both nectar and larval food sources. We also had a presentation from the “Butterfly Lady”. She taught us about the life cycle of the butterfly and how to raise our own. Several butterfly kits were purchased in the spring and students were able to release their Painted Lady butterflies into our Butterfly Garden at our Celebrations of Learning. Teachers and grades involved in this project include: Blythe Lodwick (Grade 1), Debbie Stewart (Grade 1), Jane Logan (K), and Nelson Soltess (Grades 4/5). To learn more about this initiative, please contact Jonathan Baker, Vice Principal. (spring 2009)
Butterflies will be free to fly in butterfly gardens - BANNATYNE, HERITAGE, STRATHMILLAN, AND VOYAGEUR SCHOOLS
Students at Bannatyne, Heritage, Strathmillan and Voyageur Schools will be planting butterfly gardens at the end of May as part of the divisional environmental awareness initiative in partnership with the Living Prairie Museum.
In April, Kyle Lucyk, Education Coordinator from the Living Prairie Museum, met with the principals of these four elementary schools to discuss the logistics of the new flower beds and to plan student presentations with each school.
At Voyageur School, Mr Lucyk met with the Grade Three classes who will be assisting in the planting of their school’s butterfly garden because it ties in perfectly with their grade 3 science unit, Plants. During his presentation to the students, Mr Lucyk discussed how the prairie ecosystem was a habitat for animals and plants and that the prairie plants that come back every year are called perennials. He explained to the students that when they were ready to plant the garden they would have to design where the plants would go by looking at colour, height and the time the plants flowered. Voyageur students agreed they wanted a mix of colour in their butterfly garden! Mr Lucyk showed the students pictures of the types of plants that will be planted in the new butterfly gardens: Early Blue Violets, Asters, Swamp Milkweed, Joe Pie Weed, Pussy Toes, Liatris, Heart Leaved Alexander, Black Eyed Susans and New England Asters. He explained that butterflies are attracted to and eat the nectar in these plants.
St James Assiniboia School Division grounds person Larry McLeod has been busy visiting the four schools and assisting school custodians in the enlarging of: current flower beds, ordering topsoil and coordinating the delivery of the topsoil at each of the sites in preparation for the planting of the gardens by the students with Mr Lucyk’s expert assistance. At Voyageur School Mrs Richardson’s Grade 1/2 class will be harvesting caterpillars to release as butterflies so they will be “free to fly” in the new butterfly garden sometime in June! To learn more about this initiative, contact one of the Principals of these participating schools. (spring 2009)
We are excited about the Sustainable Living program being implemented throughout the school division. Its aim is to further SJASD’s principles and to challenge students and staff to explore activities and learn about conserving resources, protecting the environment, and ensuring human health and welfare through education about the consequences of our actions and our responsibilities to each other and to the planet.
Get more involved!
Learn more about this topic from these knowledgeable and active Manitoba-based organizations:
