Part of a garden project at Roberta Bondar School.
It’s been a busy few days! Running into Toronto was fun, even though I didn’t take a really scenic route… Kingston Rd isn’t the most exciting place to run. But logistically, it allowed me to meet up with my friend Nicki as well as finding a meeting place for CBC Metro Morning. I met with John Chipman who does a weekly segment on Trails in Toronto. So it was fun to chat with him… that story will air on Metro morning next Tuesday. The highlight of the day was definitely meeting my parents near the bottom of Yonge St. They have been on holiday visiting their mothers in Windsor and Burlington, so the timing to see me was good! After some hugs and pictures, we ran a little further together before sitting down on a patio to catch up!
Today was a full day of schools… we started at Blessed Trinity in Toronto and then drove to the Brampton area to have visits with Roberta Bondar School and Cheyne Middle School. Every school is unique and has different things going on. Roberta Bondar is a newer school and has some amazing cultural diversity! Joan Hamilton is the principal, and as small world things work, her daughter worked with me at the outdoor centre in Haliburton years ago. This school has a gardening program and even their focus of nature murals on the walls of the school indicate the commitment to including environmental education into the curriculum. Joan let us know that there was milkweed planted in the front of the school and that there are 3 rabbits inhabiting the garden! Students at Cheyne Middle School took Sarah and I on a walk to see the blue bird project that Rob Ridley had helped implement. It’s amazing to see the attachment with nature that can develop when you give students a sense of ownership on things like boxes that they build for these birds. A great project! Both Sarah and I had the chance to chat with students along this walk and that one-on-one interaction is so special. There are some incredible students in this country and it almost feels comforting to know that they will one day be in charge… hopefully!
The front garden at the school…
Every February we honour the legacies, contributions, struggles, and triumphs of Black communities. We’re recognizing both Black History Month and Black Futures Month, acknowledging the past and present while also looking forward to an equitable future that celebrates Black leadership, resilience, and innovation. To help us celebrate Black voices in the outdoors and support anti-racism […]
Photo: Elder Christopher Stock and his daughter Keana opening Take Me Outside’s Ontario Educator Wellness Retreat in a good way Tomorrow, on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day, we invite non-Indigenous members of our Take Me Outside community to join in quiet reflection, self-education, and a re-commitment towards justice, as […]
Happy Pride Month! We have put together a Read, Watch, Listen guide featuring books, films, podcasts, resources, and accounts to explore. Plus some amazing outdoor opportunities to explore and celebrate Queer Ecology and creating safe spaces in the outdoors! Read For Educators Nature Needs a New Pronoun by Robin Wall Kimmer Evoluntion’s Rainbow by Joan […]