Going green in a big way

West End

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This article was published 15/05/2024 (734 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

At Greenway School, they take their name seriously.

On May 8, 49 new trees were planted by students on the grounds at Greenway School (390 Burnell St.) to create the Greenway School Community Forest, a dynamic green space for the school and community. In the evening the students, families, and community members gathered for a barbecue to celebrate and plant trees together.

“Everyone’s excited,” said Nic Skrabek, a Grade 4 to 6 teacher and member of the school’s education for sustainable development committee.

“Today, with the help we got, we’re planting the Greenway Community Forest, planting 49 trees of a wide variety. The idea being that it will bring back a forest with trees of all different shapes and sizes, while working with what we’ve got in the community. Every classroom will get a chance not only to plant a tree but to spend time with an arborist and ask the questions they have.”

According to organizers, the new trees are much-needed, as the majority of the mature elms on the school property and throughout the surrounding neighbourhood have been removed or are marked for removal due to Dutch Elm Disease. The Greenway School Community Forest will “promote the uptake of green infrastructure in the city, helping to reduce heat island effect, improve stormwater management, mitigate flood risks, improve air quality, and elevate the physical and mental well-being of Winnipeg’s residents.”

“A goal of the school over many years is bringing living creatures back into our greenspace,” principal Jolene Boult said. “This is a good opportunity to do that, which we can incorporate into our learning and also our community, to have shade and greenspace to gather. We want our community to use our space when we’re not using it.”

“One thing our community was telling us was to bring back the nature here,” Skrabek added. “When I started here, this was a grass desert. The only trees on the grounds were ones planted when the school was built in 1909. They’re now all marked to be removed.”

The project was spearheaded by the school’s education for sustainable development committee and funded by the Green Action Centre, with support from Green Communities Canada’s Living Cities Canada Fund, an initiative which will support 28 community greening projects in seven provinces across the country this year. The project also received support from the Manitoba Eco-Network, West End Resource Centre, Trees Winnipeg, and Green Drop.

“Our partners were a huge part in making this happen,” Skrabek said. “Not only just to plant the trees, but to make the whole plan happen. Also to look forward to funding to make sure the trees are taken care of, to make sure we have watering for the next two years.”

Being eco-friendly is part of Greenway’s identity, Skrabek said, adding the school is a Jane Goodall Roots & Shoots School, which empowers young students to become active in their communities, with a focus on environmental stewardship and good citizenship.

“We have multi-generations of staff and students who have come here,” Skrabek said. “We’re planting trees right now for our students, but also our students as they become young adults, and hopefully for their kids after. We want the kids to have a chance not only to plant a tree, but to come back in a couple years and come back years later and say: I was here when this was planted.”