Environment

Meeting the crisis of climate change with the urgency it demands: Izida Zorde in conversation with author and activist Naomi Klein.

“A water what?” was the response I’d get whenever I introduced my grade 8 students to the concept of a watershed.

“Why are we learning outdoors? … To wake up our brains” is the loud chorus from my Grade 2 students at Little Falls Public School. Outdoor learning is an integral part of their daily lives. These students come to school prepared; dressed in layers, with their water bottles, hats and splash pants, they are ready for a day of active learning.

In July of 2007, my life changed forever – by attending a workshop. I remember reading the flyer. “Best workshop I’ve ever taken,” raved one teacher. Really? I wondered how they could spend three days talking about one thing – the monarch butterfly.

Whether you passively watch it or actively work to mitigate it, we have entered into a state of global environmental emergency. We cannot go on as if it were business as usual. Unsustainable environmental practices are systemic and impact every aspect of our daily lives.

Go for Green is a bi-annual event at Millgrove School that proves a small school can accomplish big things.

It all began with one tiny seed. An outdoor hike to the nearby trail guided by Dale, the school’s environmental mentor from the community conservation authority, uncovered the gifts that nature brings as summer magically transitions into fall.

In June, ETFO made history when we moved into our new home in downtown Toronto. The brand new four-story building will serve as an outstanding model for sustainable, efficient construction in the 21st century.