The Canadian Wildlife Federation (CWF) is honoured to provide a helping hand to local stewardship projects that connect Canadians to nature through its WILD Grants program.
“I’m continually impressed with the leadership and dedication of school and community groups to a wide variety of conservation education projects,” said Wade Luzny, CEO and Executive Vice President.” By supporting these types of initiatives, CWF is helping enhance the natural learning environment.”
The 2016 CWF Wild Grants include:
- Holy Redeemer High Urban Agriculture Class, Edson AB
Students will plant corn and native flowering plants to attract pollinators and build bat boxes. They will learn about landscaping and soils management. - Elmwood School in Edmonton, AB
Students will create bird feeders from recycled items. They will also enjoy the outdoors through skating and nature walks. - Alexander Elementary School in Duncan, BC
Students will learn about traditional foods and plant restoration through traditional knowledge from elders. They will help revitalize soil and tend crops at a nursery. They will also monitor crop establishment. - Highlands Elementary School Parent Advisory Council, North Vancouver, BC
The Eco-Education program focuses on local watersheds, rivers, oceans and the wildlife they support. Through the Stream of Dreams project, each student will paint a wooden salmon to be included in the natural playground. - Edgewood Elementary School, Edgewood, BC
Students will use wildlife cameras placed in the forest near the school yard to monitor wildlife in the area. Students will also decide on a community action project to help the wildlife. - Beautiful Savior Lutheran School, Winnipeg, MB
Plans are underway to build an outdoor classroom and butterfly garden. - LM Montgomery Elementary School, Charlottetown, PE
Classes will travel to Tracadie Beach to pick up garbage and learn the importance of keeping the beach area clean and protecting wildlife. - École Étienne-Chartier, Saint-Gilles, QC
Students will offer food and shelter to various species of birds in the schoolyard through the construction of birdhouses and feeders. - École Saint-Barthélemy, Montreal, QC
Maintaining seedlings and plants in the monarch butterfly garden. - Dr. A. E. Perry School, Regina, SK
Growing vegetables and herbs all year in the classroom.
In 2015 CWF Wild Grants were also awarded to several outstanding projects.
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One of the displays at the Carolinian Forest Festival Public Day Rocky View Schools – Ralph McCall School, Airdrie AB
Students were encouraged to take responsibility for the outdoor classroom through the addition of varying plant and insect species as well as rain barrels for collections, a rain garden, a bat house and the development of a living wall within our school. - R.W. Bobby Bend Elementary School, Stonewall, MB
Students built, installed and monitored nesting boxes. - Stonebridge Public School, Markham, ON
Students prepared and maintained the greenery in the outdoor classroom and promoted environmental sustainability with the local community. - CASA / New Carlsile High School, New Carlisle, QC
Students built a one-person Optimist Sailboat and a three-person Mirror Sailboat. A video was developed to showcase the learning process. Youth involved received water safety and sailing instruction. - École Dawnview Public School, Hanover, ON
students helped develop an outdoor classroom with seating for drama productions as well as a butterfly garden. They planted trees for shade and nourishment. - St. Michael Corkery Catholic School, Carp, ON
An outdoor classroom was created so students could conduct science experiments, study nature and habitat, take art and drama lessons and work on environmental projects. - Elmbank Junior Middle Academy, Toronto, ON
Students assessed and improved the courtyard space where two duck families repeatedly return each year to have their ducklings. With the help of the Toronto Wildlife Service this school helped saved 23 ducklings and two hens! - Carolinian Forest Festival Organizing Committee, St. Thomas, ON
The Carolinian Forest Festival Public Day showcased species at risk and featured guided hikes and other environmental displays. - École de La Ruche de Lanaudière, St-Vallier, PQ
Students learned to become stewards of the Boyer River basin to support species such as bats, House Wrens, swallows, American kestrels, snipe, hare, garter snakes, frogs and salamanders. - Université de Moncton – Campus d’Edmundston, Edmunston, NB
Summer camp students participated in a workshop on the biology and ecology of bats. They built nest boxes and were encouraged to install them in their yards.
For more information on the WILD Grants program, please visit CanadianWildlifeFederation.ca.
About the Canadian Wildlife Federation:
The Canadian Wildlife Federation is a national not-to-profit charitable organization dedicated to ensuring an appreciation of our natural world and a lasting legacy of healthy wildlife and habitat. By spreading knowledge of human impacts on the environment, developing and delivering educational programs, sponsoring research, promoting the sustainable use of natural resources, recommending policy changes and co-operating with like-minded partners, CWF encourages a future in which Canadians can live in harmony with nature. For more information, visit CanadianWildlifeFederation.ca.