The first trees have been planted as part of an estimated $15,000 nature project at an elementary school in Chatham.
According to the Lambton Kent District School Board (LKDSB), over 60 native trees were planted on Friday in the northeast corner of McNaughton Avenue Public School's schoolyard.
The initiative is being led by Nature CK with financial support from Greenfield Global, the municipality of Chatham-Kent (CK), the Lower Thames Valley Conservation Authority, Enbridge Gas, and the school's Parent Council.
“We saw this under-utilized green space and immediately thought about what it could become,” said Mark Gagner, NatureCK Project Coordinator.
As the project continues, there will be more additions to the space, including a 20-by-30-foot pollinator garden, two benches, educational signage and educational card sets for classroom use, as well as an interwoven stone chip pathway.
The hope is that this project will connect classroom learning to the natural environment.
"For students at McNaughton Avenue Public School, that means a greener schoolyard today and a new place to explore, learn and connect with the natural world for years to come," added a statement from the LKDSB.
