Progress continues on the Re-Wilding Project at Perley Elementary School. The project aims to allow students to experience nature while learning.
That from Instructor Sharon Peron who says over 160 trees and large bushes, plus about 200 small perennials are to be sorted next Wednesday, September 18th, and planted the day after on the 19th:
“All the trees are within the fenced compound, so it’s in the South-East corner of Perley field right up against the alley on 73rd….”
She adds she’s been an outdoor education enthusiast for a few years:
“We do art, we do stories, we talk about aboriginal culture and heritage of this land, we do science, we do social studies….”
Peron says the idea of outdoor classrooms is spreading:
“It’s starting to happen across the province, there’s some in Nelson, and Salmo, and Kaslo, a few other communities have built outdoor schools where they are very close to accessing large parks.”
She thanks local businesses and organizations for their support and donations, including the Regional District of Kootenay Boundary who’s grant funding helped get the ball rolling, and Bron & Sons Nursery who supplies the trees. She says next steps in the project include an outdoor learning centre: a sort of sheltered picnic area. A shed and information kiosk are also on the way, with help from Grand Forks Secondary School’s woodworking class.