A Breath of Fresh Air

I was a student in the public school system in Ontario for 14 years. From all of the thousands of hours of lessons what do I remember most, these 16 long years after graduation? My memories are clearest of those experiences where I was physically involved in the learning process, learning with all of my senses, moving, interacting with others, often outside the walls of the classroom. Your sharpest memories were probably generated in the same way.

My most vivid memory of my schooling is of visiting a local outdoor education centre with my class when I was 9 years old. While on a hike in the woods I remember my horror when we came across a snake with a frog trapped in its mouth. I was determined to free the frog by bashing the snake on the head but the instructor said, 'It's not always easy for us to understand, but this is how nature works.' Ah the bitter cruelty and drama of it all! From that moment I was hooked. A million questions zinged through my mind. The instructor answered as many questions as she could and suggested some great books to read when I got home. I was officially on my way to being what A Breath of Fresh Air: Celebrating Nature and School Gardens calls ecologically literate: A person who values and understands the functioning of ecological processes and is able to make decisions in their lives that will not disturb these processes. That day the snake would live, the frog would not. I now understood that this was nature's way and, as much as I cringed, I did not disturb them.

A Breath of Fresh Air: Celebrating Nature and School Gardens provides snapshots of wide variety of school gardening projects in Toronto that are providing thousands of students and local community users with daily opportunities for experience-based learning. By creating or simply spending time in these places, people from all walks of life come to value them. People protect what they value and by adding ecological teachings to the mix you have a recipe for ecological literacy. Houghton suggests that it is only by creating an ecologically literate society that we can expect to create a sustainable future.

The book quotes a 2002 Environics International poll: It found that only 4% of Canadians feel they have the information to keep the environment healthy. The poll also found that people felt schools could do the best job of generating ecologically literate citizens.

In A Breath of Fresh Air Houghton notes how the Toronto District School Board has tackled some important first steps in creating an educational system that graduates ecologically literate students. It has introduced three organizing concepts (sense of place, ecosystems thinking, human impact) to bring an ecological dimension to the curriculum. It also has a small environmental education department to assist schools with projects. However, Houghton insists that 'continued commitment from policy makers and educators to foster a prominent role for ecological studies in the school curriculum, accompanied by appropriate support in the form of funding and staff training,' is needed. She notes that the movement is well under way but it is up to the teachers, parents, community members and policy makers to continue to lobby to make the ultimate goal of graduating ecologically literate citizens a reality.

The book features beautiful photographs and words of wisdom from a wide variety of project participants across the nation's largest city. The projects range from food production gardens, to habitat restoration projects, to active play gardens. The pages provide readers with design inspiration and basic tips for project success. The main objective of the book is to provide inspiration to those who are considering taking on a gardening project or who need encouragement to continue this valuable, but sometimes draining work. It also makes brief note of the importance of community participation, various funding sources, and common mistakes to avoid.

This book is not a detailed, in-depth, hot-to manual or a complex analysis of environmental education. It does suggest other resources to learn more about related topics. However, if you are looking for seeds of inspiration, a scrapbook of success stories, and some light, brief reading to stimulate your mind, then this book is for you.

If the test of great educator or a great educational book is not only to provide people with information but also to get them fired up and determined to find out the answers to their own questions, then this book has passed the test with flying colours. Enjoy and happy gardening!

Elise Houghton, the author of this fine book, is an environmental education consultant who has worked with parents and educators in an effort to include ecological literacy in our school system. Robert Christie is an internationally renowned photographer whose photographs of nature, gardens, and active children illustrate every page. Margaret Atwood's foreword adds that personal touch of someone who's been there and done that. All three live in Toronto.

In a 1999 survey of 600 Toronto schools, some 150 schools responded with descriptions of their attempts at greening their schoolyards. The survey results inspired Houghton to produce this book, which details a varied selection of school garden projects within the City of Toronto. Every school is named and some of their project aims, efforts, problems, and successes are described. For example, Humber Downs Academy undertook an experiment with an imported predator to combat the invasive loosestrife. Eastdale Collegiate and Brock Public School are greening their rooftops with cold frames and raised beds in order to grow food, improve air quality, save energy, and (believe it or not) make the roof last longer.

The book is replete with ecological wisdom, gardening tips, quotations from folks in the know, and plenty of beautiful photos. Among the topics covered are the role of communities in school gardening, landscapes for active play, habitat rehabilitation projects, and the special role of trees. A Breath of Fresh Air is recommended for caretakers, educators, and citizens who have the wellness of the younger generation at heart.

At the front of A Breath of Fresh Air: Celebrating Nature and School Gardens, there is a quotation by Fritjof Capra: "Learning in the school garden is learning in the real world at its very best. It is beneficial for the development of the individual student and the school community, and is one of the best ways to become ecologically literate and thus able to contribute to building a sustainable future." The book reinforces this premise with a foreword by Margaret Atwood, beautiful color photography by Robert Christie, and insightful stories by Elise Houghton of schoolyard greening projects across Toronto. Separate chapters explore the benefits of school gardens and community involvement in school gardening, describe a variety of gardens and habitat rehabilitation projects in Toronto public schools, discuss the special role of trees, and emphasize the importance of reconnecting children to nature through enviromental education. Descriptions of specific school projects illustrate the diverse approaches possible and provide some practical 'how-to' information ...