Grounds for Change

North

School List

School Name	Project Description
Fairview High School Peace River, AB Peace River School Division #10	This school has expressed an interest in working with an existing courtyard to convert into a more effective outdoor classroom. The principal Aaron Lloyd has been involved with the outdoor classroom at Whitelaw Elementary (also in Peace River) as well as one in B.C.
Holy Family School Grimshaw, AB Holy Family Catholic Regional Division #37	Removed concrete to create a new courtyard space. Includes murals, native plants of the boreal forest, a green house, and examples of all the natural elements (wood, water, metal etc.) The students have done much of the work on the project, which is connected to their FNMI (First Nations, Metis, Inuit) programming. Received funding from Boreal Forest Education Grant and the Peace Country Health Community Grant Program (see Funding below).
Rosary School Manning, AB Holy Family Catholic Regional Division #37	Have created the worldest largest rosary on their school ground; redevelopment plan includes ideas for other areas and the school is interested in elements such as seating, tipi ring, murals, natural play spaces.
Whitelaw Elementary School Peace River, AB Peace River School Division #10	Has an outdoor classroom.

Board or District Activity

Name	Board Activity
Fort McMurray School District No. 2833 www.fmpsd.ab.ca	Beacon Hill Public School is interested in the concept; plans to start with planning in fall 2006; may look at an amphitheatre and a focus on the front of the school. Ecole Dickinsfield School has also expressed an interest.
Grande Prairie and District Roman Catholic Separate School District No. 28 www.gpcsd.ca	Kateri Mission Catholic School (in Grande Prairie) very interested in the concept; parent group ready to begin planning process in the fall 2006.
Holy Family Catholic Regional Division #37 www.hfcrd.ab.ca	Holy Family School and Rosary School are working on school greening projects (see above). St. Andrew's School and Ecole Providence have expressed an interest in the concept.
Northland School Division No. 61 www.northland61.ab.ca	Fort McKay School is interested in the concept; plans to start with native plant butterfly garden at the front of the school; St. Theresa School has a large area of trees ranging from pine to swamp, representing all the trees native to the area.

Ecosystem Information

Name	Description
Boreal	The Boreal Forest natural region covers the majority of the North. The dominant vegetation is a mixture of coniferous and deciduous. Common species include trembling aspen, balsam poplar, paper birch, white spruce and balsam fir. In the northern boreal region,stretching across the extreme north of the province, the vegetation appears quite similar however, it contains a greater proportion of wetlands and more upland black spruce forest (Click here for details on the Boreal Ecoregion)
Canadian Shield	There is a pocket of the Canadian Shield natural region in the northeast corner of the province. The forests of rocky sites typically contain jack pine, black spruce, paper birch, saskatoon, bearberry, three-toothed saxifrage, pasture sage and reindeer lichen. (Click here for details on the Canadian Shield Ecoregion)
Foothills	Along the eastern edge of the Rocky Mountain ecoregion is the Foothills natural region. Higher elevations are primarily white spruce, black spruce, lodgepole pine and occasionally subalpine fir. Lower areas are more mixed with the addition of deciduous species such as balsam poplar, trembling aspen, paper birch and balsam fir. (Click here for details on the Foothills Ecoregion)
Parkland	A small area of Parkland exists around the Peace River area. Vegetation includes trembling aspen and white spruce with balsam poplar in wetter areas. (Click here for details on the Parkland Ecoregion)

Suppliers

Name

Services

Notes

Dynamic Seeds Ltd.
Fairview, AB
Contact: Keith Lyons dsl@telusplanet.net
or (780) 835-5435

Supplier of native grass seed, wholesale and retail. Affiliated with Big Sky Seed Company in Montana.

Most garden centers will carry native species, even if they don't specialize. Also, see other regions for suppliers that may ship to you.

Naturalization Resources

Name

Services

Notes

Fort McMurray Field Naturalists Society

For more information, write to:

Fort McMurray Field Naturalists Society
152 Cote Bay
Fort McMurray, Alberta
T9H 4R9

or contact:
Grant Henry
Phone: (780) 791-2736

Ducks Unlimited

www.ducks.ca/province/ab

Good information on wetland conservation, links for teacher and student resources. Staff in local offices may be good resources for native plant information etc.

Offices in Grande Prairie, Edmonton and Calgary

Wood Buffalo Environmental Association

www.wbea.org

Newsletters may be of interest (check past issues) and possible resource people and contacts.

Funding Opportunities

Name	Services	Notes
Boreal Forest Research Centre www.borealcentre.com	On their website see 'Scholarships and Careers' then 'Boreal Forest Education Award'	The Award is an incentive for High School students (Gr. 10 - 12) to research topics about the boreal forest. Holy Family School in Grimshaw received funds from this program. Deadline is past for 2006. Check website for updated information and lists of past award recipients.
Shell Canada www.shell.ca	On their website see 'Sustainable Development' then 'Benefit Communities''	Shell states that it does not fund school naturalization project, but may help with community or aboriginal aspects of these projects.
Suncor Energy www.suncor.com	See 'Community Investment'	In Fort McMurray/Wood Buffalo area, Suncor invests in initiatives that strengthen communities, provide new opportunities through education, and address environmental issues. Check their website for guidelines and an on-line application.
Syncrude www.syncrude.ca	See 'Community' for a link to their Community Investment Program. Also, their Good Neighbours Program may be a possible fit.	Syncrude's Community Investment Program supports organizations and groups that require assistance with projects enhancing the quality of life within the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo. See their website for an on-line application.
Explore the websites of other major companies in your area, they often have community investment programs you may be able to access. To download a list of funding opportunities click here.