Fostering Community Spirit with Some Outdoor Work
On May 26, 2006, Mother Nature co-operated with a joint effort between the Atlantic View Trail Association and students from Atlantic View Elementary School. The blackflies were few, a foggy haze ensured no sunburns, the temperature was just right and miracle of miracles, not a single drop of rain fell. The conditions were perfect for the 65 students to plant red and black spruce saplings at the head of the Atlantic View Trail.
I arrived early and spoke with Piet Mars, the Trail Warden, and Doug MacLeod, chair of the Atlantic View Trail Association, about the project. Their goal is to reforest the trailhead, an area which had been devastated by Hurricane Juan, and create a picnic area for families. Mars hopes this will encourage people who use the nearby Salt Marsh Trail to continue along the Atlantic View Trail.
“We want to involve the kids so that they can feel some ownership,” Mars said. “If they're involved it may reduce vandalism.”
Students watch as Piet Mars, Atlantic View Trail Warden, shows them the correct way to plant a sapling.
The saplings and the loan of large shovels were donated by Coastal Trilling Reforestation. It was this company which had removed the trees felled by Hurricane Juan.
Students from the school's Primary, Grade 1, 3 and 4 classes arrived on foot carrying coffee tins, sand buckets, ice cream tubs and an assortment of digging utensils. I watched the excited throng and wondered how on earth the parents and teachers would focus their energy.
That’s when Libby Tobias stepped in. The owner of Bloomers, a local yoga and fitness studio, took the students through a series of warm-up exercises, ending with a move familiar to fans of the original Karate Kid movie – the crane.
Then the kids were each given a sapling to plant. After a short time had elapsed the ground was dotted with saplings and it became a challenge to walk from one location to another without doing a Godzilla on some poor tree.
Jordan, a Grade 1 student, frequently walks the trail and loved the idea of helping restore it. She tended her sapling with care, making it clear she would always feel a bond with the park.
"Anything hands-on is so good for the kids,” explained Brenda Cormier, a teacher and vice-principal at the school. "It teaches how important regeneration is. If we take anything out we have to put something back."
The school has a history of community-oriented volunteer work that dovetails with the curriculum. Previous projects include protecting the habitat of the piping plover, an endangered coastal bird. Now, they are learning about reforestation by actually doing it. Brayden, a Primary student, echoed Mars' earlier comments by telling me that he would be keeping an eye on the park to make sure nothing happens to his tree. “I would be sad if anything happened to my tree,” he said.
By fostering community spirit and providing a fantastic learning experience, the school is accomplishing a great deal in a relatively simple fashion.
So I was surprised to hear that the school was among those that had been put up on the chopping block in a bid to reduce the education budget. Fortunately, they successfully fought to stay open. Had they closed, the community would have suffered a tremendous loss.
Kevin Toal is a freelance writer who applauds schools that give back to the community while providing students hands-on learning experiences.
Piet Mars
1953 - 2015
Piet was an active and dedicated volunteer with the Atlantic View Trail Association for over 10 years. One of his pet projects was the construction of an observation deck overlooking the West Marsh at the West Lawrencetown Road trailhead. Piet was determined to see this project through and was especially looking forward to it being an “outdoor classroom” for children from the nearby Atlantic View School. The observation deck is a fitting reminder of Piet's years of dedication to the Atlantic View Trail.
Piet's energy, enthusiasm and expertise have been sorely missed.