Pickering Blooms kicks off at Highbush Public School
May 12, 2010 - 04:30 AM
By Kristen Calis
PICKERING -- The students at Highbush Public School are no strangers to greening the community, so the City of Pickering chose to kick off the 2010 Pickering Blooms program at the elementary school last week.
Pickering Blooms encourages Pickering residents, businesses, schools and organizations to get involved in making Pickering a greener, better place to live, work and play. Attending the launch were Mayor Dave Ryan, members of council and the Durham District School Board, and representatives from TD Bank, Metro and Toyota, which had given grants to Highbush to help with the garden.
"Your achievements truly illustrate what Pickering Blooms is all about: the community working together to make Pickering a more beautiful, caring and sustainable place to live," Mayor Dave Ryan said.
He added Highbush was the winner of the 2009 Garden of Distinction award, and spoke of the important roles youth play in the community, and in the environment. He mentioned Highbush, a member of the Ontario EcoSchools program, participates in a number of sustainability programs, such as holding pitch-in parties where students clean up litter from spring to fall, and has adopted a park, which it regularly maintains.
"It is my hope that other schools will follow your lead and participate in these important programs," he said.
Residents, schools, organizations, businesses and youth and families are invited to apply to Pickering Blooms. They'll receive garden signage and can enter to have their garden reviewed by horticultural experts.
In celebration of the launch, the Highbush choir sang What a Wonderful World, a couple of students read stories they'd written on the importance of the environment and others displayed murals of animals, insects, birds and flowers they had created using seed paper they can plant at home.
Fifth-grader Taylor Brown is a member of the school's Eco Club and explained the group collects recycling from all classrooms each Tuesday and meets once a month to discuss different aspects of the environment.
"We're also known as the Eco Police," she joked.
Ward 2 Regional Councillor Bill McLean also spoke at the event as co-chairman of the program.
"What you have done here is a small but critical piece of the puzzle and I am proud to be able to name your work as a part of what makes this community a great place to live," he said.
He listed some comments from judges regarding Highbush's winning garden last year. They included 'It looked like sunshine on a rainy day' and 'What a haven for teachers and students alike.'
Those interested in participating in Pickering Blooms can register online or call for more information.
VISIT: www.cityofpickering.com
CALL: 905-683-7575
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