We think it is very important to be involved in environmental issues. We have a 2 acre property that is exclusively maintained by organic methods. We do not use pesticides, herbicides, fungicides or insecticides anywhere on our premises. We also have a blue box recycling program and a composting program in place. We work hard to reduce our water consumption and we recycle all of the diapers that we have here. We are also the first child care centre in Ontario to be BullFrog powered; that means that we are powered 100% by green electricity!

Discovery EcoKids plant in the organic garden.

We learn all about the 3R´s and about why we conserve water and compost. We have also made our own organic garden, which is really fun to work in, where we grow and harvest our own produce to use in recipes and donate to our local Food Bank. Children are taught about alternatives to pesticides and insecticides, such as companion planting and the use of beneficial bugs.

Our school age program started a Green Team this year. They are responsible for getting the word out about the importance of taking care of our environment. They also help other schools with their recycling collection.

Students get down in the dirt as they prepare the gardens for planting

A few other projects that we participated in this year, are listed below:

• Partnership with Moondance Organic Farms
• Creating an outdoor nature classroom
• Adding new nature learning centres
• Planting native plants
• Creating a children´s garden

We are excited about continuing our environmental efforts and we look forward to more activities next year!

Karen Eilersen