Evergreen - FAQs

What are the benefits of school ground greening?

Research shows that school ground greening benefits all parties involved: students, teachers, schools and communities.
For Students:
- greater opportunities for meaningful and imaginative play and learning
- a safer, less hostile outdoor environment
- improved academic performance
- increased environmental awareness
For Teachers:
- new curriculum connections
- increased morale and enthusiasm for teaching
- increased engagement and enthusiasm for learning
- fewer discipline and classroom management problems
For Schools:
- better attendance and fewer dropouts
- increased pride in school
- decrease in bullying on school grounds
- better connections to community
For Community:
- stronger sense of community
- healthier natural environment
- active involvement for parents
- increased community satisfaction
The full report, entitled Nature Nurtures: Investigating the Potential of School Grounds, is available from our Research and Policy Resources page.
How can Evergreen help me green my school grounds?

Evergreen offers a variety of services and support funds through our Learning Grounds program.
- Funding for native trees, shrubs, heritage vegetables and berries
- Resources that include practical "how-to guides", research reports, newsletters, videos and more
- Native Plant Database
- Library of funders, native plant nurseries and other organizations that may be able to help you
- Teacher's Corner, an online database of lesson plans, tips and techniques to improve the outdoor learning experience
- Regional Evergreen Consultants to provide guidance
What is the process of greening a school ground?

Successful projects evolve from a design process that includes students, teachers, parents and members of the broader community. People who feel involved are more inclined to care, contribute, stop vandals and create the elements of a project that make it truly special.

Here's what you need to do:
1. establish a committee
2. research and visit other schools to see their projects (examples can be found in our project registry
3. develop a collective vision for the site
4. make a site map of your school ground
5. develop and present the project design to school staff, parents and the community
6. establish a maintenance strategy
7. get approval from the principal and school board
8. create a budget and fundraise
9. organize your planting day
10. plant!
11. keep the spark alive—visit the project often to observe, learn and maintain it; plant something new every year, even if it's only a few seeds.
All this information and more can be found in All Hands in the Dirt: A Guide to Designing and Creating Natural School Grounds.
Who should we contact when we want to start a school ground greening project?
You should be in communication with anyone who may have an interest in the school grounds. The school board maintenance department, parents (including the Parent Teacher Association), students, school administration, staff, and the community should all be contacted.
Do we need permission to plant on our school ground?
Submit your plans to the principal and school board maintenance staff for approval. The school board should know if you need a permit from the local Works Department to plant on the site. Call the gas, power, cable and phone companies to make sure there are no cables or pipes below ground before you dig.
How do we get the support of the school board grounds/maintenance department?
Contact them from the onset of your project. Be prepared. Have a site plan or map of the school ground area where changes are proposed as well as a maintenance plan. Include your plans and summer maintenance schedule. If possible, let them know that the school caretaker is informed and/or involved. Acknowledge their expertise in the field by asking for their help or advice. Ask if they have any regulations or guidelines concerning these types of projects. Stress that you want to follow the rules but need to know what they are. Inform them about school ground greening and explain that the process and final product of the design and implementation will be used for instructional purposes. For suggestions on how to create a site plan and how to connect with school staff, see All Hands in the Dirt: A Guide to Designing and Creating Natural School Grounds.
How do we get the interest and support of the teacher?
The inspirational video Crack in the Pavement is useful to get anyone interested in the project. Be prepared to brainstorm ideas after the video. For tips on how to inspire others with your project vision, see Chapter 2 of All Hands in the Dirt: A Guide to Designing and Creating Natural School Grounds.
How do we get community support?
- Explain what you are doing and why; ask for the community's help, expertise, support and donations
- Make flyers (by a student or with student art) and distribute them in the neighbourhood
- Announce plans in your school newsletter
- Make a community service announcement in your local paper, community centre and library
- Hold an open house to display plans and to discuss ideas
- Approach businesses in your area for support, discounts or donations
- Post clear signs around the project area.
For further communication ideas see Chapter 2 of All Hands in the Dirt: A Guide to Designing and Creating Natural School Grounds.
How do we fund the project?
Seek out opportunities for "in-kind" donations from your school community as well as the local neighbours and community at large. Apply for grants to support your project from a variety of sources. Sometimes your Parent Teacher Association will be willing to contribute some funds. Create a budget and an outline of what you're doing and why. Involve students in writing letters to be included with requests for money. Refer to the funders list provided in our links library or click here to learn about funding opportunities through Learning Grounds.
Why are certain items not eligible for funding, such as pressure-treated wood, peat moss, top soil, pesticides and trees over $350?
- Pressure-treated wood - Some pressure-treated wood has been treated with arsenic, which is toxic to people through touch (it's absorbed through the skin). See the Toronto Public Health Pressure Treated Wood Fact Sheet for more information. Some popular alternatives include untreated wood, wooden packing crates, stone, old logs, recycled plastic lumber and barrels.
- Peat moss - Evergreen does not advocate the use of peat moss, since the harvesting process damages the delicate peat bog ecosystem. Peat moss is a non-renewable resource in our lifetime. As well, native plants do not require the nutrients provided by peat to help them grow. Some alternatives to peat moss are leaf or mushroom compost and wood mulch.
- Topsoil - Removing or adding topsoil from other areas disturbs the delicate balance of microorganisms required to keep your soil healthy. Instead we recommend you use compost and wood mulch to augment your soil.
- Fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides - One of the many benefits of natural gardens is that they don't need chemicals to flourish. Native species chosen to suit the growing conditions of your site will thrive without the need for synthetic additives.
- Limit of $300 per tree - Three hundred dollars is usually sufficient to pay for a 40–60 mm caliper tree. Some school boards recommend planting larger trees to prevent vandalism. Trees this size will supply instant shade and gratification but will not grow as fast as smaller trees. In this case, Evergreen will fund a portion of the cost (up to $300). Many wholesale suppliers will sell larger trees to schools at wholesale prices.
Where can I get help with site design?
- Read the Evergreen resource All Hands in the Dirt: A Guide to Designing and Creating Natural School Grounds.
- Advertise within the school population to see if anyone will volunteer their design skills.
- Check post-secondary programs in landscape design to see if any students want to gain experience.
- Contact your city Parks and Recreation Department and local nurseries.
- After you have your concept, and if your budget allows, you may want to hire a landscape architect as a consultant.
What number of people is ideal for a steering committee?
You need a minimum of three people for an effective committee. There is no ideal maximum number of participants. Create subcommittees as your group grows. At the elementary school level it's ideal to have one parent and one teacher co-chair the committee to form links to both the Parent-Teacher Association and school staff. For high schools, it works best if the committee is co-chaired by one teacher and one student to encourage links between staff and students.
How can we incorporate our greening project into the school curriculum?

Browse the lesson plans in Teacher's Corner to view examples of how teachers across the country have created links with their green school grounds and the school curriculum. Lesson plans are listed alphabetically by title and include a one-sentence description of the lesson as well as keywords, subject, grade and province information. A summary of the relevant provincial curriculum is provided within the plans.

It's important to consider curriculum connections from the onset of the school ground design process as well as throughout the development of the project. An excellent resource is Place-Based Education: Connecting Classrooms and Communities by David Sobel. Visit the Orion magazine Web site (www.oriononline.org) for more information.
Greening School Grounds: Creating Habitats for Learning by Tim Grant and Gail Littlejohn and Green Teacher magazine are also great resources. Visit Green Teacher (www.greenteacher.com) for more information.
How do we ensure the project will be maintained throughout the summer?

Set up a plan for your project that includes how you will deal with watering/maintenance in the summer. Invite students and their parents, neighbours, local gardening or conservation organizations and summer groups that use the facility or are nearby to help. Clearly post and circulate the watering/maintenance schedules. For tips on how to create an efficient maintenance strategy, see The Learning Grounds Guide for Schools (PDF, 2.2 MB).
To reduce maintenance requirements, plant native species, that are better suited to your local environment. Check the Native Plant Database for species native to your area.
Does a maintenance-free gardening plan exist?

No. You will always need to maintain your garden area. Build a maintenance team to help with weeding, watering, replacing damaged plants, maintaining signage and fencing, controlling pests, mulching, pruning, and filling and cleaning bird feeders.

Find advice for designing a maintenance strategy in The Learning Grounds Guide for Schools (PDF, 2.2 MB).
For tips on how to manage your volunteer maintenance team, see Chapter 6 of All Hands in the Dirt: A Guide to Designing and Creating Natural School Grounds.
How do we ensure continuity of the project?
Start small and build on your successes. Add a bit more each year and try not to overwhelm people. Show people what the students are getting out of it and that your project is working. Have new volunteer Parent Teacher Association members, staff members and student representatives be responsible for the "outdoor classroom" each year. Develop ways for the area to be used by teachers. Check out Teacher's Corner to see how teachers across the country have incorporated their greening project into lesson plans.
How do we address the issue of vandalism?
Foster a sense of ownership/responsibility among your students and the community by getting them involved from the beginning with the plans, research, and fundraising as well as with the planting and care of the outdoor classroom. When students feel responsibility for the project, they will have a lower level of tolerance for others who are doing harm and will "call them" on it. It has actually been proven that vandalism decreases in these environments. Neighbours and the community will be more likely to report any disturbances in the project space if they feel involved. Post a sign clearly indicating the name and purpose of the project. Keep working and repair damage as soon as possible. Persistence can win out in the end.
Won't kids get hurt in this type of school ground?
Kids have been scraping, cutting and bruising themselves for years on asphalt. One of the leading mechanisms of injury on school grounds is contact with hard surfaces. A naturalized school ground is softer, and bump and knock accidents are usually reduced. Discuss safety issues with the students. Design an even-ground path, areas for seating to accommodate quiet moments, and plant areas for shade cover. If you are worried about creating a pond, there are many successful examples in existence. Design tips can be found in Design Ideas for the Outdoor Classroom: Dig it, Plant it, Build it, Paint it!
How can we minimize safety hazards in our naturalized area?
- Keep bushes trimmed or use short ones so that they do not hinder sightlines
- Include plenty of 'escape routes' so a child cannot become trapped within an area
- Encourage high use of the area - an area that is well used offers security for children
- Keep branches trimmed fairly high up the tree for easy supervision
- Choose species with these factors in mind and keep your area well maintained
- Have your committee and concerned parents walk the site to avoid perceived vs. actual problems
Practical design tips for safety can be found in Chapter 6 of All Hands in the Dirt: A Guide to Designing and Creating Natural School Grounds and in Design Ideas for the Outdoor Classroom.
Will the new school ground look unkempt?
No, not if you spend time in your school ground and look after upkeep issues promptly. Natural areas are not as neat and tidy as manicured gardens, but if the site is well marked with signage that clearly states the purpose of the project, people will be more understanding and interested. Perhaps more important than how a site looks is how it is looked after. Whether it is turf grass or a wildflower garden, people tend to be more open to new ideas if they feel that a site is being cared for.
Will a wild space be difficult for teachers to monitor?
No. If you design your project to allow for good site lines and visibility of students monitoring will not be a problem. Newly planted areas do not need to be dense to be effective. Create a well-marked entrance to the area, include paths, and consider the size of the plants in relation to where they will be planted. Typically, when a school ground is diversified and more features are introduced, student play spreads out and the variety of play increases. These new patterns often reduce the incidence of aggressive behaviour and can help alleviate the daily challenge of site monitoring by teachers.
How do I find other schools in my city or province that are doing school ground greening?

Visit Evergreen's national Project Registry. You can search the database by city to find out how schools near you are greening their school grounds. You can also check Teacher's Corner to find schools that have created lesson plans related to their naturalized areas.
Contact your regional Evergreen consultant to find schools near you that are greening their school grounds.
I am not associated with a school. Can I still volunteer at a school ground project in my neighbourhood?
Sure! School ground greening organizers are always eager to have volunteers. Search Evergreen's online Project Registry for a project near you. Contact the school and offer your help.
What alternatives are there to pressure-treated wood for raised planters?
Cedar square-cut timber blocks are an excellent alternative to pressure-treated lumber because they are not treated with chemicals and they are very durable. Ask your local lumberyard for end scraps. Get creative and find appropriate reused materials. Some popular ideas include wooden packing crates, stone, old logs and plastic wood.
What about damage to tree roots?
Build decking or benching around trees, to relieve pressure on the roots. Install other plants around the base of the tree to divert traffic. Put in more trees and spread out the love!