A project that protects the incredible species that call your community home.

What comes to mind when you think of Biodiversity? Is it the plants and animals in your backyard, from the ones you can see to the ones that you can’t? Biodiversity is a concept that connects us all—the plants and animals around the world depend on each other and a healthy habitat for survival. This includes us! Without the insects, plants, animals, bacteria, fungi, and everything in between, we would be unable to survive. With the your Roots & Shoots program, you can take action as a citizen scientist and directly or indirectly protect biodiversity in your community.

Examples of past projects applicable to this theme:

  • Pollinator Gardens that support local biodiversity
  • Habitat enrichment activities (beehives, bird houses, bat houses)
  • Youth-organized community event that includes Elder teachings on local Indigenous plants/animals

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Resources

Our Resource section includes things like our Climate Change Curriculum Guide and our Biodiversity Guide. These can be helpful tools for any project!

Biodiversity Loss (Animals) Projects

Biodiversity Loss (Animals), Climate Change (Environment)

Forest Friends Garden

Our Forest Friends Project is about caring for native wildlife trying to survive in the city. We want to build a garden that is filled with student chosen plants that support local pollinators. The entire school will participate by helping to research, select, and build the garden.

A trip to the Montreal Biodome
Biodiversity Loss (Animals)

Friends of Fauna

The funds will be to make purchases from the Fauna Foundation’s Amazon Wishlist. Students in our community do not often have the opportunity to donate and we feel that researching the work that the Fauna Foundation does is an excellent opportunity for the students to learn about animal welfare.

Biodiversity Loss (Animals), Climate Change (Environment), Environmental Inequity (People)

Gardens for Seniors

Our group has been growing our Niagara Butterflyway for the past 3 years. We currently have over 40 gardens across the Niagara Region. This year we hope to increase our intergenerational native gardens by setting up our team of youth with interested seniors and plant pollinator gardens for them.

Indigenous Awareness Project
Biodiversity Loss (Animals), Climate Change (Environment), Environmental Inequity (People)

Indigenous Awareness Initiative

This project will provide tools to non-Indigenous youth in understanding and taking action towards the journey of reconciliation. It will allow youth consider climate change, loss of biodiversity, and environmental inequity through Indigenous lenses and wisdom, and reflect on their responses.

Biodiversity Loss (Animals), Environmental Inequity (People)

Indigenous Courtyard Outdoor Learning Space

We are in the midst of renovating a courtyard to provide a space for reflective learning and wellness, while increasing engagement with Indigenous Ways of Knowing and understandings. Signage will identify traditional usages of native plant species. There is an area for a sharing circle.

Roots School wildflower logo, Pre K - 8 School, Brought to you by Cawkwell Group
Biodiversity Loss (Animals), Environmental Inequity (People)

Indigenous Medicine Wheel Garden

The Indigenous Medicine Wheel Garden project provides a way of connecting to Indigenous knowledge and stewardship. We hope to deepen the students’, and our communities, understanding of our local ecosystem, its history, biodiversity and how to be an environmental steward.

Biodiversity Loss (Animals), Environmental Inequity (People)

Kwalikum Secondary School Garden Club

Our school garden space is barely back on its feet. We have started some crops, but we do not have funds to continue on for this next year. We plan to use the funds to purchase seeds, berry bushes, and a load of soil to fill our beds.

Biodiversity Loss (Animals), Climate Change (Environment), Environmental Inequity (People)

Land back: Language & Native plants

Our learners noticed that many of the plants in our park are non-native to our area. They identified a need to learn the Cree, Ojibwe, and Dene names for the plants in our park, as well as plant more of the native species. They are now seeking Indigenous language learning indoors and out!

Biodiversity Loss (Animals)

Lord Selkirk Green Thumbs

Students in room 27 and room 15 will collaborate together to recognize that trees were being lost due to Dutch Elm disease. This will give students an appreciation of nature and the trees will give shade for an outdoor classroom space. Students can learn about the life cycle of the trees and plants.