Jack Leslie Youth Environmental Grant

Many of the students who attend the inner city Mount Royal Junior High School live in multifamily complexes and want to create more natural areas around their school.

With a high English Language Learning population, students will also benefit from horticultural, hands-on learning as it provides practical knowledge and an access point for immigrant families into the community.

By building an edible garden and naturalization area, students will receive the supplies and knowledge needed to harvest food that will foster a personal relationship with the food they eat.

This will also facilitate their appreciation and stewardship for the land. Receiving this grant creates a foundation for exploring permaculture design and establishing outdoor learning environments. A local community expert is collaborating with the group mentoring to incorporate native flora into the green spaces. 

The Legacy Project will reduce carbon emissions by planting trees. For each graduating student at Robert Thirsk High School, a tree is planted in their honor to reduce 0.6% of their car emissions created annually, once the tree is fully grown.

After successfully planting 540 trees to honour the 2020 graduates there are plans to expand the project. The ultimate goal is to find a piece of land to plant the trees of future graduating classes on to create a forest space for students to visit outside of Calgary.

This will increase the tree survival rate and give students a place in nature to connect with. Until the land is finalized, the trees will be given to students to plant on private property.

Trees will also be given to citizens in nearby communities to spread awareness about climate change. Finally, the project will be further integrated into the community by having the high school students work with an elementary school as they create a garden on school grounds. A bench will be placed in the courtyard to remind students of the intentions of this project. 

This project aims to restore native plants in Calgary, starting with Fireweed, which is attractive to pollinators like bees and butterflies.

Initially, Fireweed seeds will be ordered and started by youth volunteers. Seedlings will be planted around a lake in the Taralake community in the spring. Once approval has been granted from the city, this will expand to more areas.

The ultimate goal is to increase the plant population in Calgary which will reduce carbon levels, restore native species, and give residents a free source of Fireweed that can be used for tea.

The Crescent Heights Baptist Church Youth for ‘Fresh Food Gardens’

There is a wide demographic of people who live within the community who are in need. By building a garden bed on the south side of the church building, the youth will plan a garden and plant fresh vegetables and fruits for those in the community who are in need of fresh food.

The William Aberhart High School Eco Club (WAHS) for ‘School Composting’

In September, The William Aberhart High School Eco Club (WAHS) will install a composting program throughout their school. Students will assist with collecting the compost, and bringing to the janitorial staff who will empty them into their already-existing compost site. The goal is to succeed where other composting programs have failed with buy in at the student level.

Earth Guardians YYC environmental group for the 'Flower of Waste' project

Their goal is to create a beautiful and large wild rose structure made out of garbage, recycling, pipes and wires. They are hoping to showcase their project at elementary schools, create a game show and trashion show. They will clean up garbage out of parks schoolyards, and road ways for supplies. 

St. Mary's High School

St. Mary's High School Environmental Action Team (E.A.T) for the "Mary's compost and recycling" project. Their goal is to have replaced all individual trash bins with a combination of trash, recycling and compost options providing options and choice for St. Mary Students.