A once under-utilized green space at McNaughton Avenue Public School is beginning a transformation after volunteers planted more than 60 native trees Friday.
Volunteers gathered in the northeast corner of the schoolyard to plant trees representing more than five varieties, marking the first phase of a project led by NatureCK. The approximately $15,000 project has been funded entirely through grants, partnerships and donations, with support from Greenfield Global, the Municipality of Chatham-Kent, the Lower Thames Valley Conservation Authority, Enbridge Gas and the school’s parent council.
“We saw this under-utilized green space and immediately thought about what it could become,” said NatureCK project coordinator Mark Gagner. “It felt like the perfect location to bring people together, add more native trees and create a space that can continue to grow into something meaningful for students and the school community. None of this happens without people and organizations working together, and that’s really what makes this project so special.”
Future plans include a 20-by-30-foot pollinator garden, two benches, educational signage and classroom card sets, and an interwoven stone chip pathway. As the space becomes established, it could serve as an outdoor extension of the classroom, giving students opportunities to identify tree species and learn about native plants, pollinators and local ecosystems.
