Project #30
"Welcoming Back the Wilderness":
Impact of a School Naturalization Project Upon a School and Its Community

by Gary Pennington with Aline Wilkie

(CONTINUED)

4. A Revisionist Perspective

• A. Process Observations and Interpretations
• B. Product Observations and Interpretations

5. References

Appendices

1. Letter from Kathleen Donauer Regarding the Planting Scheme for the St. Matthew School Naturalization Project
2. Application to Action 21 Community Funding Program for Funding for the St. Matthew Schoolground Naturalization Project
3. Results of a Formative Evaluation of the Developing Play Environment at St. Matthew School, March, 1997
4. Speech Given by Shirley Friel, 1997-98 Chair of the Naturalization Committee,at the Official Opening of the St. Matthew School Grounds, June 5, 1998
5. A Review by Aline Wilkie, former Principal of St. Matthew School, of the Politics Surrounding the Naturalization Project
6. Environmental Stewardship at St. Matthew School, proposed by Gary Pennington, February 1999
7. Newspaper clipping on "Welcoming Back the Wilderness"

4. A Revisionist Perspective

A. Process Observations and Interpretations

The word "process" is used in common parlance in educational circles to the point that it has almost become a cliché. Its use here is in terms of the ways that things were done in the project as distinct from what was done, or the "product" of people's efforts. Throughout the previous sections of this report people have referred to the process side of the naturalization project at St. Matthew School. What follows is the writer's attempt to make sense of the diverse views and experiences offered by the young people and adults who were involved in one manner or another. This synthesis is grouped according to the main themes which have emerged in the writer's investigations into the project.

Community Building, Community Solidarity

The naturalization project at St. Matthew was intended to contribute to an enhanced sense of community both within the school and in the immediate neighbourhood. The many comments and anecdotes offered both by children and adults who were involved sustain the notion that this objective was achieved. People who were involved in the project cannot walk the neighbourhood or the school grounds in good weather without encountering neighbours and friends that they worked alongside. Exchanges of experiences and incidents are commonplace, as are the sounds of laughter at the remembering of good times.

Community and school festive events held in connection with the project have brought out hundreds of supporters and have aided in developing the elusive dynamic of community spirit. The school is now viewed as a much more friendly and inviting gathering spot for children, youth and families. In a real sense it is a "Safe Haven" in the Whitmore Park area. Community residents and families now frequent the school yard after school hours and on weekends to enjoy the gardens, pathways, trees, benches and to watch and appreciate the animated play of young children.

It has been cited by some respondents that there are deep divisions in the community near and around St. Matthew School. This could well be the case, and if it is, the naturalization project may have unwittingly served as a "lightening rod" (as suggested by one person) to accentuate the existing differences of belief in the area. It is also clear that the project brought people together in a spirit of goodwill that produced an enhanced sense of community in Whitmore Park. Children worked and celebrated alongside adults in ways that served intergenerational understanding and appreciation. If involvement is a key to better schools as suggested by educational research, then this was certainly achieved throughout the projects developmental years.

The community development aspect of the naturalization project was evident in the fact that the boundaries of the community became extended in many instances. One example of this was the formation of the official partnership between the Faculty of Education at the University of Regina and St. Matthew School. This partnership facilitated many joint ventures as mentioned earlier in this report and provided a service opportunity for St. Matthew's students which was very much in keeping with the school's ethic for "Children of the Light". The contribution that children and youth made to the University's Children's Garden was highly significant and showed that children and youth have real assets to share within their community, although it has been highlighted by a number of persons that this partnership and the service tradition involving St. Matthew students has lapsed badly and is presently in limbo.

As the City of Regina's Parks and Recreation Planner has said, play spaces and learning environments that are rich in diversity act as beacons for the community. They draw in children and youth of all ages, parents, grandparents, caregivers, and other community members to experience the joys and wonder of nature and play. These rare spaces should be celebrated and, more importantly, replicated.

Aline Wilkie, the former principal of St. Matthew, and Diana Foster, project coordinator for the initial stages of the naturalization project, both maintain that the true purpose of naturalization at St. Matthew is to develop a strong sense of community among people of all ages. The testimony of a large number of people suggest that this primary goal was reached. Whether or not this community solidarity is maintained in the area served by St. Matthew School is an open question and awaits the initiative and leadership of those who have assumed control of the project.

Learning

The Environmental Awareness Policy of the Catholic School Division (1991) calls for all personnel in the division to assume leadership in terms of the environment. It states that the Division is dedicated to individual and collective environmental action, responsibility, and commitment on the part of both students and teachers and administrators. It emphasizes the leadership role of schools within the community and designates those in the system as stewards of the environment. The overall guiding principle to do with regulations is that they both be supportive and enabling. The Catholic belief that the Creator has appointed all within the system to be stewards of His Creation is stressed.

It is obvious that "Welcoming Back the Wilderness" at St. Matthew is consistent with the foregoing policy. Moving from Division policy to reality in the lives of students is another matter. The naturalization project was setup at the school to provide a "Learning Grounds" for students. While this objective was clearly stated in all project proposals and emphasized in presentations to students, teachers, parents and the community and supported by Division policy, it remains a fact that a very large number of people at St. Matthew still do not view the school grounds in this way. Aside from a place for outdoor sport, physical education, and recess and noonhour play, the school grounds are not generally seen as a learning place. Most teachers and many parents still regard the outside of the school simply as a place for youngsters to congregate and "let off steam" at lunch hour and recess. Based upon a number of observations and the admission on staff at St. Matthew, this limited view of the potential of the outside of the school as a learning laboratory is still the dominant perspective of teachers and the new administration of the school. One parent has reported that even with the transformation of the school grounds, her daughter's class has not used the grounds as a learning place at all during the entire course of one school year. A comprehensive program of environmental education is apparently regarded as an option by educators at St. Matthew rather than as a welcome obligation as spelled out in Division policy.

A number of teachers take students outdoors in the spring and fall of the year for a limited array of activities associated with the environment. It is uncertain whether these activities are more frequent since the naturalization of the grounds occurred. According to the new principal, classes planted vegetables in the spring of 1998 as an environmental education activity. However, the number and variety of environmental education pursuits at St. Matthew remain very limited by comparison with programs in some schools, particularly when compared to those schools which are involved in programs sponsored by environmental agencies such as "The Seeds Program". For example, nearby Massey School has qualified for environmental recognition from the Seeds Canada Foundation based upon the broad nature and number of environmental projects undertaken by their students.

However the dislocation between policy and practice in terms of learning about the environment, should not rest solely at the feet of teachers and the school principal. While Division policy is clear that this area of the curriculum should receive a high priority, there is little assistance or incentive for teachers in their efforts along these lines. Moreover, the professional preparation of teachers deals with the environment as a desirable but not essential component of teacher education. This lack of centrality of environmental education in the curriculum is also carried over into the in-service calendar of experiences for teachers where it is available only as an option among many opportunities. These factors combine to place environmental education of the kind needed to fully realize the potential of the naturalized school grounds at St. Matthew near the bottom of teaching and learning priorities. Ironically, there are many fine curriculum guides and learning resources available to schools to assist in learning about the environment. A number of these were profiled at the "Learning Grounds" Conference held at St. Matthew near the start of the project.

Another major factor in what could be termed the "Environmental Education Syndrome" is the low parental priority given to the outdoors and the learning that can take place there. It is evident from feedback and from issues that have arisen that classroom and seat-bound teaching is still thought to be best practice by a significant number of parents. If students are not seen working at their desks, not seen studying reading, writing and arithmetic in traditional teacher-directed ways, then they are not seen to be learning by some parents. It does not seem to matter that experiential and cooperative learning which were central to the naturalization project and to the philosophy of the Faculty of Education at the University of Regina where most St. Matthew's teachers trained are proven, accepted and advocated modes of learning. Things done outside of the narrow, monogamous relationship of teacher to student are tremendously undervalued.

On the other hand, throughout the responses provided by students, some teachers, many parents, university personnel, consultants, and community members, there is a strong and consistent call for a more meaningful program of environmental education at St. Matthew to compliment the nature which has been brought back to the school yard. Many feel that a recognition by local teachers of the environment as being at the center of the educational enterprise is the missing linchpin in the "Welcoming Back the Wilderness" project. Parents have asked why the school division does not appoint teachers and administrators to the school whose primary interests are in accord with nature studies and environmental education. As one put is very bluntly, "Why don't we get teachers and a principal who are interested in these things and get rid of those who aren't!"

Communication

A small number of people have suggested that they were not well informed about project developments. This concern is difficult to acknowledge as valid given the frequent circulation of newsletters containing information about the project, the open invitation to planning meetings, displays and presentations of plans and designs, community forums and celebrations, frequency of meetings, and the publicity that the project received over time. In the experience of the principal researcher, this project generated more information and attempted to communicate proposals, plans and results more that any other environmental education project that he is aware of. Unfortunately, communication about developments and issues following the 1996-1997 school year did not continue any of the communication traditions cited above; this failure to communicate is undoubtedly a major flaw in efforts to sustain the project.

Communication problems at another level have existed throughout the history of the project. These problems principally have to do with a lack of face-to-face dialogue and trust among the many persons involved. Simple interactions where people really listen well to one another in a spirit of good will and then follow-up on decisions have sometimes not occurred. If the project is to prosper over time, the question of authentic dialogue will have to be addressed. Misinformation, rumor, and gossip will have to be challenged by all, particularly by those in positions of authority, and the record set straight in terms of areas of potential conflict and misunderstanding. The goals and accomplishments of the project will need to be posted and highlighted on a continuing basis in order to communicate with the school and general population. As with other environmental projects, appropriate signage is important. A good start has been made in this connection with the sign in the inner courtyard and the Memorial to Ashley Ehmann. More needs to be done. Policies that are evolved in a broad and democratic manner need to be clearly enunciated and posted in a user-friendly form. What is understood by some needs to be made explicit for the many.

Communication at certain meetings was difficult because of time constraints, peoples busy schedules, and principally in view of the negative baggage that some brought to meetings who were involved on an infrequent basis. The comments provided by many adult respondents to the questionnaire bears this out. A few planning meetings were not good forums for sharing of information and securing input because of the intimidation practiced by a small number of persons. Communication with students seemed to be affected by this negative presence at times.

Given these realities, and the fact that they are not uncommon in social endeavors, it was inevitable that communication did not flow smoothly at all times. However, the broad consensus is that communication about the project was good and that people were well informed and had ample opportunity to contribute to the formation of plans and the realization of goals.

The language and social practice of adults in terms of communication is one thing; having a real dialogue with children and youth is another. This issue was not commented upon by many persons, but nonetheless it is a significant challenge to those wishing to do these kinds of projects. In many respects naturalization at St. Matthew School was a model for the involvement of young people; on the other hand, many of us recognize that even with the continuing presence of youth on all occasions, we did not involve them enough nor, in ways that were always truly meaningful. This part of the communication continuum requires much further consideration.

Design

There are a variety of responses to the design of St. Matthew's school grounds as it has evolved. The great majority believe that the transformation of the site provides a wonderful new asset for the school and the community. A small minority regard it otherwise. Questions about individual items and environmental settings are dealt with elsewhere in this report. In this section matters of a more omnibus character will be explored. These are:

1. Participatory Design. Plans for naturalizing St. Matthew school grounds went through many stages. Children and youth were actively involved throughout. Consultants from many sectors of the design and environmental field contributed. Plans were presented to the entire student body, to parents, and to the community at large and were modified many times as a result of feedback. Feedback and sanction was also secured from the Division's Maintenance and Facilities Department. Literally everyone who wanted to have input into the design of the schoolyard had a chance to do so. Moreover, design occurred according to recognized, orderly design processes.
2. Scale. Changes to the school yard are many and the scale of the project is relatively large. Some feel that too many things were attempted though this is not a common concern. In projects of this nature it is important to value the elements which people feel are essential, the things that they maintain should be included. It is too easy to decide on the basis of expediency that certain things cannot be done. Successful projects come as the result of people's fervent beliefs that some things just must be part of the scheme of things. If the ideas, visions and enthusiasm of people are blunted or rejected out-of-hand then the community development feature of naturalization is lost. Simply put, if someone or a group of people feel strongly about a play or environmental feature, if it fits in with the overall design principles of the project, if resources can be secured to carry out the dream, and, most importantly, if the person or group is willing to put time and energies into that aspect of the project, then the proposed element should be honored as part of the plan. This principle was highly evident in "Welcoming Back the Wilderness" and resulted in the comprehensive site development that took place.
3. Diversity. This point is related to the foregoing one. It is said by many playground designers and environmentalists that "diversity" is the hallmark of a healthy environment. The scale and nature of the changes at St. Matthew School bear witness to this proposition. Another key thing about providing a diverse environment for children is that a diverse naturescape is far more likely to meet the varying nature of children, youth and adults than one that is more limited in scope. The opposite of this principle of diversity is found in school yards across the country where the false assumption has been made that facilities for organized sport will meet the needs of all children. The principles of "Universal Design" called for by leading landscape architects and other parks planners in order to meet the needs of all potential users are much in evidence in the naturalization done at St. Matthew.
4. Initiative. The ways in which several things were done in the naturalization project were highly creative. In fact, it is steadfastly believed by leading planners of play environments for children that a large dimension of environmental change should come about as a result of deliberations, insights and intuitive judgments that come only after seeing the raw or manufactured materials on site. While detailed plans and designs are necessary, they should always give way to the consensus of a group of builders who have the added benefit of seeing real things in the light of day and in place. Placemaking of this order was evident in many situations during the project and while this kind of creative activity can be unsettling, it is a sign of a healthy design and building process. The children and adults who built the sand play areas, painted the fences and garbage bins, constructed the play mounds, who redesigned the courtyard, and who changed the projected plans for logs and branches to so much better uses will know what is meant here.
5. Pace. The project at St. Matthew is now three and one-half years old. It was planned and done in stages. Planning, extensive preparations, and sanctions occurred for several months prior to the start of construction in the spring of 1996. Each spring and fall of the first two years of the project the school and the community gathered together for major work bees and festive celebrations. These events produced fine process and product results as described by participants in the "Impact" section of this report. Since that time and with new leadership of the project and with new school principals, this tradition has not thrived as it had before. It is clear that the early pace of development of naturalization at St. Matthew School was ambitious, however it was also in accord with the expressed need to see significant things done. A consideration in the special context of reclamation of prairie landscapes for naturalization purposes is that unless significant changes are made over a few seasons, the slow growing and maturing landscape will not be enjoyed until another generation of children and parents frequent the school. People who volunteer to take part have a right to see some real results during their time at the school. This premise guided the pace of events in the project. In community development matters it is also necessary to capitalize on the energies of people and their desire to see change occur rather than merely to talk of things and to see them drag out until enthusiasm wanes. In terms of getting at things and seeing them through the project was exemplary, particularly in its first two years.

Leadership

Naturalization would not have taken place at St. Matthew had it not been for the leadership of Aline Wilkie, who was principal during the critical first stage of the project. She had a broad vision for the school which was based upon her previous environmental work in the Division and which was well grounded in Division policy. She complemented this vision with research and reading in the area of environmental enhancement and stewardship. Issues dealing with the environment and community development became her educational passion for St. Matthew. Early in her tenure at the school she shared her dream with her new staff and with students and parents. She did a good job of enlisting support for the project both within and without the school and gathered a broad base of approval for naturalization at St. Matthew. Aline Wilkie was good at delegating and letting people run with ideas. She allocated budgets to each group and kept a tight rein on expenditure by these groups. She was great with the children and had a real knack of getting student support and help. Mrs. Wilkie was a role model for all the students and especially related well with the senior girls who were the major players among students in the schoolground naturalization project. It is also clear that she had a great sense of humour even in the blackest hours and was a strong public speaker who could really enthuse a crowd. The support for Aline Wilkie among her colleagues in school ground naturalization is well summed up in the short statement made by a parent, "We sure miss her enthusiasm and great smile."

Leadership of the naturalization project has changed hands over the course of the four year history of events. In the early days it was headed by Aline Wilkie and Gary Pennington with a strong committee of volunteers comprised of students, teachers, parents, community members and other resource persons. After several months Diana Foster, a former play and playgrounds advisor for the government of South Australia, assumed the role of project coordinator. It was her practice to share the leadership role and the chairing of meetings with students from the school. An abiding characteristic of the leadership style during this period was that it was highly democratic. Most decisions were made by consensus after full discussion along with a high degree of delegation and participation. All committees and task groups were open and actively solicited new members of all ages.

Design groups were headed by interested teachers and community residents and in most cases included students. Working groups met regularly and area and total site plans were vetted at larger planning sessions and school assemblies where the community was invited to make input.

When Aline Wilkie left the school on extended medical leave in January 1997 the leadership pattern of the project was altered dramatically. Wilkie elected to continue her strong leadership role in more of a behind-the-scenes manner. While she subsequently stepped down as school principal, she stipulated that the one thing that she wanted to do was to see the naturalization project through to completion. Wilkie, Foster and Pennington continued to plan, design and organize with other members of working committees, but meetings were held primarily in neighbouring homes rather than at the school. When a new administrator assumed principalship of St. Matthew in the early spring of 1997, following Mrs. Wilkie's departure, he brought a new leadership approach to school affairs. He expressed support for the naturalization project publicly and provided practical help in a number of minor ways. He also introduced a far more traditional management style to all school affairs and made several important decisions to do with the project apparently on his own. The naturalization committee often felt that he made decisions too hastily, frequently without the benefit of dialogue with committee members, and in an out-of-context manner. He was prone to remind people that he had a background in the construction trades which he evidently thought gave him propriety in what was transpiring in the revitalization of the school grounds.

One decision made by the principal very late in the school year was to reinstate the Home and School Association (HSA) which had been disbanded during Wilkie's administration because she had felt that it had overstepped its mandate. While this decision had to do with more global issues at the school, nonetheless the reinstatement exacerbated some unresolved naturalization issues. At the same time that he reinstated the HSA he disbanded the Naturalization Committee by caveat at a dinner meeting with the Home and School people. He did not serve notice to any of the Naturalization Committee in advance of this pronouncement. This decision was unfavorably received in many quarters in view of the way it was it was done and because of the history of friction between the grounds committee and the naturalization group. It was felt by those who had taken a lead in naturalization that this meant the project would not receive the high priority it warranted. Another reason was that community members would no longer have a place in decisions unless they happened to be parents of children at the school. The members of the naturalization group who had laboured for the course of two years felt that their work was being usurped and that a number of important things that needed to be completed would be left in limbo. Events of the past two years seem to bear out these concerns.

The current principal followed the one who replaced Aline Wilkie, receiving her appointment as principal of the school beginning in the early Spring of 1998. As will be seen in her statements in this report, her views are that the naturalization project is overwhelming in scope and her priorities are for academic work in the classroom not outside on the school grounds. One parent has written that her appointment as principal of St. Matthew School is, "A perfect example of putting someone in place who should not be at the school because she is not really in favour of the project." This comment, which may appear to be too harsh in its judgment, is one that should be thought about carefully rather than discarded as emotional rhetoric. If the statement is read that the current principal opposes environmental education, it is undoubtedly wrong, however, if the term "in favour" means to actively support and lead the school in ways that capitalize on the changes that have been made to the learning environment, it seems to be accurate, given what the principal and teachers are currently doing and not doing in this area of the curriculum.

In addition to the pivotal role that the school principal plays in this kind of project, there is also the leadership styles that project coordinators bring to the project. While the leadership practiced by Aline Wilkie and Diana Foster was of a participatory democracy nature, this was not the case in the way things were done subsequently. The coordinator who followed brought enthusiasm, energy, initiative and political network to the position. However, her time as project coordinator was not marked by high degrees of community and school participation or group decision-making. There is little documentary evidence of the work done during her leadership term. She did provide a good public relations image for the project.

In the fall of 1997 two parents were elected as co-chairs of the St. Matthew Grounds and Facilities Committee at a HSA meeting. One resigned immediately when he learned who had won the election as chair of the HSA in that he understood that this person had been a strong opponent of naturalization at the school and believed that he would not support the project in its next stages. Another parent was elected to take his place as co-chair. Subsequently, a fourth parent was elected to replace the remaining cochair from the original election.

During the fall of 1998 a work bee was held at the school to complete work on the running track and sports field. Attendance was sparse and little else was done. No record of plans or events appear to have been made for the period from fall of 1998 to the middle of March 1999. In a February 1999 phone interview, one of the co-chairs of the Grounds Committee expressed the view that he wasn't the best person for the job, that his skills weren't in the area of marshaling or coordinating people to work on things the way that they had in the past. He added that he felt somewhat abandoned in the work at hand and that the project was badly wanting for new energies and leadership. At the time of this writing, no comment regarding these matters was available from the other co-chair of the committee. It should be noted here, that while the first co-chair has disclaimed his abilities as chairman of the project he has been a driving force and energy behind many of the accomplishments that have occurred in the project; he has been one of the projects most stalwart workers and supporters. Perhaps the lesson to be learned here in regards to school ground naturalization at St. Matthew, which likely applies to other levels as well, is that performance and ability in one dimension of the project doesn't necessarily mean that a person is good at other important tasks. What is sorely needed in the next stages of developments is to identify one or two people who have the time, energy, talents and political savvy to deal with bureaucracy and marshall people's energy to sustain the thrust and goals of "Welcoming Back the Wilderness" at St. Matthew School. Leaders are required who understand and have skills at coordinating the efforts of large numbers of children, youth and adults rather than taking the tasks on themselves. That is the ultimate leadership challenge of this project.

Leadership for the naturalization project at the School Division level was primarily by means of an early sanction and financial support in the amount of $2,500 given at the first work bee in 1996. Involvement and support for the naturalization plans by the Department of Facilities was present in 1996 and 1997. According to Aline Wilkie, virtually no other divisional leadership was shown dealing with the project thereafter.

Student leadership was much in evidence throughout the first two years of the project. This began with their involvement on committees and culminated in the very high degree of student leadership at the Learning Grounds Conference at the school in May of 1996. This conference appears as a model for other professional groups to consider who wish to involve children and youth in significant ways in civic matters. Students took a major role on committees; 15% of 140 primary and intermediate students reported that they participated in naturalization committee work. There is no evidence that student involvement and leadership has continued through the last two years of development. Parents have asserted that this decline in student leadership is a result of teacher preoccupation with other things. As one has written, "It is only due to a lack of leadership from our principal and our teachers. The children would enjoy and benefit from these opportunities once again." Again, it is essential to draw readers' attention to the fact that this kind of education in terms of leadership is called for in Division educational policy.

Stewardship

A main element that is overlooked in many school playground projects is the matter of care and maintenance of the area once the main development has been completed. In fact, a principal reason that school board maintenance divisions do not hold such projects in good favour is that they have often resulted in extra burdens on their human and physical resources, which are already stretched and often inadequate. Most maintenance departments can provide little care other than the mowing of grass and some weed control.

The conventional response by school maintenance personnel to initiatives such as the St. Matthew project is one of begrudging acceptance and a foreboding about what will likely go wrong. It is frequently felt that what is done will not be of good quality because it will be the work of "amateurs" and that little regard, if any, will be given to the care of what is created. An overriding concern is that what is done will become the unwieldy burden of the school district's already understaffed and underfunded maintenance department. There is a certain face validity to these arguments given the history of projects in many other places.

This line of thinking however, results in a vicious syndrome whereby school yards take on a minimalist character which manifests itself in chainlink, gravel, asphalt, commercial play equipment which is only of novelty value, and predictable sports fields which meet the needs of the few. A major break with this line of thinking is required so that students, teachers, parents, and community members form new alliances with maintenance personnel to share in the responsibility for the care and nurture of school yards. School districts cannot alone take care of the rich and diverse outdoor learning environments that students require; working in collaboration within clear guidelines, much can be done in a synergistic way that cannot be done in the ways of the past. The "Stewardship Proposal for St. Matthew School" which appears at the end of this report is a document which is in accord with such a turn in thinking and action.

In the absence of these kinds of new and innovative policies, the planners of the St. Matthew Naturalization Project attempted to deal with maintenance questions in a number of ways, including the following:

1. ongoing consultation with the Division's Construction and Maintenance Department
2. provision of large extra garbage bins throughout the site
3. a summer works program for students to water and weed the site
4. installation of an irrigation system
5. major work bees in the spring and fall of each year
6. planting in keeping with xeriscaping principles for low maintenance
7. ensuring that access routes for maintenance vehicles were maintained
8. attempting to work with the School Division and the City to develop joint-use and maintenance agreements for the care of areas
9. community volunteers to supplement other care particularly in the more fragile stages of establishment
10. workshops on school ground care at the "Learning Grounds" Conference
11. educational sessions with students and teachers on topics such as "composting" as specific means of reducing the amount of waste generated at the school
12. cooperative arrangements with the school custodian so as to impose on his duties as little as possible
13. service opportunities for students to care for special areas of the school yard

The prevailing belief that school ground improvement projects should be turned over by the builders to a central authority once the bulk of the work has been done must be challenged. It is neither practical nor desirable to divest the community of the ongoing responsibility for the things which they have created. As has been emphasized throughout this report, the important consideration of care for sensitive areas must be shared by all involved; the term "maintenance" must give way to a much broader notion of stewardship of our environment by all who care for and about it. If this concept is brought into being, many issues to do with care will be resolved.

The Politics of Change

At first glance, most would ask what can be difficult about a simple naturalization project at a local elementary school? After all, isn't it merely a matter of planting a few trees, flowers and shrubs? Well, the answer is that, as with any significant social change, the suggestion that things need to be changed in some way brings out many dormant fears in people. Change is all right except when it is in our school or our neighbourhood and unless it requires us to change some of the ways that we act day by day. Change is particularly threatening when it is of a rather large scale as in the St. Matthew Naturalization Project. A look at some of the elements in "Welcoming Back the Wilderness" may serve to illustrate the kinds of things which resulted in a lack of comfort on the part of some who were involved or who chose not to be:

1. the project was initiated by a principal in her first year at the school and in her first principalship
2. a pre-existing play equipment project undertaken by the Home and School Association was often confused with the Naturalization Project
3. the project was led by a woman principal in a system with a history of a strong, male hierarchy
4. the leadership style of the principal was unconventional by this Catholic School Division's standards
5. outsiders took and active part in the project and were regarded with suspicion and resentment by some
6. the ideas, scale and pace of the project were outside the experience of most people
7. in the minds of some community members, the concept of naturalization and "greening" have radical political overtones
8. a community self-help project flies in the face of current professionalization of public space provision
9. unrelated and pre-existing problems in the school were sometimes confused with the project
10. administrative support at the Division level for the project varied greatly over the course of time
11. change was initiated in a social system know for its conservatism and centralized authority
12. an inordinate fear of basic elements of naturalization such as water and trees was present
13. there was a lack of cooperative policies among senior levels of authority involved in the project
14. the preparation of teachers does not place environmental education as a high priority

Naturalization at St. Matthew School has been plagued by political problems. These have had to do with power, tradition and change. When Aline Wilkie started the naturalization project at the school she assumed that she had her staff all on side and that parental and community support would be fairly easy to generate. On the surface of things she was right. The idea of school naturalization was consistent with environmental trends being promulgated nationwide and was also in accord with Catholic School Division policy and provincial curricula. She now states that she badly misjudged the amount of opposition to the concept that was in the community. As with all visionaries, there were areas that Wilkie overlooked in her zeal for the idea; the most serious one, by her own admission, was a failure to adequately consider the political dimension involved in change. Wilkie operated in a very trusting and perhaps naive way that at first assumed things would go according to plan. While there was and is broad support for the project and what it accomplished, there was also a minority of strong critics and doubters who worked either consciously or unconsciously to undermine efforts. These are referred to in many of the statements which have been lodged by questionnaire respondents. Many thoughtful parents feel that the greening project at St. Matthew was the scapegoat for a lot of problems that had nothing to do with the project and which had their historical origins in much earlier problems to do with the school and how it was administered. Nonetheless, the politics of school ground naturalization at St. Matthew School are one of the main elements that must be reflected upon and probed even further if we are to properly comprehend what has transpired in and around this project.

B. Product Observations and Interpretations

Over twenty separate play and nature settings were created during the course of the naturalization project at St. Matthew. Two of these were initiatives of the Home and School Association and were not done under the aegis of the Naturalization Committee, however they are included for consideration here in that they are part of the overall renovation to the school grounds. Moreover, the Chair of the H & S Grounds Committee and Diana Foster who chaired the Naturalization Committee worked together closely on day to day matters dealing with design and construction. Additionally, many of the same persons worked on both projects and thus, aside from budgetary matters and attendant issues discussed elsewhere in this report, the products of the work of the school community can be considered together.

Items that are new to the school yard or which have been significantly enhanced are portrayed in alphabetical order rather than in any order of priority.

1. Basketball Hoops. Two new outdoor hoops were installed to meet the expressed needs of students, particularly youth in the intermediate grades. Children of all ages rate this facility as their second most popular play setting of the entire site; adults also prize them highly. The location of the hoops on the perimeter of the church parking lot and adjacent to a turfed area may need to be reconsidered over time in that the parking lot curbing may present something of a hazard and because the basketballs are not well contained in the current spatial arrangement. It would also be advisable to observe this activity area closely and to determine if separate hoops at lower heights as are used elsewhere to good advantage are needed. The ready accessibility of basketballs for play and recreation is another planning detail to be taken into account. The introduction of outdoor hoops has been very popular with students.
2. Benches and Picnic Tables. Senior students at the school made a consistent plea for places to sit and talk. The benches and tables constructed by students and parents have helped to satisfy this very legitimate need. Students now have places to congregate and talk with their friends in some degree of comfort. Tables and benches also can serve curricular needs in the various subject areas in that it is not always convenient nor possible to sit on the ground for discussion and other modes of learning. These facilities also afford a welcome respite for families and others who visit the site for recreational purposes; many do in fact use the picnic tables for just these functions. An idea that has been utilized in other locals to capitalize upon the educational potential of this kind of facility is for students to design patterns on the computer in art classes and then to transfer these patterns to table tops using broken ceramic tile, cement and grout. This practice allows for additional artistic expression on the part of students and enhances the quality of the woodcraft even more. Many such opportunities exist within the broad framework established in the naturalization project if only they are seen as such.
   
   Minor management problems have arisen in connection with benches and tables. The first concern was whether these items should be permanently installed or be moveable to various parts of the school ground. The resolution to date is that most benches have been permanently mounted while tables can still be moved from place to place though not easily. Design of benches required a lot of consideration because of potential vandalism, weathering and storage. Through extensive discussion, very satisfactory table and bench designs evolved. Another problem expressed by students is the lack of availability of tables in the winter months. Currently tables are stored inside the school roughly during the period that snow is on the ground in Regina. The desirability of this practice will need to be monitored.
3. Bird Houses and Bird Feeders. The construction of bird houses and feeders by school children and youth working under the direction of Trevor Mann was a highly successful part of naturalization at St. Matthew and one that was totally in keeping with the major goal of the project to bring the wilderness back to the school. Bird life at the school is much more in evidence than in the past. Bird feeders were placed outside most classroom windows so that students could tend to stocking the feeders with birdseed and observe and study the birds that came to their respective areas. Many birdhouses were also installed in trees around the site. Metal poles were used at first as mounting devices for birdhouses, but these soon became vandalized as did many of the bird feeders outside the classrooms. Some mechanism must be found to allow the very worthwhile purposes behind the birdhouse effort to be realized. It may be that mounting bird feeders higher on the building and in areas such as the front of the school and the inner courtyard are part of the answer to acts of vandalism. Birdhouses do not generally pose a problem because they can be placed up high, but feeders do since they must be tended if they are to be used.
   
   
   Above: Good work requires good food. Student chefs at the BBQ on a workbee day.
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5. Compost Bins: Compost bins were built as one of the first construction projects at the school by boys enrolled in the grade eight class. These bins went through a couple of repair and renovation stages before they were done to a good standard. Unfortunately, despite the presence of the new compost bins and the composting workshops which were done at the school by an instructor from the University of Regina, composting has not been a common practice at the school. This lack of follow-up by the administration and teaching staff is not acceptable in the context of the planning, labour and materials that went into creating the bins. The gap between environmental practice and rhetoric on the part of the educators involved must be seriously questioned. Many, many schools have well functioning composting programs where students and teachers compost non-meat and non-dairy biodegradable lunch and snack waste. Smaller compost containers are needed in each classroom as is a program to see that leaves and cuttings form the schoolyard form part of the compost formula. There is a great need for someone to take responsibly for such a program at St. Matthew and to see that it works.
6. Inner Courtyard. This new area is known variously as, "The Secret Garden", "Ashley's Garden" in honour of the late Ashley Ehmann, and simply as, "The Courtyard". What was originally a patch of blacktop, unused by anyone, has been transformed by the efforts of many into a wonderland of a very delicate scale. The blacktop was jackhammered, pickaxed and wheelbarrowed out of the area at the first workbee by a crew of hardy men and very helpful students. The ethic which governed the development of this particular childhood domain was very much like that found in the well known motion picture entitled, "The Secret Garden". The courtyard contains a goldfish-stocked pond crossed by a small bridge as well as small trees, shrubs, vines and trellises. The bridge and the boardwalk which transverse the courtyard are wheelchair accessible and are mainly the product of the loving efforts of three generations of the Ehmann family who have a prevailing interest in the special needs of persons with disabilities. The design has this family's knowledgeable stamp of approval. Children in the primary grades were instrumental in planting bulbs in the inner courtyard in the early days and the first blush of colour that comes there each spring is largely as a result of their efforts.
   
   In the early stages of the project it was intended to have an environmental pond in a more accessible part of the school ground. However, parental fears concerning safety resulted in the relocation of the pond to the more secure site of the courtyard which has controlled access and can be supervised from two classrooms. An example of the kind of resistance to the concept of water in a school yard that existed at the school may be seen in one of the remarks made by a parent at a Home and School Committee who proclaimed that, "Hell will freeze over before we have a pond in our schoolgrounds." In an attempt to deal with this kind of extreme attitude towards the inclusion of a pond environment at the school, one thing that was done was to arrange a speaker phone linkup with the head of an award- winning project in Ontario where ponding was central to that school's environmental project. A conference call with this person was made at the Evergreen Foundation's Learning Grounds Conference held at St. Matthew. People at the conference had a chance to discuss concerns with the leader of that project and to have questions answered. Other strategies were invoked to try to educate people to the benefits of a marshland environment and ways that safety measures could be introduced to minimize risk. Nonetheless, the final decision made by the naturalization was to locate the pond in a more non-public space, the inner courtyard which remains closed and secure after school and on weekends. In the longer term, if wetlands are to become a reality on schoolgrounds like St. Matthew, more effective ways will have to be found to deal with the inordinate concerns of a minority of vocal parents and school systems that opt to always follow the most traveled path. Actual construction of the pond in the Secret Garden came about in an interesting way. Following are some of the dynamics which were involved. A number of students came to the University of Regina to assist in the construction of the environmental pond at the university's Children's Garden. The students, mainly senior girls, really warmed to the project and a strong sense of propriety and pride in the making of that pond was developed. Some time later a pond and wetland expert came to the school to speak about ponds to the grade seven class. Students were enthused at his presentation and elected to be the main builders of the pond at the school. Again, it was the girls who led the way in terms of actual work. They did the bulk of excavation for the pond, went to a neighbours to get large rocks for the pond edging, and then installed the pond liner and rock border. They were very careful in trying to be consistent with the development principles that they had been taught by the pond and wetland expert. These youth were effective beginning artisans and demonstrated that high quality work can certainly be done when students are highly motivated.
   
   Concerning the issue of ponds, it is interesting to note that while parents and teachers both rated a pond very low in their priorities for the school, students ranked a pond as their most preferred schoolyard feature second only to a multipurpose sports field. This dichotomy warrants real reflection on the part of educators, the public and policy makers. It has been a goal of the naturalization committee to install a large viewing window in the school's multipurpose room where assemblies are held each day and many other activities take place. This intention has the blessing of the Division's Maintenance and Facilities Superintendent and awaits a fund raising venture to purchase an appropriate window. The Division has said that they will install the window. Serious thought should also be given over time to the provision of access doors to the courtyard from the classrooms which directly border it. This would be a relatively inexpensive proposition and would provide a much needed link between indoor and outdoor environments. In past years, students enrolled in classes in these rooms have come home from school suffering from heat exhaustion because of the hot sun beating down on the classrooms in the late spring and early fall. The elimination of the "blacktop jungle" from the courtyard and the introduction of shade plants and water has already introduced a very welcome major cooling effect when it is needed; doors which can be opened and allow breezes and fresh air in to classrooms would enhance things even more. Some minor vandalism has occurred in the courtyard during the past year according to the current principal of St. Matthew. This is surprising given the protocols which are intended to govern use by students of this special area. It was not developed as a place where groups would congregate on their own, rather it is intended as a sanctuary for individuals, pairs of students, or very small numbers. The carved wooden sign in the garden spells this out very clearly. If the use pattern to date has been otherwise, then it has been wrong and serious consideration needs to be given to the ways that the special character of the "Secret Garden" can be approached by students and staff in the future. It is not a simple matter of barring children from use, it is an area that they have indicated that they value; rather, it is to work out ways that the courtyard and what it stands for can be used in gentle and more spiritual ways. Students, teachers, parents and community residents often need a refuge in the hectic pace of modern life. The courtyard is supposed to provide just that. With sensitively drawn and implemented guidelines students will use the area with respect and care. A copy of protocols used by students in a similar courtyard refuge in North Vancouver, B.C. was placed on file at the school to possibly serve as a model for development of the St. Matthew courtyard. This document merits careful review given the issues which have arisen of late. It would also be useful for the two schools to be in ongoing contact in order to share educational approaches and stewardship patterns.
   
   Muchof the essence of the entire naturalization project is inherent in the Secret Garden. It would be tragic if the area became out-of-bounds to students and was merely another pretty landscape to showcase to visitors or to be used only on special occasions. The "Behind Glass" metaphor is not what the Secret Garden is about; the wonders that a few small children experienced in the novel by that title is.
7. Fences. Many of the fences which surrounded St. Matthew School have been changed; some have been taken down to provide more ready access, others have been painted in a spectrum of colors to escape the drab institutional tones that were there before. Plans have also been made to use fences as trellises for climbing flowers and vines. The decision to take some sections of fence away at the front of the school had the blessing of the design committee and the school principal. In addition, one gate near the staff parking lot was closed off on a temporary basis to reduce hazards to students. Future thought should be afforded to fencing and foot traffic patterns of students and parents as they relate to vehicular traffic. The painting of fences by children and adults was one of the most enjoyable and certainly the most colorful activities during workbees. It may even be that more paint got on fences than on children. Fence painting at St. Matthew took on some of the character of the adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, and that was good to behold.
8. Front Garden: Not surprisingly, the front garden is one of the most popular areas in the renovated schoolground among parents. Primary and intermediate children at the school also appreciate this section of the grounds highly. Prior to the naturalization project some landscaping work had been done at the front of the school but this had suffered badly from neglect over the years. The original landscaping had also been of a labour intensive character in terms of maintenance, and it is hoped that a lesson will have been learned from this mistake by the naturalization committee in their subsequent efforts. Important features of the front garden area include wheelchair accessible pathways and planter boxes of different types to also encourage use by persons in wheelchairs. Comfortable benches are now in place under the mature trees in the garden and they provide welcome relief from the hot prairie sun. Colorful flower beds adorn the perimeter of the area and newly installed grass provides a wonderful verdant contrast to these. Near each entrance are huge boulders that the chair of this task group lobbied to get from the project coordinator who had intended them for elsewhere on the site. In passing, it should be stated that this was but one of a series of successful lobbies made by female leaders to males involved in the project.
   
   Future developments in the front garden which have been suggested include appropriate signage and the inclusion of some kind of attractive gateway or entrance to the area. Still to be worked out are use policies which encourage students to use and enjoy the new garden in appropriate ways. At present students feel that the garden is out-of-bounds for the great majority of the time. If this is indeed the case, the major reason for renewing the garden will have been lost. As was emphasized in discussions about the inner courtyard, gardens in schools should not be developed as pretty, inaccessible places. This equivalent of the "Don't Walk on the Grass" syndrome is contrary to sound practice in playscaping for young people. If such areas are seen as sacrosanct and students are denied any kind of reasonable access, vandalism will not be far behind. This does not deny the need for respectful and gentle use by children and youth. If the front garden is to realize its educational potential beyond being just a pretty face to the front of the school the challenge of appropriate use and ownership by St. Matthew students will have to be faced.
9. Garbage Cans: The following account was provided by one of the three individuals who coordinated this activity in the spring of 1997:
   
   Our entire budget for 6 garbage cans was less than the cost of one commercially marketed garbage can, so the solution was recycled drums from the Great West Container Company. The manager assured me they had not previously contained toxic products, so I felt that the $12/drum price tag was just what we needed. He painted the outside of the drums free of charge and delivered them to the school. Since the schoolyard was devoid of any other student art, I felt the cans could become blank canvases for environmental art. The school provided the rubber gloves, paint and paint brushes for [the] grade five class to add eco art to the blank garbage drums. The drums were to be attached to permanent posts, however, the posts weren't installed until Aug. 98. This meant vandals were able to empty them, roll them around and use them as stepladders to the roof of the school and ultimately to the secret garden. The size of the barrels and thus the garbage bags in them were too heavy to lift when full and caught rainwater. [The principal at the time] requested smaller garbage cans. I was able to trade in the larger drums (art and all) for smaller drums with a snap ring which would hold garbage bags in place. To date they are unpainted navy drums mounted on four by four posts which are cemented into the ground.
   
   This detailed account is the kind of story that is commonplace in playground development projects at the local level; that is, one of good intention, input by students, followed by vandalism and finally an institutional answer. This sequence becomes a syndrome unless authorities work closely with community members to achieve results. While large eco art garbage cans present problems, so too do supposedly vandal-proof garbage containers painted in drab colours. The latter models invite vandalism and graffiti perhaps even more than the former in that they are seen to have been installed by "Big Brother".
10. Gazebo: Having a place to call their own, a semiprivate place to "hangout" and talk with friends is a very high priority among senior students at St. Matthew. Before naturalization, students in the upper grades used to hang around the entrances to the building and would often sit or stand in the area of the church parking lot as a way of distancing themselves from the hustle and bustle of younger children at play. This kind of grouping occurred regardless of weather conditions. Entranceways were often adorned with spray paint graffiti which expressed adolescent frustrations. The recently constructed gazebo has lessened what many see as inappropriate locations for students to socialize. The gazebo is also a good sunscreen area when it is needed for that purpose.
    
    Students in grades 6 to 8 were heavily involved in the design and construction of a large gazebo which is intended to meet the need they have consistently expressed for this kind of structure. Much attention was given to the best location for the gazebo and in the end it was sited on the northeast section of the grounds as a result of a consensus among the youth that this was the best spot for it. Construction of the gazebo was one of the latter developments in the project because of the more technical and intricate nature of the design which had to ensure that students would not be able to climb on the roof for safety reasons. One of the ironies is that many younger children gravitate to the gazebo for a place of shelter and privacy just as senior students do. This results in a degree of conflict among the different age groups because of what is perceived as an invasion of the older student's "turf". What may be in order is a similar structure for the younger set.
11. Play Hills and Play Mounds: Play hills were by far the most popular of all play forms in the school yard among students. This was true for both intermediate and primary children. Adults, including both teachers and parents, also favoured them highly. Prominent educators who visited the school from other parts of the country and from the United States marveled at the appeal and adventure education value the hills held for youngsters. Play on the hills was often of an intergenerational nature which few other settings afford. They also afforded a departure from the competitive element associated with many hills where kids are all trying to become "King of the Hill"; quite simply, when there are many hills there can be many kings and queens.
    
    The hills were also a controversial item. One neighbour in particular, on the west border of the property, was opposed to the hills on a number of grounds. The objections made by this person may be seen in the documentary history section of this report. Upon investigation, many of the assertions made by this individual were not upheld. It is the conviction of the majority of the naturalization committee that the decision made by the principal to remove most of the play mounds and to drastically alter their design was premature and ill-considered. Further discussion about the hills issue had been presented earlier in this document. It should also be noted that the Superintendent of Facilities for the Catholic School Division is on record as being opposed to this kind of play, although specific reasons have not been given for this negative stance. The fact that the educational establishment acted in such an arbitrary manner to virtually eliminate the single most popular play setting of children and youth at the school is a significant event in the history of the project and one that may serve as a metaphor concerning the problems that face persons who wish to do more than provide token change in the learning environments of students. Reactive decisions in regards to what may be considered as risky playforms must give way to considered evaluation by those who have studied the play and educational needs of children in depth.
12. Lighting: Plans were to enhance security lighting at the school as one means of reducing night time vandalism at and around St. Matthew. Unfortunately budgetary restrictions did not permit this feature of the plan to be realized. The concept is mentioned here because it should be a facet of developments in subsequent phases of the project. Experience in many other places shows that one of the best deterrents to vandalism and violence at night is to have a well-lighted place. Placing lights on automatic timers coupled with the strategic placement of illumination does a great deal to make school yards safe and welcoming places to walk through and by at night. The alternative of feeling that they are dark and forbidding spaces in our community, to be avoided at all costs, is not tenable.
13. Loose Logs and Tree Branches: The foregoing discussion about the playhills at St. Matthew can teach us something of what bureaucratic thinking can do to the play world of children. Perhaps this is a negative and bitter lesson to be learned. The story of the logs and branches at St. Matthew affords adults another learning opportunity. Here is the essence of what transpired in terms of this play medium. The writer had an opportunity to go to Europe to participate in a Conference of the International Association for the Child's Right to Play (IPA). At that conference I saw a wonderful climbing and balancing structure made out of sturdy branches and tree trunks. It was a highly crafted piece of play equipment which obviously served the play needs of children for balance opportunities very well. It was also a wonderful piece of folk art though it would not be too difficult to put together technically. Essentially it was a small weaving made of wood where the irregular pieces were bolted together to make them secure. It was aesthetically very pleasing.
    
    When I returned to Regina, I and another individual went in search of similar branches so that we could construct a replica of the fine piece that I had seen in Scandinavia. We collected the branches one cold fall day at the nearby farm of a project friend and advisor. They were the prunings and windfall from her fruit and windbreak trees. We dutifully took the limbs back to the school and stored them by the school fence for safe keeping. By lunch time the next day these play materials were in full use, not as planned by the play expert and his young friend, but rather in totally unanticipated and highly productive ways that far surpassed the more limited play value of the fixed equipment that I had seen overseas. Children had moved and assembled the logs against the fence in the form of what appeared to be small huts. They padded these hut roofs with pieces of loose turf that were laying around in ways that would be the envy of early pioneers. Others had made small teetertotters out of theirs. Still others were using logs as neat, curvilinear balance beams in the nearby sandpits. In all, the play of the children with these materials was highly creative, energetic, engrossing, and cooperative. A continual dialogue and give and take occurred as children made their creations. One boy who had shown troublesome behaviour patterns in his play seemed to get along much better in this environment and, in fact, was hard to get away from what he had helped build. Each day that one visits the play area the profile of what has been done seems to vary. The diverse nature of what the youngsters come up with is amazing.
    
    Without being too pedantic, the lessons here may be threefold: first, the best laid plans of designers for materials may not be what ultimately is best for children; second, we need to observe what children do with the things that we place in their environments and learn from these observations; and last, we should provide many more settings with loose parts so that children and youth can create and recreate their own play worlds on a large and small scale. The story of loose logs and branches at St. Matthew is one that should become an important part of the mythology of the project and one whose merits should not be overlooked by central education authorities.
    
    It is encouraging to note that students, teachers and parents all view this part of the naturalized environment in a positive light. The only problem that has been noted is that the logs and branches are so popular that some have evidently been dragged home by children for their play uses in the community. The supply will need to be replenished on an annual basis if this kind of play is to continue to prosper.
14. Multipurpose Sports Field and Running Track: When a needs assessment study was done involving all persons associated with the school, a multipurpose sports field was a the top of the priority list for students, teachers and parents. A running track was also the first choice of adults and rated highly. The reason that a running track did not rate at the top of the priority list well may be the way in which running programs are practiced in schools, where children run in competitive atmospheres and often in ways that discourage participation rather than in a manner that enhances the joy of running.
    
    Funding issues and developments of the sports field and track are detailed in earlier sections of this report. Those political matters should be the subject of careful review by planners, developers and bureaucrats. The critical thing here is to ensure that workable cooperative agreements are in place that ensure that facilities are provided and cared for at the local community level and that administrative procedures facilitate the fulfillment of legitimate needs. What needs to be remembered is that while people work and play in different jurisdictions, the distinctions that we make in terms of institutional domains are merely administrative conveniences rather than borders to be guarded.
    
    In terms of the need for open spaces for sport, the senior students at the school expressed a degree of resentment towards the naturalization that had occurred in that they thought it had encroached upon the amount of space that they had to play football, softball and other wide sports. Some feel that the trees and plants which have been introduced to what were previously open spaces are poorly placed and unnecessary. These feelings on the part of older students aren't well founded in fact, but they do need to be dealt with in sensitive ways by teachers and parents if these students are to develop a sense of ownership for the grounds. The total school site at St. Matthew is a large one that easily accommodates the diversity of function that is central to the naturalization design. The sports field and track are a major acknowledgment of the more formalized play needs of youth. One reason that a degree of alienation existed among the older students is that the sports field was the last major area to be developed at the site because of logistic problems such as joint funding agreements, irrigation requirements, and the best time to plant grass. Approximately 88 truck loads of topsoil were deposited on site to ensure that a good base was provided for the field. After this material was spread, seeding was done by a small mechanical broadcaster made for distributing grass and other kinds of seed. Little grading was required as it was felt that the natural slope of the grounds facilitate runoff of surface water. The seeding was done in fall of 1998 and the field will be ready for use in the fall of 1999. In hindsight, one thing that could have been done to instill a sense of ownership by students would have been hand-seeding by children and youth. This method has been employed very successfully in other playground projects and it appears to provide a strong sense of identity among young people about what is going on. The sight of a couple of hundred children walking shoulder to shoulder across a large field spreading seed has practical as well as spiritual values. While this was not done in the last planting it could perhaps be done in the top dressing and spot seeding that will undoubtedly be required in the spring. This kind of proactive activity with youth is critical to the success of the project in the long run.
15. Nursery: In the events leading up to the first workbee, students from all grades planted seeds and seedlings and tended them in the school's science room. The room became a miniature plant nursery for a couple of months with lots of student activity and care of young plants which would form part of the garden areas outside. Seedlings courtesy of the Shand Greenhouse were placed in raised bed planters as an outdoor gathering place and nursery. Most of these outdoor seedlings were lost in the first year because no one was aware that putting plants in raised beds doesn't work well in the harsh and frigid prairie climate. The young trees would have fared better if they had been bedded at ground level.
    
    Subsequently, a small tree and plant nursery area was created on the eastern border of the school. It was prepared by primary age children and was a successful venture in terms of learning and cooperation. More activity of this nature seems to be warranted in that students gain an appreciation of what it means to care for their garden.
16. Pathways: A network of crusher dust pathways connects one part of the playground to another. Travel routes were carefully considered by the planning committee. For the most part, traditional paths used by children were used in the design of access routes and new pathways. Consideration was given to the inclusion of asphalt paths to allow a more regular surface for paths, but this option was discarded as unworkable for a number of reasons. The choice to install crusher dust pathways was made after extensive deliberation and consultation with landscaping experts who had installed pathways of this type in city parks and other public places. Following treatment for weed control, which was another matter which involved considerable dialogue, the pathways were installed by a local professional landscape and garden supply house. Planners were assured that the new pathways would be suitable for wheelchair users as well as for walking. In the opinion of the persons on the naturalization committee who are most familiar with the needs of persons in wheelchairs, this assurance has not been born out. They maintain that the pathways are not satisfactory. This is a major frustration in that the primary purpose of the new pathways was to provide universal access to all parts of the playground. Of all the features of the new environment that require attention, this is perhaps the most serious. The supplier who provided this service should be recalled to the site by the current project coordinators and the pathways should be brought up to a satisfactory standard at his expense. The people on the committee who know most about this issue should be consulted and ultimately satisfied as to the work being of a good standard. If this is not done, the goal of universal design will not have been achieved at St. Matthew.
17. Pavement Games: The following account was provided by the parent who coordinated the painting of pavement games by children at the first workbee: "I researched and chose a variety of age appropriate and novel hopscotch games. I then enlisted adult volunteers to enlarge various hopscotch games and chalk them onto the previously well swept and washed area located outside the kindergarten doors. We purchased gallon cans of outdoor latex paint in several bright colors (6 or 7) along with 20 or so disposable paint brushes. Student volunteer painters were so numerous we had to ration the number of squares they could paint. The entire hopscotch square was filled in with paint as opposed to previous four square games, etc., which were only outlined."
18. Play Structure: The new playstructure for St. Matthew School is one which was custom designed for the school by Z A Recreation of Regina, a commercial playground manufacturer, working in conjunction with the chair of the Home and School Committee's Grounds Committee. The design which was developed was based upon hundreds of hours of enquiry and research and the input of many people in the school community. This was a primary project of the Home and School Association rather than the Naturalization Committee, although many of the same people contributed help to the project. The playstructure includes the following main elements: two triple tire swings, two decks, a bird nest climber, up and down climber, fire pole, two ladder walls, two agility slides, a wobble ladder, and a double 10' monorail c/w catch decks. According to information provided by the company, equipment and installation are to CSA Standards. The equipment is surrounded by a wide border of pea gravel which provides an acceptable soft-fall surface for the play area. Cost for this project was $12,333. Installation occurred during the summer of 1997 and children began to use the equipment during the 1997/1998 school year. Ironically, this one large piece of play equipment that was done commercially had some flaws and parts of it had to be recalled and refitted. According to reports, the problems were fixed and children now enjoy the benefits that this kind of apparatus provides.
19. Prairie Garden: The prairie garden at St. Matthew is an attempt to show students and the community that the natural prairie landscape is a thing of beauty and something that needs to be preserved as a part of the plains heritage. The initial location in the northern sector of the school yard was ill chosen. Even though this was the site that had been chosen democratically by the naturalization committee, it proved not to be a good one because of drainage problems and traffic and play patterns. The plants which were put into this location at the first workbee in the spring of 1996 had to be transplanted to a new site after the first year. This procedure resulted in the loss of a number of prairie plants. The owner of "Prairiescape", a company specializing in native Saskatchewan wildflowers, headed up this project and worked with senior students to prepare the new wildflower area and transplant the delicate wildflowers. He conducted hands-on seminars with students during school time. One initiative taken in conjunction with the prairie garden was to install a large cross made out of heavy used timbers near the entrance to the garden area. It is about 8 feet tall and stands directly across from the staff parking lot. The cross was built by a volunteer at the end of a long evening working alone on the prairie garden and installed without sanction by the naturalization committee. The next morning it was the topic of animated discussion on the part of teachers and parents. Some objected to the rustic nature of the piece, others liked it. Some were concerned that the volunteer had done it on his own hook, others applauded his initiative. The ultimate decision was to leave the cross, which people now see as a wise one. It is seen by most as what it was intended to be, a gift in keeping with the spirit of the project and the mission of the school. It should be pointed out that the individual who created it is not a Catholic, which implies a further generosity of spirit on his part.
    
    Care of the prairie garden is a concern. It is intended as an area that requires very little attention once it is established, which makes sense. Some problems have arisen however in that well intentioned children and adults overwatered the garden in the early stages and likely killed many plants and, as well, pulled out and discarded many prairie plants which were mistaken for weeds. A solution needs to be found for these kinds of problems. A closer working relationship with the owner of "Prairiescapes" would be a start in the right direction; and informed and interested staff would be another. The delicate prairiescape that has been installed holds great learning potential for children and adults. It is a local counterpart of the popular wildflower garden at the Saskatchewan Museum and deserves care and leadership by the school and community.
20. Rocks: A large number of huge boulders were brought to St. Matthew from the University of Regina as part of the reciprocal arrangement between the two institutions. They became treasured and rather coveted play and landscaping items on the project. Students and adults shared in the placement of the boulders around the site. They became instant landscape forms which the children related to immediately. Students use them for sitting on, balancing, jumping off, props for imaginative play, and as tablets upon which to work and play. One of the most interesting things to observe is young children using the boulders as some kind of anvil upon which to chip other small rock fragments that they find on the school yard. They proclaim that they are prospecting for gold and are immensely proud of their efforts. The Saskatchewan Geological Society has expressed strong interest in working with schools to develop a rock study program in the context of the science curriculum. A study group of teachers and geologists is meeting in Regina to develop study materials and approaches. It would be wise for St. Matthew to affiliate with this initiative given the ready access that is now available on the school ground to study rock formations and the evolution of the geological features of the region. This is another prime example of the rich educational potential inherent in the new areas.
21. Sand Play Areas: There are currently two distinct sand play areas at St. Matthew. Actually, there was also a third sand play area but this third one was totally unplanned. It was simply a large pile of sand left in temporary storage just inside the fence beside the teachers parking lot. This pile of sand became a magnet for primary grade children and they used it to good advantage in their play world while it was there. It demonstrated the poetic simplicity that can be associated with children's play environments. It is apparent that the best things we can provide for our children are often the simplest. Planning and building elaborate, technical and expensive play structures by adults are not how we can best serve the needs of children. The pile of sand unwittingly left behind by the playground planners at St. Matthew and the good uses to which it was put is yet another reminder of this fact.
    
    Two large sandpits bordered by logs and large rocks are presently used by children at the school. Kids play in the sandpits for extended periods of time, sometimes in pairs or small groups, other times alone. It is not uncommon to see a child or two playing in the sand for an hour or two after school has dismissed for the day. Loose logs and branches are often used by players in their adventures in the sand. Toddlers are brought to the sandpits by their parents when they are not in demand by school children at noon and recess periods. The sand play areas have become very much of a community amenity. A surprising thing is that children as old as ten and eleven seem to enjoy this area which is conventionally thought of as a play medium only for early primary age youngsters. This diversity of use is possible because of the uncommonly large scale of the new sandpits and the fact that there are two discrete facilities.
    
    Two small plastic portable swimming pools were purchased and filled with sand for use by the children of Sunshine Preschool which is housed at St. Matthew. The large sandpits described above are too far away from the building according to teachers for use by the preschoolers, some of whom have learning and/or physical disabilities. This extra provision seems to have worked well and is a further example of how the committee tried to meet the needs of all users in innovative ways.
    
    The way in which the sandpit area was constructed is a good example of community involvement and the power of women to get things done. At the first workbee no one had been assigned the responsibility of coordinating construction of the sand play facilities. Several women were available to work but had no specific tasks to do. The logical thing was to put the resource where the need was. The writer suggested to one of the women that she and her friends could easily design and construct the sandpit. At first the women disclaimed their ability to do so. After a little gentle prodding and a modicum of advice the women set about planning the sand play areas and got them built in short order. They commandeered the bobcat machine to bring in sand and rock as needed and solicited other help and advice when they required it. Dialogue among the female leaders was animated with lots of laughter and high spirits. Children's views were also incorporated as the play area developed and changed. The way that the sand pits were planned, designed and constructed is a graphic example of the empowerment that is so often talked about by educators and so seldom seen in real life. In the process of becoming empowered, the women who worked on the sandpits at St. Matthew School have created what many would say are play areas of an award winning standard.
22. Skating Rink: There were no plans to have an outdoor skating rink at St. Matthew School; one principal reason for this was that there was a very good lighted skating facility located at nearby Elsie Dorsey School. With the recent closure of that school the situation has now changed and a skating rink may be worthy of more serious consideration. The area which abuts Cardinal Crescent at the north end of the school would appear to be a likely one
23. Stepping Stones: Engraved garden paving stones were purchased from Sisters Stepping Stones Company in Regina as one means of thanking all those who contributed to the project as donors or as leaders of the many projects. These stones were to form a part of an attractive mosaic at the entrance of the school or some other prominent location. One parent had volunteered to construct a border for the pavers and to mount it at the school. Events since that time have stalled the installation of this acknowledgment of the continuing efforts of a large number of individuals and groups who made the project work. It will be unfortunate if politics get in the way of this kind of highly warranted recognition.
24. Tetherball Poles: This facility has proven to be highly popular with students of all ages. They were rated as the third most popular play environment in the new playground by children and youth. The only things that might be suggested to enhance the benefits of play on this relatively inexpensive equipment is to provide several more tetherball poles and to make sure that students have tetherballs available to them during school time and after school hours. At a minimum there should be one tetherball for each grade given the popularity of the equipment. It would also be good to provide an asphalt apron around each tetherball pole to prevent the inevitable erosion that will occur otherwise.
25. Trees: Over a hundred trees were planted at the school as part of the naturalization project. Through the cooperation of the city's tree nursery, it was possible to secure about three dozen fairly mature trees for the yard. More would have been moved to the school if it wasn't for the high cost of tree spade work and transport. The tragic thing is that hundreds of trees are simply bulldozed into the ground as fill when they get too high to be moved by the city to areas where they are needed for municipal landscaping. In an era of such scarce resources and a time when people are desirous of greening schoolyards it is incumbent upon civic and educational leaders that ways be found to counteract this waste and to find homes for the maturing trees of Regina rather than to see them ground into landfill. Surely ways can be found to overcome the treespading and transport costs which prohibit schools from availing themselves to this welcome and needed resource.
    
    Teachers have recognized the need to plant trees on the schoolground as was seen in their rating of this kind of landscaping early in the project. The need to provide adequate shade for children at play because of ultraviolet dangers and the threat of skin cancer is now universally recognized. In addition to the obvious play and environmental values that planting trees brings to the school, there is the huge preventative benefit of allowing children to escape the hot sun when they need to. It is likely that the trees of St. Matthew will be one of the most appreciated and lasting legacies of the entire naturalization project.
26. Wheat Field: The late St. Matthew Wheat Field is another of the serendipitous elements of the naturalization project. The chair of the Grounds Committee, who was one of the instigators of the initiative, tells about it:
    
    Most children have seen wheat fields from the windows of a vehicle, and most know that you can make bread from wheat. The purpose of the wheat field (at St. Matthew) is to provide students and teachers with hands on experience cultivating, seeding, summer following, fertilizing, harvesting, milling, and baking with the resulting end product. Our choice of location was an approximately 9' x 48' along the schoolyard's northwest fence. Since the land was covered with the schoolyard quackgrass, we hired a man to bring his garden tractor and harrows to really work the soil well. There were many clumps of loose grass, dandelions and roots to be picked prior to teacher and student involvement. ...A local farmer and member of our Naturalization Steering Committee very generously brought her garden seeder, winter wheat seed, red spring wheat seed, fertilizer, and several pairs of rubber gloves to the school for students who would be fertilizing. She explained the process to [the] grade 2 class for approximately ten minutes in the classroom before heading outside to commence seeding. At [her] suggestion, we divided our land into four small plots and seeded one with red spring wheat, summerfallowed the next, planted winter wheat in the next, and summerfallowed that last one. Some of the students got carried away when they were pushing the seeder, and consequently we did have a few stray rows that crossed the summerfallowed plots. We had a lot of rainy weather immediately following the seeding and the fields were green very quickly. Students did check on progress of the wheat until school ended in early June. It continued to thrive throughout the summer and started to head. Unfortunately the summer help that the school division hired wasn't told of the wheat field's existence, so they mowed the wheat down.
    
    It seems incredulous that a small project laboured over so carefully by young children, their teacher, a parent, and a generous local farmer could have this fate. It may be a telling way to end the story of what was done by and for children at St. Matthew School. There is an age- old question that has been asked by philosophers which applies in such circumstances, it simply asks, "Can Men Learn?" In these times it should be rephrased to query, "Can We Learn?"

5. References

• Bryman, A. Quantity and Quality in Social Research. London: Unwin Hyman, 1988.
• Werner, O., & Schoepfle, G.M. Systematic Fieldwork, Vol. 1. Newbury Park, CA: Sage, 1987.
• Environmental Initiatives Within Regina Catholic School, 1990-91. Report to the Regina Catholic School Board, May 21, 1999.
• Environmental Awareness Policy, Regina Roman Catholic Separate School Division No. 81, Board Motion 3073, June 29, 1992.
• "Welcoming Back the Wilderness," St. Matthew School Ground Naturalization Project Proposal, February 1996.
• "Taking Nature to School," Regina Leader Post. April 2, 1996, p. A3.
• "School Gets Back to Nature," Regina Sun. April 7, 1996, p. 31.
• "Green Thumbs Sprout," Regina Leader Post. April 23, 1996, p. A3.
• "Naturalization Project," Regina Leader Post. May 6, 1996, p. A3.
• St. Matthew Elementary School Playground Redevelopment Project: Summary Report Phase 1. November 1996.
• St. Matthew Elementary Schoolground Naturalization Project Proposal. Action 21 Program, Environment Canada, February 5, 1997.
• "Grant Request a Sticky Wicket," Regina Leader Post. March 13, 1997, p. A3.
• "Peacekeeping Peers," Regina Sun. March 19, 1997.
• "City Grants Fund Local Playgrounds," Regina Community Free Press. March 19, 1997, p. 19.
• St. Matthew Elementary Schoolground Redevelopment Project, Phase II Proposal. Spring-Fall, 1997.
• "Greening Playgrounds Could Reduce School Violence," Regina Community Free Press. April 5, 1998, p. 9.
• "Regina School Creates Prairie Oasis," The B.C. Catholic. June 22, 1998, p. 14.
• "Prairie Wonder," The B.C. Catholic. June 29, 1998, p. 15.

Appendix 1

Letter from Kathleen Donauer
Re: Planting Scheme for the St. Matthew School Naturalization Project

Thank you for asking my opinion on your planting scheme for St. Matthew School's naturalization program. There are many wonderful areas planned for play, study and simply enjoying the look of growing things.

You had mentioned that you were ordering Caragana bushes from PFRA. May I make a strong pitch to NOT do that? Caragana has been one of my professional nemeses for many years. These bushes will survive on the prairie and thrive which is their redeeming grace for windbreaks on the prairie! However, they quickly invade areas beyond where they were planted because some birds seem to like the seeds. The plant exudes a chemical inhibitor that prevents the growth of any other plant near them, including their own seedlings. Eradication is extremely difficult, as is attempting to reestablish anything else where caragana has once grown as the chemical exudate remains in the soil for many years.

I believe you also asked for suggestions of plants that will tolerate shade. Most of the native prairie plants require full sun which means at least six hours of full light, preferably during the noon period. However, there are some lovely parkland plants that are native to Saskatchewan that will grow in partial shade such as smooth sweet cicely (Osmorhiza aristata), snakeroot (Sanicula marilandica ) or starflower (Trientalis borealis). These plants may be a little more difficult to come by but I do have contacts if you should be interested.

Some thoughts come to mind for your area of full shade. Refer to the diagram and the numbered areas I have indicated on it in green.

Area 1. You might wish to establish a fern garden at some point. These plants need rich, moist soil rather than the sand you now have, but with compost and plenty of leaf litter incorporated into the sand, it is possible to create a suitable habitat. The area most amenable would be near water but remember also, ferns do not like wind and require plenty of leaf cover or mulch to survive the winter, the north slope of the school may not be the best after all!

Area 2. It is also possible to use the sandy soil you now have as a base to establish a "rock garden". By using plenty of various sized rocks in piles of various dimensions, you can create microhabitats that will grow a great many different plants that will tolerate various degrees of shade, but more importantly, will survive the winter cold and wind. The kids might have fun finding rocks and then putting them into place. I can give you a list of plants and suggestions for a shady rock garden.

Area 3. If none of these interest you or the children, then may I suggest curving your walkway, placing your arbour closer to the school, make the arbour in a "gazebo" like structure and plant shade-tolerant perennials such as gout weed (green and white and spreads all over) as a ground cover. Spruce trees are shade tolerant, but remember that they need some light and given the long days of summer, they should survive, albeit growing more slowly at first.

Area 4. On the south facing side of the north section, roses have been included under the spruce. While this may be absolutely lovely, it is impractical to go with horticultural roses because they require a lot of maintenance and are generally not winter hardy. However, the concept can be continued if you use some of the prairie roses which tend to be low growing. Examples include prickly rose (Rosa acicularis), prairie rose (Rosa arkansana) or wood's rose (Rosa woodsii). Keep in mind that native roses are invasive meaning that they will spread. These roses generally produce abundant pink flowers in June with bright red rose "hips" that are attractive to the birds in the fall and winter. They also trap plenty of snow which increases the overall moisture levels well into the summer in the case of a summer drought.

The small courtyard in the middle of the school in area 5 could be designed with plants that have a longer growing season. Because it gets lots of light, warmth, can be kept moist and is relatively sheltered from the wind, you could plant things that just would not survive in the open. On the "sunny" side, you might wish to consider planting a tamarack (or larch) which turns bright yellow in the fall before dropping its needles for the winter. In spring and summer, it has a light green colour with a delicate, almost lacy appearance. This might be pleasant for right in front of one or both of the classroom windows. A spruce tree might eventually get too big for the area but you might consider one anyway.

Vines have been suggested to cover the walls; excellent idea! In this habitat, you can consider Clematis which needs partial shade and alkaline soil but will bloom profusely in a variety of colours, depending upon the species chosen. Boston ivy (Parthenocissus or Ampelopsis), which turns bright red in the fall should also survive in this protected area. Another suggestion is the ever hardy Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus or Ampelopsis) which will quickly cover a wall in this climate. You might also have someone interested in trying grape vines (Visis spp.) which would be a great delight for the kids. Grape vines need attention to produce fruit, but if you had someone interested, it could be a delightful learning experience.

This courtyard should be used as a quiet place with access at least somewhat limited so that its "green therapy" can be used whenever needed to calm a frazzled or troubled soul. I suggest that woodland combinations such as birch trees, tamarack, junipers, low ground covers such as lily of the valley, bearberry, plants such as ferns, bleeding hearts, astilbe, and many other moisture loving plants that do not like to be disturbed could be planted here. You might want to plant a few flowering shrubs for spring brilliance such as forsythia or try a fruit tree that would not survive in the open such as a pear or apple. Spring bulbs like daffodils and tulips will emerge and bloom much sooner than anywhere else in the school yard; summer blooms such as lilies and daylilies will last longer into the fall. I don't recommend the use of grasses of any kind as they will eventually take over making the area look unkempt.

With some forethought, this can be a lovely area, with very little maintenance and could be self-sustaining. Perhaps, this could be one area the teachers might like to design for a "sanity space". I can provide a plan and/or plant suggestions if desired.

Now for the rest of the "great garden". Use clusters planting of trees and shrubs as Theresa recommends, for the ease of maintenance, snow entrapment, wind chill abatement and esthetics. Where security or traffic control is a concern, consider the use of buffaloberry (Shepherdia canadensis), silverberry (Sheherdia argentea) or hawthorn (Cratageus spp) in groupings. They are native shrubs, very attractive to the birds especially the endangered.

Loggerhead Shrike and waxwings in winter, retain their berries late into the fall and winter, and have thorns that discourage nonchalantly walking through.

Remember that pine trees are well adapted for full sun and sandy soils, disliking wet areas. These trees do best in clusters of pine, preferably south-facing (area 6). They will survive better with company (area 7).

Spruce trees are shade tolerant and will survive for 20-30 years in the subcanopy before reaching the "free-to-grow" stage and shoot up. However, your spruce are likely to reach the "free-to-grow" stage within a very few years and with little competition from grasses, they can reach heights of 5 meters within 10 years. Anticipate that, with care and protection, Colorado spruce trees may reach 1520 meters with a diameter of 58 meters.

I do not recommend removing the bottom branches of either pine or spruce as you defeat their purpose of protecting the soil and providing safe haven for wildlife. There might be some pressure to remove the very bottom branches of coniferous trees to improve sight lines. However, it has been my experience that there is less vandalism, less crawling around, less "discouraging behaviour" when branches remain intact on large spruce. They also provide better soil protection and havens for wildlife.

Area 8. In this area you might wish to consider some perimeter planting as a shelterbelt particularly on the northwest corner/edge simply to reduce windchill. I suggest spruce, pine, poplar (fast growing but shortlived and can be removed once the pine/spruce are larger) and willow. Along the Southwest corner, a planting of deciduous trees such as green ash will continue the theme established on the southeast corner.

Area 9. While I am not familiar with "acute willow" I am familiar with "golden willow" or "yellowstream willow" (Salix alba tristis) where the twigs are vivid yellow, providing interesting accent during winter. Other willows to consider include pussy willow (S. discolor), brittle willow (S. fragilis), white willow (S. alba), and beaked willow (S. bebbiana). Combined a colourful willow with the osier dogwood or yellowtwig dogwood, and Colorado blue spruce, you can obtain a lovely colour contrast during the winter months when angle of the winter sun will either illuminate the twigs or place them into silhouette. Golden willow make good windbreakers and can grow to heights of 1215 meters. As an example, drive along Wascana Drive from Broad Street east towards the Science Centre, there is a hedge of golden willow along the north side closest to the houses.

You might also wish to consider the neighbours to your north and their growing requirements for gardens and such when planting spruce close to the fence.

Area 10. The concept of an outdoor amphitheatre has merit in warmer climates, however, it is of little real value in Regina where it will be rarely used usually due to the cold, wind and snow. Using a cost-benefit analysis, this has very low priority on a list of possible options. It might have more merit if the "step/seats" were simply a smooth slope and the "stage" were a flat area that could then be used for sliding or tobogganing. If you are serious about having this, then you must consider some shelter planting on the north side for wind control.

Area 11. Nursery areas for shrubs/trees to be later transplanted should be aligned north-south to maximize exposure to the sun. You might also consider not putting a walkway through the nursery because of the temperature/moisture difference that walkways contribute to the surrounding soil. It might be better, from the plants' perspective to have the nursery all in one area with a single path for access. This area is then a "no play" area as the plants are too small to take much soil compaction or breakage from trampling.

Area 12. The meadow/butterfly garden need not be singled out as butterflies and birds will utilize the native plant species wherever they may be. You could then extend the native prairie plantings all around the pond.

Area 13. Growing willows to the south of the pond means that it will get considerable shade, particularly in the later afternoon. This may be desired for esthetics, but is unnecessary ecologically, particularly if you have cattails which require fairly deep water to over-winter. To have a pond with deeper water increases the risk for legal liability because it must be supervised and /or fenced. It might be worth having a legal opinion on this.

Area 14. The problem with shrubs along the perimeter of native prairie areas is that they will creep out into the prairie and eventually overtake the grasses and forbs planted unless you plan to have controlled burns of the prairie from time to time. This adds a whole new dimension to your naturalization project!

Area 15. Planting pine, green ash and potentillas as a clump on the southeast and southwest corners of the south prairie area will reduce the effectiveness of using native prairie plants. These plants require full sun and generally perform less well in areas of shade. Consider the mature height of the trees, the length of shadow they cast, and reconsider the native prairie area. You may wish to opt for native shrubbery which could include native potentillas, buffaloberry, snowberry (Symphoricarpos occidentalis), creeping juniper (Juniperus horizontalis) for low growers and chokecherry, pincherry, saskatoons, hawthorn, dogwoods, highbush cranberry and siberian crabapple for taller species. All these (except for the potentillas) produce berries that are edible, either for humans or birds or both.

Area 16. Green ash self-seeds abundantly, as does Manitoba maple (Acer negundo), and, I trust, the amur maple, but this is not necessarily a bad thing, because seedlings can be used to continue converting the area into a "forest". In time, however, the seedlings will overtake the other plantings unless there is some maintenance to keep the seedlings under control.

Area 17. Planting apple trees for eating generally do not do well unless they receive plenty of moisture and protection from the winter winds. It might be better if crabapples were considered instead as their survival rate is better.

Area 18. In the area of the berms, you might wish to consider planting the whole area with native grasses with some wildflowers mixed in. Native grasses have very long root systems which help to stabilize the hills, they do not require watering or mowing and they will survive the winter with no difficulty. In fact, I would encourage native plant species for most of the grassed areas simply to reduce the demands upon maintenance and watering. If you mix native and non-native grasses in the same areas, even if they are separated by a walkway, there is a great risk that the non-native will invade the native prairie areas and within a reasonably short span of time you will have a big problem in that you will have very little native prairie left.

Non-native grasses require vast inputs of water, time, mowing, and chemicals (fertilizers etc.) to keep them optimal for playing or general use. If there is no intention of maintaining these lawns, then go for the native grasses, it may cost more in the beginning for seed, but it will be worth it in the long run.

Area 19. The two basketball hoops are poorly placed unless the children are simply "shooting baskets". The basketball hoops must be opposite each other for a game. The other concern is the proximity of a courtyard for balls adjacent to a garden area (to the west). Perhaps the basketball court could be placed on the parking lot (only a suggestion) check with Marg first; she'll know more about this.

I have spoken with Prairiescapes about providing some prairie plants and to Prairie Mountain for prairie seed for the schoolgrounds. Both have agreed, but the limiting factor to providing you with all that is required is availability of seed/plants. Both will be able to provide you with some plants and seed by the middle of June, and perhaps the rest can be planted in September or next spring. If they know ahead of time how much is needed, they can be better prepared. Collecting seed by hand is generally the way of things for prairie plants, although Prairie Mountain is working at producing seed on a larger scale. Prairiescapes is working on a species list with the number of plants he can provide to the project, and Prairie Mountain is working on several species combinations for the different areas and the different requirements. You can contact them directly or through me, as you wish. If you let me know the general requirements that you have, I can translate that into the specifics; but they are both very knowledgeable and can help you with many suggestions and helpful hints too.

Aline, you and the children and everyone else have put a lot of work into your plan and I commend you. With a few adjustments in species or in thinking about placement of plants with respect to sunlight and winter winds, you may have more success for all the hard work.

I hope this helps a little with what you wanted. I can provide more information in terms of species lists but the suggestions at the end of the "Winter Designs" information should provide you with all that you require at the moment. Generally, if you use plants/shrubs/trees that are native to the prairies of Saskatchewan you will have greater success overall with your plantings as they are drought hardy, lower maintenance, winter hardy, low water, no fertilizer, no amending of the soil. When you are ready to plant your native prairie areas, give me a call and I will offer more suggestions if you require.

If I can be of any further assistance, please give me a call. My apologies for taking so long but there have been a great many demands on my time and attentions of late.

Good luck and have fun planting!

Appendix 2

Application to Action 21 Community Funding Program for Funding for the St. Matthew Schoolground Naturalization Project

"WELCOMING BACK THE WILDERNESS"

Introduction and Project Overview

The St. Matthew Schoolground Naturalization Project is a three phase community effort intended to create an outstanding outdoor space the entire community can access and enjoy. The redeveloped schoolground will provide unique learning and environmental opportunities which will be accessible to all and which will provide an environmental model to all schools and communities in the province.

An interdisciplinary group of students, staff, parents, community members, University of Regina students and staff, and local business people will be involved in the design, planning, implementation, stewardship, and evaluation of the schoolground redevelopment.

The project's main goal is to create a naturalized environment which will provide increased learning opportunities and environmental awareness. The schoolgrounds will become a landscape for learning which will complement the curricular endeavors of the teachers and will provide increased environmental understanding for the community.

A. Need For The Project

A.1 Environmental Issues and Problems Addressed by our Project

For the most part schoolgrounds have not been designed with learning in mind. Too often they are comprised mainly of hardtop play areas and sports fields surrounded by institutional fencing providing little educational value, few community benefits, and poor environmental modeling.

Our children, who attend schools for nearly 200 school days each year, spend a significant portion of their school day outside. The reality is that they encounter the schoolground day-by-day for most of their formative years. If this environment is not a rich and stimulating one which fosters learning in its broadest sense then we have missed a highly significant educational opportunity with our youngsters. Using the schoolground as an educational resource for a variety of hands-on learning experiences should be a vital part of school life.

The importance of creating natural outdoor classrooms on school sites has become a local, national, and international issue because it makes good educational, environmental, and economic sense. The benefits of such projects include broadened opportunities for experimental learning, improved environmental landscapes, the provision of less hostile play areas, and the best possible model for environmental renewal and community development.

The concept of schoolground naturalization has only recently become a field of interest among educators and community groups. As a consequence, currently there is a fractured and underdeveloped support structure in place to assist schoolground enhancement projects. There is a need for cooperation among the various groups who are shareholders in the school system to ensure that duplication of effort and financial waste is avoided related to schoolground development and care. The greatest need in terms of schoolground naturalization is to involve the children and youth in truly significant ways in the creation and nurturing of their own local ecosystem. Precedent in other projects shows that greatly increased responsibility on the part of young people is a direct consequence of involvement with peers and adults in the greening of schools.

A.2 The Importance of this Issue in our Community

The primary users of St. Matthew schoolground in terms of time and jurisdiction are St. Matthew students and teachers. Potential secondary users of this space include the City of Regina South Zone Community sports programs, the Whitmore Park Community Association, St. Martin and St. Anne's Parish programs and other groups and members of the public.

When the issue of the redevelopment project began both parents and staff of St. Matthew School were concerned by the lack of student activity in the schoolyard, violence among students, very little use of the schoolgrounds by the community, vandalism, a clear disregard for the environment, and very little environmental awareness as witnessed by lack of day-by-day care for the environment by anybody.

It should also be noted this syndrome is commonplace in the majority of Saskatchewan Schools despite provincial and local environmental policies to the contrary.

A.3 The Reason we Chose to Address these Issues

In 1995 we undertook a School Climate Survey, reviewing the above issues. At the St. Matthew 1995 PTA General Meeting there was consensus that addressing these basic questions would require a major new approach. We identified areas of interests for the students and the community, these included activities which would provide opportunities for enhanced environmental awareness and shared stewardship.

At a very basic level the reason we have chosen to attack these problems is that our fervent wish is to see our children encountering and appreciating a rich environment every day of their lives whether it's on school days, weekends or in vacation time. They cannot do this at present. We want them to see and hear birds... to plant, tend and grow vegetables... to learn the importance of growing trees and shrubs... to understand the microclimates and ecosystems within which they live... to rekindle their sense of awe and wonder regarding nature... to become stewards of their own environment... and to do these things as Rachel Carson has suggested, in the company of caring adults. We want to make a real difference in the lives of our children and the community in which we live.

A.4 The Consultation Process

A.5 How we Determined the Need for our Project

1. 1995 School Climate Survey
2. 1995 PTA General Meeting recommendations
3. Consultation with environmental groups and individuals
4. Community consultations
5. Student and parent surveys
6. Visitation to other community and school sites
7. Participation in the Evergreen Foundation Learning Grounds conference
8. Reading, studying and dialogue on the part of the project steering committee

A.6 Other Groups Working on these Issues

A.7 Other Groups Affected by this Project

1. City of Regina South Zone Recreation Commission
2. Local sports groups
3. Local environmental groups
4. People who are challenged physically and mentally
5. University of Regina (who are in official partnership with our school)
6. Community Garden Associations
7. Neighbouring elementary schools both public and independent
8. Area high schools
9. Local residents
10. Senior citizens groups

A.8 Contacts for Verification of Needs Assessment

Pennington Playworks Inc. Dr. Gary Pennington

Evergreen Foundation Diana Foster

Biology Consultant Kathleen Donaur

Mountain Seeds Nora Stewart

St. Matthew PTA Marj Swab

Agricultural Consultant Vicki Satler

Environmental Consultant Lyle Benko

Environmental Consultant Dr. Paul Hart

B. Project Objectives

B. 1 How the Project will meet Community Needs

The objectives for the students and teachers of St. Matthew school are to meet the environmental education initiatives as recommended by the "Environmental Educational Initiatives Within Regina Catholic Schools". The report recommends the promotion of environmental awareness, positive attitudes and actions. From firsthand and real experiences the school community will learn:

1. relevant firsthand resources and real life experiences as a basis for learning
2. working outside the classroom as a natural extension of the working environment
3. developing skills of inquiry and exploration within the local area and contrasting environments elsewhere
4. developing communication skills such as reporting the results of research, developing self-reliance, responsibility and independence especially while exploring the school grounds
5. building an understanding of place, time, change, relationship using actual phenomena

The school community will understand:

1. the natural process which take place in the environment
2. how life is dependent on the environment
3. the impact of human activities on the environment
4. differing environments, past and present
5. how the present environment has been affected by past actions and decisions
6. how decisions are made about the environment on a local, national and international level
7. the effect of these decisions on them and others
8. environmental issues such as acid rain, pollution and destruction of rain forests
9. arguments that can arise from environmental issues and how to deal with them
10. the importance of effective action to protect the environment

The school community will:

1. develop an interest in and learn to appreciate their environment through the care of living things and their habitats in and around the school
2. develop a respect and liking for their environment through relevant and interesting studies of it
3. seek solutions to environmental problems within the school and the local area, taking account of conflicting interests.

Environmental education is a channel to develop numeracy, communication, study skills, problem solving skills, personal and social skills and information technology skills. Fieldwork in the school will provide opportunities for drawing on the environment as a stimulus for learning. Every attempt will be made to ensure progression in environmental education to keep a record of progress, to reward achievements and to encourage participation in practical conservation activities.

The objective for the wider community is to involve the residents in all aspects of the school ground naturalization project. It will not only provide the individual with new knowledge and skills, but will encourage a sense of community ownership and a willingness to develop, maintain and protect the environment should the need arise. The pathway system will support increased community mobility and access by all age groups and people who are wheelchair bound. The project will create a unique opportunity for the community. By planting native shrubs and trees, native grasses and wildflowers we will play a significant part in restoring part of the historic heritage of the Prairies. The area will provide wildlife habitats common to Saskatchewan along with the attraction of birds, butterflies and other insects for keen environmentalists to observe. It will reconnect people with nature in their community and rekindle a sense of wonder for the environment.

B. 2 Intended Project Accomplishments

B. 3 Environmental Benefits

Native trees, stumps, leaves and other plants including native shrubs and wildflowers common to wooded areas, will add beauty and diversity to the school ground and attract wildlife in an urban setting.

Evergreens or pines provide habitats for small songbirds, squirrel and other animals. These plantings also provide colour in winter and planted in clusters offer interior cover for wildlife.

The native prairie garden is a significant part of our natural and historic heritage and offers an excellent outdoor classroom.

Gardens offer an opportunity to watch caterpillars, butterflies hosting on nectar flowers and larvae food plants. Opportunities for the community to observe and learn and enjoy the beauty of nature.

Pathways connecting local residents within a community to green spaces and other community features.

Feeding stations and nest boxes for birds and mammals will attract more wildlife to the school ground.

Seating and sheltered areas to further enhance the school ground and to attract older members of the community.

The naturalization landscape approach recognizes community partnership to rehabilitate nature in the school ground creating a healthier, more educational and livable environment.

The wet area will provide habitat for fish, frogs and prairie waterlillies. Wetland areas are among the richest areas biologically. Water will also attract a large number of birds and insects.

B.4 Envisaged Environmental Behaviours

The community will have a knowledge base about environmental issues and concerns.

The knowledge base will assist these individuals in reviewing and changing their attitudes about environmental concerns and problems.

A change in attitude will assist in changing individuals behaviour as it relates to protecting and resolving issues facing our environment.

Students and their families will have raised awareness about the 8 R's (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Recover, Refuse, Repair, Regenerate, and Rethink) as implemented in the school following the guidelines set out in the "Environmental Initiatives Within Regina Catholic Schools" report.

E. Evaluation Plan

"We must think globally and act locally. If we really want to save planet earth, then let's start with the environment where we live and work.".

Excerpt from Catholic International - February 1991.

Appendix 3

Results of a Formative Evaluation of the Developing Play Environment at St. Matthew School, March, 1997

A. Questionnaire Responses by Students

Note: Spelling errors by students in their questionnaire responses have been corrected for purposes of readability. Teachers acted as scribes for younger children. Comments are taken from questionnaire returns.

Kindergarten:

There should be more trees and that sort of stuff. I like the hills, the fort and slides.

We need bridges across waterfalls, a treehouse, more structures, and little wooden tunnels.

Yesterday I tried to find rocks. There's cracks in the ground. Make the hills bigger.

I like the play house and I also like the sand box and monkey bars. The hills are lots of fun and I like the rocks. I go to the play house with my friends to play. I think they put the tables too far away from the school. I think that there should be more hills. I think that there should be more slides.

The good thing is sliding.

I want a tunnel, more grass on the hill to play on, a pond, and the slide changed.

I'd like swings, if we can, in the future.

Now I can play in the playhouse with [my friend].

I like the hills and garden. My favorite thing is the slide. I want a playhouse with drawers, a waterfall, and a house with a door.

I like it a lot better.

There's nothing bad.

The hills and hopscotch are best. We need a bumpy slide and swings.

Bigger dirt hills, please.

I like the treehouse. The rocks are bad.

Grade One:

My family comes to play here more. We really like the trees and hills, but we need really big trees to climb. It's good because there is more stuff.

We need a tunnel, swingset, bridge, more trees, an apple tree, bike path, caves, flowers, more hills, and a merry-go-round.

I liked talking about the trees and planting them.

I liked helping at work bees. I brought my own tools. It was neat when the dirt hills came. The little slide should be a big slide. We come here more. The front yard helped me learn about trees, flowers and vegetables. The logs help me learn because bugs go under them to make nests. Now I play on the hills instead of chasing girls. I'm bored less than last year. We need more logs so that I can build too. Move the play structure to a new place so we can run around there.

It's good. Get a pond. Making the playground was the best part. I don't like that you can't play tag on the apparatus.

Making the bridge was cool. I think the project made playing on the playground more fun! We need more stairs to get to higher things. I also think that there should be more structures to play on too.

I helped digging. The best thing was playing on the monkey bars. It was all good. We want water ponds.

I think it is more fun now. The playhouse was the best thing I saw. I think everything is O.K. There was no frustration for me. I don't do anything different. There is nothing we need to change. I think we need a chain to climb on.

We need trees to climb, caves, ropes, soccer nets, and football posts.

I like it a lot!

Put in swings and more hills and stop fighting.

It was good the way people helped.

The best thing was making owls. We need swings, hills and trees.

We should have more hills. I want a teetertotter.

It was special when the wood house was built. Yes! Yes! I learned a lot.

It was good when I helped with the playhouse.

Planting trees was best.

We have more fun at recess.

I got blisters and couldn't go on top of the playhouse.

We need a river, pond, waterfall and wildlife.

Grade Two:

The plants look nice.

Making things and getting more apparatus was best. The hill got screwed up.

I got to use a saw. The football field is too small.

I like all the new stuff that we can play on. I play more. I think we should have a pond.

I come to the school more often to play. I like the hills and playhouse. I hope we get swings.

This year I liked the playhouse.

I really wanted to help with the playhouse. I was disappointed that there are no swings. Recess is not so boring anymore.

I want swings, a waterfall, something to climb on, and a chair in the playhouse.

The playhouse is fun because I can hide under the deck.

We have more fun at recess.

Helping dig the hills was the funnest. We want water ponds.

I would like a stream of water.

I planted flowers, that was the best.

Make the hills bigger.

Using the saw was neat. So was having the university students. We are learning about plants. They shouldn't have torn down the big backstop.

Grade 3:

I like the hills because it is fun to play tag there. I got to help make the playhouse. There weren't any mistakes.

I like the painting. I got to build a birdhouse. I think we need swings.

You didn't move the rocks. I come after school more. Move the rocks.

I come here more often. Yes, it has changed the way I play. We need more logs.

Lots of kids like the house. The kids got to make decisions. There are too many trees, they get in our way for playing. We are being told not to play sports by the trees. Now we play tag on the hills. Move the hills somewhere else so we can play baseball.

I made the tree house. I don't think there were any mistakes. It is better now because there is more equipment and more room to play. We need more hills, a swing set, pond, more logs, ropes, caves, pine trees, flowers, another treehouse and a trampoline.

I liked working on the hills. People throw rocks at me when I'm on the hill. I think they are in grade two.

It has helped me to understand about nature more. Adults should stop fighting.

Working on the playhouse was special. We need swings, trees, and one big hill for skiing.

I think the playhouse is good for the kindergartens.

I like the logs and the sandbox the best. Yes, it has changed the way I think and play.

Grade 4:

It was good to learn about the environment and to skip school sometimes. I liked the first work bee because there was lots of food.

The playhouse, tetherball poles, and the hills are the best things. You can't play tag on the apparatus. I really feel good about the playground.

It's good, I'm getting lots of exercise. I worked on my gardening skills. There was lots of activity. Have cops on the grounds for no vandalism.

I liked going to the university. I think there should be swings.

I like that we went to the university to help. We got to get out of class.

I liked the drawing the map part. We learned a lot when not in class. We run into trees.

I dug up the courtyard, I built birdhouses, the playhouse and the composter. I learned how to build a composter. People are getting hurt on the hills. I thought the starting was dumb. Yes, I like it better. Make one big dirt hill. I don't feel exactly perfect about the playground.

I learned to plant things. It's good that people can come and help do projects on the playground. I like the hills to play on. The playground was not as fun before because there were only a few things to do. It has changed the way I play. I have more fun now. The project is a good way for kids to learn and in a more fun way.

I liked drawing the map of the schoolyard. I liked going to the university.

I did not actually build the structure, but I was part of the team that designed it. I learned about trees, wildflowers, etc. I think things have been going wonderfully. It has been very successful. I thought that everything that was done was done with students having an opinion. You should have told the parents about this before the students. We should be allowed in the front yard. At the start I really liked this project; my views have not changed. The change is for the better because it is more natural. Now I don't have to play on the same things day in and day out because there is a bigger variety of things to play on. As the playground grew, my friendship with my friends grew. Now we need to try to make it more environmental. I would like to put in a pond. "Hills and Trees, Birds and Bees; the Playground is better for you and me."

I painted the hopscotch. Getting some new stuff is what is best. I think it is funner.

I did the benches and painted the play structure last year. We should have swings.

I helped with the naturalization project. I learned how to make paper. The best was having work bees and working together. It was good we got basketball nets. Now we get to go on the hills. I feel happy and excited about everything.

The good things are the benches, picnic tables, the prairie meadow, and the new sandbox. Everybody is attracted to the playground and there's more stuff to do.

I liked when we planted the flowers and when we went to the university. There are no mistakes that I know of.

I built birdfeeders and helped paint the games on the blacktop. I've learned lots about nature since we started this and, Hey! It's fun! At one time I saw a few chickadees jumping on the trees that were planted. I was frustrated at one point because well, all of a sudden we were working on this big project, and all of a sudden we stopped. It's a lot more fun playing at recess now. Now whenever I see someone stepping on a small plant or something like that, I feel sorry for that plant. I would do anything in the future to help. Here is my feeling about the project:

Not bad

Awesome

Torture for my poor body

Fun

Remake

Really cool!

Everybody is attracted to the playground.

Grade 5:

The university students and the birdhouses were the best things. The new playground has really changed the way I use the school grounds because a long time ago I never really had anything to play on and now I do.

I liked the hamburgers at the work bees and the hills. I play on the hills lots now.

I got to build a birdhouse. I painted the monkey bars. The playground looks better so far. I like the hills.

You said that the play house was going to be two stories high and the hills aren't high enough.

The cooperation and teamwork and all the new stuff we've been getting is great. The special thing for me was learning about water and making fish ponds. Everything so far has been great! I think the project has had a good impact on this school cause it's helped us understand nature and treat it with more respect. Last year, everyone just stood around waiting for the bell to ring. This year I've noticed there's a lot more activity going on.

The playhouse is fun because we can play Turkey in the Barrel and Marco Polo on it. I like my U of R buddy, we do fun stuff. I would like an underground tunnel. I love this playground. Me and my friends sit in the playhouse after school. We need a stream and a bridge by it.

I like playing on the hills. I like the basketball nets. I got to paint the apparatus. At recess I am not as bored because I have things to do.

The best thing was getting together with fellow students and neighbours and working on something that we want. When I painted with my dad it was great. Just one thing, I think there should be more opportunities for kids in grade 5 to be on the same committees that the grades 6, 7, and 8 kids are on. I really think this should happen. I come more often now.

I like working with the U of R students and the hills. I liked building the bird house. The trees are just about dead. People are throwing rocks at me. I bike at school more.

I got to paint the apparatus. I got to plant flower bulbs in the courtyard. My friends and I stay after school and sit in the playhouse and talk. We need a stream and bigger trees.

I liked the work bees. The hills are a good addition. I enjoyed painting and planting the trees. There are not enough tetherball poles and not many people have been able to use them. Two baseball diamonds and the tires were taken away which I think was a mistake. I think people have slowed down on fighting.

I like climbing on the playhouse roof. I liked it when we were ripping down the backstop. They didn't move the rocks, they just covered them up and all the rocks are back now. The paint on the fire poles burns your hands. I come here after school way more. It's more fun.

I liked meeting new people like Di. It was very special when we got to have our own fish. I wish there were more hills. It was too bad that our fish died so fast. I want a stream going through the playground.

I learned about the environment and planting bulbs. And I liked making bird houses. We all want a pond. I always play on the big hills now. Make a pond!

I liked babysitting and digging out dead trees with my parents. Nothing was bothering me. Why did you take out the big tires? Me and my family come more often at night to play. There is not as much fighting now because everyone is too busy playing. I want a stream.

Recess isn't boring anymore. I think there should be swings.

I liked playing at the work bee and eating at the work bee. More kids are more occupied playing than fighting. I think that we shouldn't have painted the slide and the monkey bars because the paint is chipping off anyway. Last year I wasn't such a good person. I always stood around and wanted a fight. Now I have something to keep from doing that. This year we can play better because we have more variety of play structures. I hope we can make a pond.

Grade 6:

I dug holes for the tether ball poles. It was kind of boring at the start but now it is excellent. More people are playing here. What I would like is a lot of climbing trees to climb and play hide and go seek in and tag. We need ponds and things to jump down from. This project if fantastic, great, formidable.

I like what is happening in this project. The hills have made the playground more interesting.

I use the playhouse after school.

We were testing how fish could survive in four different environments. I learned that if everyone worked together and if no one gave up, we could change our playground. I liked the feeling that our playground could be made of organic matter. I liked making the birdhouses and putting them up. The only mistake is that the project is being rushed too much and the work bees are always on my guide camp weekends. The playhouse is always so full and nobody is allowed in the front or the courtyard. I thought there was going to be more tetherball poles and all the grade 7 and 8 girls tell us to get lost. Also, I was not able to go on the hills. At first I felt the project was impossible, but now I think it's going to turn out. It's awesome. There are lots of environmental values because of all the trees and plants we have now. We need a pond with fish.

I have learned about plants and other new things. I worked on the courtyard. The older kids need more things to do. It was hard to work in the courtyard after it rained. I still end up sitting around.

The best thing for me was cracking the asphalt in the courtyard. We shouldn't have taken down the closest and best baseball backstop.

The hills are the best because I like to ride my bike on them. I don't like the stupid plants and trees all over the place.

I painted at the work bees and I went to the U of R with Miss W. I have learned lots of stuff. The good aspects are that we get to enjoy nature and help with cleaning up the planet. It was great when we got to paint the fence. I didn't really know what it was all about but now I really like it. I think it is really good to be doing this stuff because some schools don't have enough money to do it or don't want to take the time. I think we should be able to go in the front yard.

For me, the special moment was cracking large stones with a 20 lb. sledge.

My high point was riding on the work truck. Get rid of some of the trees.

I helped plant and water trees. There is more to do now and places to sit. We can do a lot of stuff now. No mistakes except for the junk in the hills. We can't go in the courtyard or front yard at recess and, at first, we couldn't go on the hills. At the beginning I thought it was all a waste of time, now I don't. It has changed how I play, now I do play. It is a good idea. I think it still needs more stuff to be completely naturalized.

The kids have been able to play more. I was not really involved. This school is great and always will be.

It is good that we are doing something with the school. I'm still not sure it is going to work. This can change,

Things can happen,

What really counts is that we care,

Helping the earth become a better environment, We can see it and do it together.

You wrecked the football field. I felt good about the project at the start and O.K. now.

Grade 7:

They did not plant the trees deep enough and they should have started only a few things at a time. They did not finish painting the fence. There were too many things to do at once. At the beginning I liked it and I still do. It taught me a whole lot about naturalizing our school ground. I helped babysit but I also helped a little on the front yard and the painting of the games. I have learned to be cooperative and about plants, trees and how to keep our school green. It has given us grade sevens something to do at recess. We need to finish what has been started.

The best part was making things. The hills got screwed up and we are doing things too slow. We need more trees, rivers, bridges, ponds. We need to work faster!

It was good when they put in the hills. Instead of one big hill they made a whole bunch of small ones. More trees, rivers, ponds. They're going too slow.

I'm getting involved. We need more basketball hoops.

They took away our football field.

Grade 8:

There's lots of new stuff to play on. The best part was everybody helping out.

I sold bars to raise money and I came to all of the work bees and helped out. I learned how to plant flowers and take care of them. I think having our school work together is making it a happier place and is very good for all of us. The best aspect is working together. Not being able to play on the hills is the worst. I thought it was not going to happen but I think now it will. My brothers spend more time at the playground. It gives us a fun way of learning. My friend and I were painting at the school and she still has paint in her hair. Now we need a running track. I think the project is great.

Everybody is more attracted to go to our playground. We need a football field.

The good aspects have been the interactions and togetherness from the community to the school. I liked it when the courtyard was developed. There was one serious mistake. I do not think the plants and bushes should have been put in the middle of the field. Now the field is cut in half because of the risk of running over them. The project has made me and my family very proud to be part of this development. I feel happy to be at a school where there is change for the better. In the winter it is too cold to do a lot. When it warms up there will be some changes. It has been a good project. There is only one problem, the grade eights won't be around to see it.

The good things have been the new things to do and that we have more trees and plants. During track we were at school helping plant plants. One good thing was squishing our toes in the mud, but the best part was when we went to Mrs. Sibbald's house to get some coke for everyone and we got to bring back her dog who helped us garden. It is good to learn many of these skills about the environment, but we come to school to get a proper education and I think more emphasis should be put on that! It was frustrating when we had to be out planting trees, etc. in hot weather. I am not a person who survives the heat! I also think we should have had the choice to help or not! This is a good chance for the younger kids to learn about plant care. Older kids should be allowed in the courtyard and the front yard.

Nothing was any good for me. The benches get trashed after school, so it was a waste of money. It is too loud on weekends.

It was good to get out of class to do environmental work around the playground and for the school. A special time for me was when I did my cultivation project in grade seven and showed it one night when everybody came to the school. There has been too much playground naturalization, we should tone it down. Instead of standing around now we can sit on the benches. We know more about the environment. We need a basketball court with painted lines.

They tell us we are getting a gazebo and it hasn't happened yet. We need better apparatus.

It was good to learn about the environment and to get out of school. The first work bee was good because there were more things to do. The whole thing was a waste of money but also you learn more things so I guess it wasn't for some people. We need to get more things for the older students.

The best parts were learning about the environment, skipping school, and getting to eat desserts at the work bees. The first work bee was the best because there was tons of food and games. It is good that we did it but it is dragging on now.

It was good that we were able to spend time with the university students. We missed some school time to help. Now we at least have some benches to sit on. There are more things to do for the older students. When the playhouse was built is was great! Now the older kids have some place to hang out. We use it more than the little kids. There are no swings!! I think a playground definitely needs swings. I also think we should be able to play tag on the apparatus. The little kids will be here longer than us. Once we leave, then they can play.

We are fixing a better playground. You never made enough tether balls. I'm always beating up kids just to get at it. I think you are just making things for the little kids.

I learned how to plant trees. It was special when we got tetherballs. We're not getting it done fast enough. I come here more often. It was funny when Sonia and I painted us blue. The project is cool!

The good things have been helping the environment, having new opportunities, and having a new way of learning. The best thing I saw was everything really happening not just talk. I think the basketball nets should have been put against the wall so when you miss you don't have to run into the field. I think that the school is becoming much better. I think there were lots of educational values learned. I think they should have swings and climbing trees.

The first work bee was special because there was food, games and it started our environment.

B. Teachers' Comments

• there are more play opportunities in winter with the hills in place. The children bring their sleds from home. Also, more loose logs are needed in the playground as these are really popular.
• behavior is a problem on the hills, pushing and shoving occurs.
• we should look at the courtyard and see what can be done regarding the pond. With so much snow on the ground it may not be ready to develop. [The Grade 7 teacher] and the Grade 7 children are researching the pond development. We would love to see her bulbs come up this year.
• we need to look closely at the pond location for the inner courtyard so as not to interfere with door access to the courtyard.
• one teacher is really excited to see the playground development, he has become more involved in the community through this project and believes that community effort is best served through participation. He suggested a track and field for the middle years as a priority. He said the children now have more activities and areas to play in. "Naturalization is as natural as teaching a child a game, they have it for life!"
• another teacher has positive suggestions regarding his science curriculum. Also it is important for their curriculum to be able to identify the plants in the schoolgrounds.

C. Overview of Phase 1 - Structural and Physical Accomplishments

• creation of hill and berm area in the south east corner
• painting of existing play structures
• painting of several blacktop games
• addition of two basketball standards and hoops
• construction of wooden playhouse in primary area
• construction of large sand play area under trees in N/W corner
• decorative fence painting
• construction of 6 wooden benches for seating in play areas
• introduction of wooden logs for imaginative play
• installation of two tetherball poles
• construction of 4 picnic tables
• purchase of two benches for courtyard seating
• 40 mature coniferous and deciduous trees planted
• native prairie garden, 300 plants and 20 shrubs planted
• planting of 250 bulbs
• planting of perennial herb garden
• planting of 50 perennials in front school yard
• construction of accessible wooden tree surround (seat)
• removal of asphalt in inner courtyard, top soil added and
• 8 trees, 2 dz. shrubs and 3 dz. perennials planted in courtyard
• construction of 4 wooden raised vegetable/flower beds
• construction of 30 birdhouses
• construction of 10 bird feeders
• growth from seed and planting of over 500 annuals
• planting of vegetable garden from seed
• bird bath installed in front yard
• construction of an outdoor compost bin
• construction of 3 raised nursery beds & planting 250 seedlings
• accessible crusher dust pathways in front of schoolyard to all
• flower beds and seating areas
• construction of 2 wheel chair accessible picnic tables
• construction of 2 wheelchair accessible raised flower beds
• playhouse constructed in primary area has an accessible ramp
• built to standards
• accessible crusher dust pathways in courtyard

D. Rank Order of Priorities Identified for Phase 2 Playground Improvement

Appendix 4

Speech Given by Shirley Friel, 1997-98 Chair of the Naturalization Committee, at the Official Opening of the St. Matthew School Grounds, June 5, 1998

I wish to speak today to you about the importance of dreaming, for you and your families.

"Dream a little Dream"......the sky is the limit!!!!

A few weeks ago I listened to Father Paul (Pastor of St. Matthew Parish) tell us that we all have qualities and that the sky is the limit to what we can achieve. I believe he was sending each of us a little message, a dream to believe in ourselves. Because if you believe in yourself. Who knows what will happen if we do believe?

Everyone who knows me can tell you that I am a talker, a kind of chatterbox. I know that to be true but it has served me well this year in terms of getting support for the school yard garden supplies. My husband Mark, says he thinks that I could likely get water from a rock. Of course that is impossible, of course he's joking, aren't you Mark? Water from a rock, now that would be a miracle!

I must share with you just a couple of little miracles that I have experienced of late. The first one of them is Carol Paton, our newest principal, she has proven to be a real gem and has taken on St. Matthew School and all it has to offer, warts and all. I do believe that she has taken on the ownership of every aspect of our school with a passion, and I for one have quickly come to admire you for doing so. Thanks Carol.

The next miracle, has come from the many businesses I approached this spring for some form of garden donations: to Canadian Tire South, Mr. Johnson and Kevin Olson, "Thanks for the stain and the brushes for our benches;" to Whitmore Park Bedding Plants, Peter Charles, and Barry, "You provided us with beautiful plants." "Prairie Lily, Bob Mullin, "Thanks for the plants, too." The city Greenhouse, Louise Woof and Carol, who donated more perennials, annuals and seeds, for our veggie gardens; and to WalMart South for our soil and garden tools to complete our flower beds around Ashley's Memorial Stone.

And, I am thankful for last nights little miracle makers, who helped to complete my dream of planting flowers around Ashley Ehmanns Memorial Stone. I arrived at about 8 p.m. I was all set to do this task myself and it was going to be a big job. Well, I had my son Chad and his buddy Tanner Flaman and they helped me unload the supplies and I started digging before I realized it, one by one people happened along; Paul Salesky and his little son Luke, then Marj Swab, and husband Eldon, and their little fella Spenser, and then Terry Fries and my husband Mark arrived and I had lots of help. It was not planned, it just happened; someone was watching over me and knew that I had to get home to write this speech. The task was made easier but it was fun; those little boys worked hard and little Spencer and Luke were really proud of all the work they did. I hope the experience will help to give future ownership of the grounds to them.

The last of my MiniMiracles has to do with Lakeview Gardens; I had been in touch with Rod MacDonald from Lakeview, and his office rep (Gloria) had said that they had really been overwhelmed by requests this year sometimes as many as five a day and likely couldn't give us anything for our project. After thanking Gloria, I told her that I could understand their situation, and that if they changed their mind to please consider us in the future.

I had to buy some fertilizer for our cedars, and I was just about to leave the compound when I hear someone calling my name and I turn to see Gloria running to me telling me that, "You can have a Tea Rose", well I nearly fainted. I told her you have no idea how significant a donation that is. So, I said, "Could I have a white one?" You all know why. Well, as most of you know Andrew Horn wrote a beautiful poem, in memory of his fellow classmate Ashley Ehmann. So now our dream was complete because I envisioned a White Rose planted next to her Memorial and suddenly it appeared. Dreams do come true! Is that not amazing! Maybe even a minimiracle. I think so!

As a parent, involved in the St. Matthew School Grounds Project, I have to admit that many of the early details, or let's call them "growing pains" that were experienced by the early committee members, I actually missed out on, and I must tell you I am glad I did. I thought the whole project was amazing from the start, and now in its completion I am still amazed by the whole thing. As the Grounds Committee Chairperson this year, I am happy to report we have had continuing support from the students, parents, and teachers and for the most part, little by little, our hopes and dreams have all come true.

Some of you know that I attended this school in the early 1960's and I can remember, the ball diamonds, a few climbing monkey bars, and playing jump rope or hopscotch at recess. Mostly I just remember flat dry fields and that there was very little to do. If you have never been at our school at recess, I invite you to come and observe the motion and activities that go on at recess, noon hour and after and before school. That is when you see all the work and sweat by everyone involved was well worth it.

So when people now ask me what I like best about this new school grounds, I have to ask them "what is there not to like?"

Students of St. Matthew have proven that they are "Dreamers" and the dreams can come true if you just believe. Each one of you have the ability to make the world, your world, a better place to live, by setting goals and dreaming. Each of you can achieve your own Mt. Everest.

The students' help throughout this whole project has been fantastic. These last few weeks have proven to me that, "When the going gets tough St. Matthew Students can get going and they can get the job done."

I feel privileged to have worked with these wonderful citizens of the future, many of them stuck with me and planted for hours in the hot sun, not wanting to quit (hey Jesslyn) and their diligence is evident everywhere.

From Mrs. Benson and Ms. Rooney's Kindergarten class planting the first ever, "Stone Soup Garden," in the front yard; to the wheat in the field; to all my helpers that helped me to plant the hundreds of annuals; to Val Chiasson, Mrs. Ell, Ms. Ellery, what a beautiful job you did. I believe we have Mr. Biegler and Mr. St. Amands grade 7/8's to thank for the staining and the general yard maintenance. To Mrs. Pageot, and all the staff at St. Matthew, "Thanks for helping to make this day so memorable!" Thank you all, it was a pleasure to work with you. Please invite me for stone soup in the Fall!

As a parent, I have always believed, that it is my responsibility to be involved in the lives of my children, as often as possible. As Kahil Gibran wrote in reference to our children, "They are only on loan to us." Unfortunately our time to do that is at a minimum. Mark and I feel fortunate that our children have been able to remain in the same school and community for their schooling; we are lucky to have had the opportunity to take the time to get to know our teachers, since they are spending more time with our children than we do. I know so many of you, that I like to consider you as friends.

I would like everyone to close your eyes for a moment and try to recall what our schoolyard was like before. We had a chain linked fence around the trees and grass in the front yard and no one was allowed there. Keeping your eyes closed can you recall the asphalt in the inner courtyard? Now think of what the courtyard looks like now and the whole school grounds. The transformation has been amazing. Now, all we need is a big window to show our courtyard off and another door to access it from the science room!

The other day my oldest daughter, Christy, said to me, "Mom, you are crazy, but I love you!" and I thought to myself isn't that great! Typical teenager! Now, I actually don't remember why Christy made that statement, but it did make me think a little bit about things and what I discovered was that a great many of my favorite mentors and the people that have inspired me to this day, have all been called just a little crazy at one time or another especially as they were reaching to meet their goals or dreams.

When Terry Fox set out to make his run across Canada, to create his "Marathon of Hope," or Rick Hanson his "Man in Motion" world tour, there were more disbelievers than believers. It was a crazy dream but both these courageous young men have proven to all of us that if we accept the challenges of life that no matter how tough they look; if you give it your best, no matter what the odds, each of you can make a difference. I think Terry Fox said "Dreams are made if people believe." I think St,. Matthew School grounds is proof of just that!

I like to think that Aline Wilkie and Ashley Ehmann were just a couple of dreamers, I am certain that no offence will be taken when I say that maybe they were even just a little bit crazy, too! Well, these two people and many others helped to make the impossible dream for St. Matthew School into a reality, so if that is true, I am glad to be considered a little bit crazy too! Thank you.

Appendix 5

A Review by Aline Wilkie of the Politics Surrounding a Naturalization Project

In any project that involves students, parents, staff and community members in a process involving change, there will be differing viewpoints and opinions regarding decisions.

In the case of this project, there were people who were critical of decisions made. Many of these same individuals felt that despite the many informational meetings, surveys, newsletters and community planning meetings, they had not had a voice, or disliked some decisions made using the democratic process.

Often these same individuals had expressed similar criticisms or objections to many of the decisions made at St. Matthew School, outside the realm of the project

This minority of strong critics and doubters, either consciously or unconsciously, undermined efforts made by many who worked hard to move forward in the project. Sadly those often most discouraged and dismayed by this behavior were the children. Many students worked on the committee with the adults, helped plan conferences, delivered flyers, researched and studied environmental issues in their classroom, and worked side by side on the school ground with adults to make a positive change to their school environment. These same children were often confused and disillusioned by the actions, words and efforts to undermine the project made by some adults.

It is unfortunate that the critics and doubters of the project could not put aside their need to be right, to be in control or to make power an issue for the sake of the children involved.

Upon reflection of the data gathered from students, parents, teachers and community members, it becomes obvious that the St. Matthew school yard project became a scapegoat for problems existing within the school that had nothing to do with the project. It was hoped that by pulling the community together in a project, that would have an immediate and measurable positive impact upon the school in that some of the dissention within the school community would dissipate.

However, the majority of critics and doubters within the school community received a voice at the School Division level, not only over issues regarding this project but concerning other issues within the school as well. This created an "us-they" attitude within the community that only grew with the attention given to the negative and critical voice within the school.

It is unfortunate that often those in positions of political power find it difficult to support grass roots initiatives especially when some criticism, doubt and fear arise, which are a natural part of any change process. Often those in positions of power and authority fail to support positive initiatives in favor of appeasing the negative minority. Unfortunately, their lack of support can have a high price for those who risk much to begin such initiative; and for those who put time, heart and soul into positive community change. Most important, our children and youth are the losers in the end.

The human spirit, however, is an indomitable thing. The school grounds were transformed into a positive, accessible, environment or space, despite the obstructionists who made it difficult to achieve what the majority supported and sanctioned, and despite the actions of those in power who failed to stand on educational principle and who made the project a scapegoat. When good things are done with children for children, success is inevitable. Nevertheless, one must never underestimate in projects of this nature, the politics and the challenge of moving forward in positive directions.

Appendix 6

Environmental Stewardship at St. Matthew School

Submitted for Consideration by Gary Pennington, February, 1999

The ongoing care of naturalized school grounds requires specific, workable strategies that are appreciated and shared by both educators and the broader community. Too often naturalization projects do not realize their full potential because the factors which can sustain interest and energies have not been carefully laid out. If the school grounds which have been transformed at St. Matthew under the "Welcoming Back the Wilderness" metaphor are to be maintained and enhanced, if the dreams and energies of the many, many people who laboured together are to be honored, and if we really want to have true "Learning Grounds" at the school, than a comprehensive program to ensure that these things become a reality over time must be developed. The enormous work that has gone into the creation of a rich and diverse environment at the school requires concerted thought, planning and action to keep faith with the environmental policy and practice which have been demonstrated to this point. The following set of protocols have been drawn from the experience of the writer, a number of environmental colleagues, and literature to do with similar projects. The list is not intended to be a closed set of options nor are items present in any order of importance; rather it is an outline of things which have worked well in other places. It is suggested that this list of options be carefully reviewed by all stakeholders in the St. Matthew Naturalization Project and that a set of priorities be established through an organized process of consensus decision-making with the help of a facilitator skilled and experienced in group dynamics. A time-frame for actions in terms of things to do in the near future and in the intermediate and long-term should be one result of deliberations. The end result of an orderly community and school dialogue should be a comprehensive "Environmental Stewardship Plan for St. Matthew School." I respectfully urge that serious consideration be given to the formation of such a plan at the earliest opportunity and hope that the following alternatives will be helpful in this process.

1. Naturalization Committee ­ form a standing naturalization committee of students, teachers, parents and interested community members responsible to the school principal.
2. Class Stewardship ­ each class in the school should take responsibility for the care and nurture of a particular section of the school grounds, their special part to look after and care for.
3. Friends of the Welcoming Back the Wilderness Society ­ work with community residents, supporters and alumni of the school to establish a network of "friends" who can contribute advice and help over time.
4. Environmental Club ­ form an environmental club open to children from all grades and to adults and children in the "Friends of the Welcoming Back the Wilderness Society."
5. Teacher Leadership ­ find one interested teacher to provide leadership to the environmental education component of the school curriculum.
6. Work Bees ­ schedule fall and spring work bees each year involving both the school and the community.
7. Partnership with University of Regina ­ activate existing partnership with the University based upon stated objectives and mutual benefits to the School and University.
8. Low-Maintenance Gardening ­ employ xeriscaping and other low-maintenance gardening approaches found in garden and landscaping literature which greatly reduce the labour intensive nature of the project; plant mainly hardy perennials that require minimum care.
9. Care and Stewardship Calendar ­ develop, post and circulate a year's calendar for the grounds which indicates important dates, events and garden tasks on a month by month basis.
10. Special Areas ­ develop and make explicit protocols for the use of environmentally sensitive areas such as the inner courtyard and the front of the school.
11. Curriculum ­ review existing school curricula to find ways to effectively utilize school grounds as learning grounds.
12. Orientation of New Staff ­ ensure that new staff have access to naturalization project literature and documents and that they are partnered with staff who were part of the origins of the project.
13. School District Maintenance ­ secure commitment in writing for ongoing maintenance to be provided by school district maintenance staff; negotiate variations in maintenance practices as required by the new school environment; look to literature for guidance in this respect.
14. Supervision ­ develop a supervision schedule with staff and other supervisory personnel which results in an accurate seasonal profile of school ground use by students and the public.
15. Community Watch ­ establish a community watch program with neighbours of the school to report vandalism and untoward behavior to the police.
16. High School Links ­ contact environmental clubs at local high schools to determine areas for potential collaboration and possibility of mentoring for St. Matthew students.
17. Contact with Environmental Organizations ­ renew relations with The Evergreen Foundation, Learning through Landscapes, and other environmental education organizations for information and support.
18. International School Grounds Day ­ capitalize on previous links with LTL and register and participate in International School Grounds Day on an annual basis as has been done in the past.
19. Workshop/In-Service ­ contact The Fish and Wildlife Branch of the Department of the Environment and Resource Management for in-service and certification workshops such as Project Wet, Project Wild, and Project Soil as part of an expanded in-service program to do with the environment.
20. School District Policy ­ review and apply School District Environmental Education Policy with particular emphasis on care for the environment.
21. Summer Care ­ hire responsible, senior students on a part-time basis for the summer to assist with watering and other key maintenance tasks.
22. Graduates ­ maintain contact with former students who were heavily involved in the naturalization project, encourage their continued involvement and support.
23. Celebrate ­ celebrate the spirit of naturalization through garden parties, seasonal feasts, and other school and community festivals in the out-of-doors.
24. Research ­ collect visitor reactions to the naturalization project on an ongoing basis; monitor other aspects of the project by means of photographic, video and written documentation; regularly collect and analyze the reactions of all users of the outdoor environment; employ existing forms to allow for comparisons over time.
25. Sister School ­ develop a partnership relationship with another school that has also undertaken a major naturalization project.
26. Peer Mediation/Play Leadership ­ investigate these programs at other schools with a view to implementing such programs at St. Matthews.
27. Nature of Garden Work ­ take steps to ensure that there is a balance between hard work such as weeding and watering and more enjoyable forms of garden activity so that students come to appreciate the benefits and pleasures of caring for the natural environment; make sure that things are done in a spirit of fun rather than just grunt work.
28. Rock Studies ­ contact the Saskatchewan Geological Society for ideas and educational help with respect to the many forms of rock now found on the school grounds.
29. Funding ­ find a volunteer who will pursue the many funding opportunities which exist for the ongoing development of the school yard.
30. Founding Principles ­ keep returning to the principles upon which "Welcoming Back the Wilderness" was founded for direction in subsequent phases of the project.
31. Signage ­ install signage at key points around the school yard which say that the grounds were developed cooperatively by children, adults and the community.
32. Process ­ hold a half-day workshop involving children, teachers and the community to establish priorities and to develop a long-term commitment on the part of all involved.
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