AFE RainGarden.ca - Project Summary

Alexander Ferguson Elementary School Naturalization Project

The Alexander Ferguson Elementary School will be implementing a school yard naturalization project beginning in the spring of 2007. This project will transform almost 400 square metres of our schoolyard into a biodiverse natural area, rich with native Albertan perennials, grasses, and shade trees for community members and wildlife to enjoy. We will incorporate a sandstone amphitheatre which will be used as an outdoor teaching space where students will be actively engage as they study the required curriculum at all grade levels. We believe that community members, students at Alexander Ferguson Elementary, the environment and area wildlife will all benefit from this schoolyard transformation.

Specialized landscape designers have been recruited to design this area with an eco-sensitive approach to include a rain garden concept where storm water run-off will be captured in small depressed areas and harvested to maintain plants. In addition to water conservation, the rain garden concept helps to reduce the pollutants that would normally flow into rivers via conventional storm water capture processes. By reducing the amount of water that enters the local storm drain system, our rain garden will also reduce the chances of local flooding, as well as bank and shoreline damage where storm sewer outfall discharges into the Bow River. The community and the environment will benefit for years to come because we have designed our naturalization project as a rain garden.

We have met and discussed this naturalization project with City of Calgary Stormwater department. They have agreed to use our project as a demonstration site for rain gardens and as a case study of stormwater management best practice. Working with the CBE and the City, we intend to participate in the development of plain language educational print materials that will increase stormwater knowledge beyond the rain barrel. Multiple audiences will be educated and enjoy increased environmental awareness because we have designed our naturalization project as a rain garden.

In addition to the environmental benefits of a rain garden, our naturalization project will enhance the beauty of the community while providing a valuable wildlife habitat. Our project site is adjacent to the Shaganappi Community Park that contains a ravine known to locals as "The Gully". The Gully is a southwesterly tributary of the Bow River. This tributary was dissected by roadwork years ago during Calgary's development and stands to be further encroached on by the near-future widening of Bow Trail. Our project will reclaim the southerly extent of the ravine from its urbanized state. Future projects to reinforce the linkage of our naturalization area to The Gully, along the easterly side of the school and north through the community tot lot, will be considered in cooperation with the Shaganappi community.

By capturing and controlling the flow of water through our rain garden and by amending the soil, we will create a matrix of diverse eco-zones for the students, community members and wildlife to explore. We will have plants representing all four of Alberta's Natural Regions, including:

Prairie - very dry to moist grassland

Rocky Mountain - Montane, Subalpine and Alpine

Boreal Forest - shrubby, treed and herbaceous Fen

Aspen Parkland

Native plant species that are hardy in each eco-zone will be grouped and planted accordingly. At the request of students who were involved in the design process, we will also be planting a section specifically to attract butterflies.

Interpretive signs in large print and in Braille will be placed throughout the entire rain garden area to guide explorers through the eco-zones. A wheelchair accessible path will weave gently throughout the eco-zones to enable physically disabled explorers to experience the native flora and fauna of each eco-zone. Explorers will have the unique opportunity to learn about a wide variety of native Albertan plants in a very concentrated, easily accessible area.

The outdoor classroom setting will provide enrichment and learning opportunities for students at Alexander Ferguson Elementary. Students will be intimately involved in maintaining our natural space by planting, weeding and composting. All of these activities will help to build a sense of responsibility and citizenship within the community. Additionally, students will have the opportunity to conduct experiments and explore topics linked to the Alberta curriculum such as trees and forests, wetland ecosystems, plant growth and change, weather watch, small crawling and flying animals to name a few. The outdoor classroom experience will move the information of the Alberta curriculum out of the books literally into the studentÕs hands to solidify their learning experience.

The conceptualization and design of this project is an excellent example of the power of collaboration between the CBE, the City of Calgary, the Shaganappi Community Association and the Alexander Ferguson Parent Council. Although our project site occupies only a small piece of land within the Alexander Ferguson Elementary School yard, the benefits to the community member, students, environment and wildlife are far reaching and long lasting.

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