The Little Steward Series: Ecological Gardening, Nature Study and Biodiversity Training for Children and Schools
Building a foundation of environmental care through interactive, curriculum-aligned workshops on plants, pollinators, and healthy ecosystems.
Planting a Butterflyway Pollinator Garden
A sweet video capturing a class workshop with elementary students planting a butterfly garden at their school. Thanks to the lovely Meg from Meg She Grows for the videography
The Experience: Through role-playing and hands-on materials, students explore the concepts of pollinator, pollination, habitat, and native plants.
The Action: Students participate in the David Suzuki Foundation’s Butterflyway Project by adopting, planting, and caring for their own individual native plant.
The Outcome: The creation of a permanent outdoor pollinator garden on school grounds and an official #ButterflywayAylmer stop. This garden fosters long-term civic pride and regional belonging.
Community & Lab Integration: Students officially join the #ButterflywayAylmer map. Plants used are “graduates” of the Learning Laboratory, grown using social-enterprise models that make these installations affordable and genetically suited to the local soil.
The Great Seed Exchange: Autumn Harvest & Seed Saving
The Experience: A lesson in Ethical Harvesting and the “10% Rule.” Students learn about site preservation and the needs of wildlife over winter (food sources and “nesting” materials).
The Action: Students identify ripe seeds and practice drying and cleaning. They participate in ecological gardening practices—learning to leave the leaves and look for creatures (frogs, beetles, larvae) hiding beneath them.
The Outcome: Seed packets created by students are contributed to the Aylmer Seed Project and Pollinate Aylmer libraries, supporting the entire neighborhood’s biodiversity.
Community & Lab Integration: Students utilize the Learning Lab‘s professional protocols, learning how a working nursery preserves rare regional species.
Winter Sowing: The Outdoor Seed Lab
The Experience: Students explore the life cycle of a flower—from germinating seed to the seeds that spend winter in the soil.
The Action: Each student performs their own Winter Sowing in recycled containers.
The Outcome: Seedlings overwintered by the students provide stock for future school garden expansions, additional #ButterflywayAylmer stops, or community and home gardens.
