Earl of March Secondary School Sustainability Plan In association with Ottawa Biosphere Eco­City Initiative & Sustainable Youth Canada 

Final version June 2016 

 What is Sustainability?  Sustainable development is about meeting the needs of people today without compromising those of                           future generations. Sustainability is the ability of things to continue to exist. It applies to natural and                                 human features. We use the earth's resources to meet our needs, but we also want to leave enough natural                                     resources and beauty for future generations to live healthy and happy lives. What we do matters. You                                 impact the environment—the environment impacts you.   What is this Sustainability Plan?  This sustainability plan is your agenda for action. It lists Earl of March students’ ideas on important issues in Ottawa and Kanata, and suggests actions or                                                   projects that could address them. As you read the plan, you may get new ideas on what you can do to address sustainability. Feel free to put your own ideas                                                           into action. On the last page, the plan asks you to write an issue and the action you would like to take to address it.   The table of Priority Issues and Actions/Projects for sustainability list three kinds of projects the students have suggested, distinguished by different colours                                           and print styles:  

a) Individual & family projects  b) School projects  c) Community/large scale projects  

 The last page helps you to decide your personal priorities for sustainability and to make a commitment for action. It then becomes your personal                                               sustainability plan.  Biosphere Eco­City  The Biosphere Eco­City (BEC) is an urban­centred region where people and organizations make their city more sustainable through understanding,                                     initiative, cooperation and sharing of information. Biosphere means “sphere of life” and is the Earth’s outer shell of land, water and atmosphere that supports                                               all life. The term Eco­City refers to an international movement for sustainable cities.   

The BECmodel was pilot tested in Ottawa in 2009­2010 and this experiment developed into the Ottawa Biosphere Eco­City initiative                                       (OBEC), which is discussed next. A Biosphere Eco­City includes an urban core as well as the surrounding countryside. This is                                       important because the urban and rural areas affect each other, and cooperation between them can do a lot of good.   BEC is a bottom­up approach to sustainability. It involves people and organizations implementing their own ideas. Government plans                                   are useful, but the actions of you, your friends and neighbours will make the most difference in determining whether Ottawa will be                                           sustainable.  Themes of Sustainability  These are the areas of action for sustainability. Think of sustainability in terms of your area of interest. Whether it is energy, food or waste etc., you can                                                       share ideas and activities with people who have the same interests. BEC's Ten Themes of Sustainability are described in the left column of the table on page                                                     3 of this plan. Issues may relate to more than one Theme.  Ottawa Biosphere Eco­City Tools  The Ottawa Biosphere Eco­City (OBEC) Initiative uses simple tools to help people get involved in sustainability and to cooperate with each other. They are: 

● Sustainability Plan – This plan was developed by your students as an agenda on how to address sustainability.  

● Database of Projects – The OBEC website (www.obec­evbo.ca) lists sustainability projects in Ottawa. Anyone with a sustainability project can                                     send a summary to OBEC to put on its database. There, viewers can read about them, get ideas and contact the people responsible in order to                                                   participate. 

 ● Demonstration Projects – These show new ways of addressing sustainability. People can see how the projects were done and even copy parts that                                             

interest them.  

● Biosphere Eco­City Council – Stakeholders and volunteers meet to share ideas and to provide direction to make Ottawa sustainable.   Earl of March Secondary School  Earl of March Secondary School is a vibrant school with high academic standards, a strong athletic program, and a wide range of                                           extra­curricular activities. Since 1970, students at Earl of March Secondary School have been part of a tradition of caring,                                     commitment, and achievement. Students, staff, and the community take a great deal of pride in this fine tradition. The staff is                                         energetic, highly qualified and dedicated to excellence in the classroom. They enjoy working with adolescents and go out their way to                                         support them throughout their academic careers. Many of the staff live in the community and are involved in a variety of community                                           activities. They work together as a team to promote a co­operative and enthusiastic spirit in the school and appreciate the strong                                         support of the community and the high level of energy and pride which our students demonstrate. (Earl of March Website) 

 Earl of March, OBEC and SYC Partnership  In Janruary 2015, volunteers from OBEC and SYC formed a partnership to develop a training program for high school students. The students would lead the                                                 development of Sustainability Plans and Implementation Strategies for their schools. This was tested at Colonel By High School. Students from the program                                           led fellow students in a workshop divided into 10 groups for the Ten Themes of Sustainability. Everyone brainstormed issues and actions for. The student                                               leaders then used this to produce the Sustainability Plan. This plan acknowledges current activities at the school, and proposes new ones. Student leaders also                                               used information form the workshop to create an implementation strategy.  Sustainability Vision for Earl of March Students  Students and staff at Earl of March Secondary School will incorporate sustainability principles and practices into their work and lives. In so doing, they will                                                 continue to enjoy a healthy, sustainable environment. This supports a high quality of life now and in future generations.  Ottawa & Kanata   Ottawa, developed around the junction of the Ottawa and Rideau rivers, is the capital of Canada. Ottawa is a diverse city with a population of over 800                                                     000 people. The beautiful landscape has multitudes of green spaces within the urban area, and includes a green belt of farms around the urban core. Eighty                                                   percent of Ottawa is rural and contains some of the best agricultural land in Canada. Ottawa is one the most educated cities in Canada as well as one of the                                                           most bilingual.  Earl of March Secondary School is located in the Beaverbrook neighborhood, which is bounded by the Kanata North Business Park to the north and                                               Campeau Drive to the south. Beaverbrook is the first and oldest neighbourhood in Kanata and known for its hedged houses and community facilities.                                             Beaverbrook is located in suburban Kanata, one of the largest suburbs of Ottawa. It is an important high tech center, with many company buildings located                                                 in the Kanata North Buisness Park. The South               March Highlands Trail network is a winding             circular trail on the far reaches of the South                 March Highlands, and is popular with           mountain bikers due to its rocky terrain and               steep climbs and drops. Its main commercial             centers are Tanger Outlet Mall, Kanata           Centrum Shopping Center, and the Canadian           Tire Center which hosts large concerts and             hockey games.    

PRIORITIES & STRATEGIES FOR ACTION   

Sustainability Theme  Priority Issues  Sustainability Projects  

Transportation (Movement of  

goods and people) 

 ­ Don’t know how  to use transit ­ Bike maintenance ­ Biking safety 

 ­ Teach people how to fix bikes ­ Map with safe biking roads ­ Implement a Bike­to­school for a month program with 

rewards ­ Carpool ­ Use proper bike paths and trails  

 

Energy (For buildings, transportation, manufacturing and agriculture) 

 ­ Waste of resources ­ Not environment friendly energy sources 

 ­ Rain barrels to water trees with rain water ­ Solar panels fix ­ Alternating the hallway lights  ­ National Sweater Day ­ Encourage green energy sources ­ Turn off lights when not needed 

 

Design (Of buildings, roads, public spaces and communities) 

 ­ Lack of “natural” place ­ Cost of building environmentl friendly 

buildings  

 ­ Reuse buildings  ­ Quiet halls to study/relax ­ Innovative designs for affordable and eco­friendly 

buildings  ­ More skylights / windows 

 

Habitat (Living places for plans and animals, both urban and 

rural, on land and in water) 

 ­ Habitat destruction ­ Pollution of animal habitats  

 

 ­ Urban forestry  ­ Prevent excessive urban developement  ­ Tree planting at school ­ School clean up  ­ Home gardens and bee gardens 

 

Food (Local or organic food, urban gardens, heritage crops and animals) 

 ­ Imported food  ­ Motivation for recycling 

  

 ­ Local food for community events  ­ Community garden ­ School garden ­ Grocery store partnership ­ Pay for hot chocolate/lemonade with special 

recyclables sold by Eco­Earl ­ Local food markets  ­ Food boxes 

 

 

 Natural Capital 

(Soil, water, wood, air and other natural materials that 

meet human needs) 

 ­ Composting ­ Pop can tab collection (Earth Week / BOG) ­ Imported Food 

 ­ Encourage compost and garden compost ­ Community gardens ­ Make wheelchair, milk bag carpet with school ­ Have homework electronic  ­ Encourage personal gardens ­ Reduce comsumption of ressources (plastic and 

paper)  

 

 

Waste (Reducing, reusing, recycling and processing of wastes, and conversion of waste to 

energy) 

 ­ Lack of recycling and contamination ­ Reliance on cars ­ Keurig  ­ Choosing to stay unaware ­ Compost 

 

 ­ Community awareness events  ­ Bring recycling home ­ More bins of all kinds with posters for awareness ­ More bike racks, paths, and safety awareness ­ Keurig recycling box ­ Raise more awareness about other transportation ideas ­ Composting ­ Recycling ­ Not using Keurig 

 

Health (Clean air and water, safety, 

tranquility, and environmental needs of vulnerable groups) 

 ­ Air pollution ­ Mental wellness ­ Accessibility     

 ­ More sidewalks and bike paths ­ Accessible play structures  ­ Spread awareness about air pollution ­ Bike more with the Bike­to­School day/month ­ Wellness club ­ Yoga and meditation ­ Nature walks 

 

 

Recreation (Non­motorized activities, urban or rural recreation, 

‘greening’ of events) 

 ­ Too much time spent indoors ­ Not enough access for resources/ equipment ­ Sports that require oil/ machines 

 

 ­ Organized outdoor sports ­ More outdoor activities/ pep rallies ­ Fundraisers for more equipement ­ Outdoor hockey rink ­ Choosing to go outdoor  ­ Safe parks  

 

Sense of Place (Feeling of belonging to a 

community of city, that leads to care for others and 

environmental stewardship) 

 ­ Lack of bike racks ­ Littered surrounding area ­ Not enough benches ­ Stressed students 

 

 ­ Community nature activities ­ Caring for parks and nature ­ Make bike racks more visible at the front of the school ­ Implementing garbage picking into classes  ­ Add more benches closer to school ­ Yoga Club ­ Start “Beaverpond Study” (grade 9, 11) ­ Attend local events  ­ Sharing parks and nature with family and friends  

 

 Get Involved ­ Your Plan for Action  This Earl of March Sustainability Plan will now become your plan. It was meant to give you ideas on how to take action within your                                                 school at home, or in your neighbourhood. In the space below, you are invited to make your commitment to sustainability.  What issues from above most interest you? Try to pick issues in which you know you can make a difference. What action could you take to address these                                                       issues? Consider this your project. It could even be a project sponsored by your school.  The Project Database on the OBEC website is a great tool to find out what other individuals and organizations in Ottawa are doing to contribute to                                                   sustainability in Ottawa. If you develop or join in a sustainability project, please consider sharing it with others on the Ottawa Biosphere Eco­City Database                                               at: http://obec­evbo.ca   Your priority sustainability issue(s): 

            Your proposed project (s) that you can take: 

        

Thank you for contributing to the sustainability of your school  and your community.  Earl of March Secondary School and Ottawa Biosphere Eco­City Council   Report by:  Sustainability Leadership Team of Earl of March Secondary School, In association with:  Ottawa Biosphere Eco­City Initiative,  and Sustainable Youth Canada   We would like to thank the project leaders­ Jim Birtch, Julie Gourley, Amanda Morgan, Colleen Morgan and Virginie Tardif­Plante We acknowledge the financial support from the City of Ottawa’s Community Environmental Projects Grant Program.