Wearing rubber boots and gloves and with shovels in hand, more than 300 Thames Valley District School Board students have been busy planting trees and shrubs in east London in an effort to attract more bees to the area.
Organized through the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA), the "Bring Back the Bees" project has seen 1,000 native trees and shrubs planted at 2150 Oxford St. since Monday.
"We are learning about industries and how they affect the climate so planting these trees relates back to what we are learning about in school," said Maddy Congdon, a Grade 9 student at H.B. Beal Secondary School. "It is pretty incredible to be able to give back to the environment and have the experience of planting a tree since they give us so much. Really this brings nature back to the city."
The property where the students are planting is owned by Dancor. The London-based construction company partnered with the UTRCA and funded the project after deciding to break away from the standard manicured office building landscape.
"Dancor's goal is to use native trees, wildflowers, and grasses to create an environment in which bees, butterflies, and birds will flourish and develop," said Sean Ford, a partner with Dancor.
Greenery being planted across the four acres of land includes red maple trees, sugar maple trees, Kentucky coffeetrees, redbud trees, and chokecherry bushes.
"All of these will help attract pollinators," said Karen Pugh, resource specialist at the UTRCA. "About 70% of our crops need bees for pollinating and a lot of these trees and shrubs have flowers on them. So the bees will go to these flowers and the pollen sticks to the hairs on their legs and they go from flower to flower fertilizing. There is a lot of food that wouldn't happen without the bees."
Along with tying into the students' studies, Pugh noted getting them out in the fresh air and doing hands-on work gives them a new appreciation for nature.
"The kids learn how to plant properly, the importance of native trees, why we are planting where we are planting... Some kids have never had any experience with having a shovel in their hand, getting dirty and planting trees so this can be a first for many kids," said Pugh.
Congdon added that it will be exciting to watch the trees she helped plant grow.
"I'll be able to drive by when I am older and say 'I planted that. It is still here.' What a major accomplishment," said Congdon.
Dancor is planning to hold a community tree planting session for all Londoners at the same site beginning at 8am on May 26.
