Students put their sustainable agriculture ideas to the test at UPEI conference
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CTV News
2 hours ago
- CTV News
‘Make a positive change': U of S shelter project now provides nutritious snacks for those in need
Chloe Canning is a PhD student at U of S in the College of Environment and Sustainability. She is part of the class taught by professor Colin Laroque, whose fourth-year assignment allows students to come up with imaginative projects based on their areas of interest. (Carla Shynkaruk/CTV News) There's an unassuming piece of land on the northwest corner of the University of Saskatchewan (U of S) along the river that serves many valuable purposes. It's a site to help students learn and also doubles as a space for providing nutritious snacks to those who need them. Chloe Canning is a PhD student at U of S in the College of Environment and Sustainability. She is part of the class taught by professor Colin Laroque, whose fourth-year assignment allows students to come up with imaginative projects based on their areas of interest. 'Having that opportunity to be creative, students take that on, and they take it head-on and they do crazy things that you would never think, you know, you could do,' Canning told CTV News. U of S shelter project now provides nutritious snacks for those in need It was back in 2019 when a group of students in Laroque's class came up with the edible shelter belt project, an assignment aimed at making a difference. (Carla Shynkaruk/CTV News) It was back in 2019 when a group of students in Laroque's class came up with the edible shelter belt project, an assignment aimed at making a difference. 'They picked specific plants like the haskap that will be ready to go later in May, with the first berries out, then the gooseberries, and then the Saskatoon's or the cranberries. They picked the plants that they needed to kind of go week by week, so there would be something new to eat,' Colin Laroque said. There are also apples and cherries. The garden along the river has been a labour of love for students in the class who faced issues keeping it going. They had to deal with harsh elements affecting the plants since the plot is exposed, and COVID shutting down school resulted in no students to look after the plants. Now, six years later, it's thriving. It has also evolved into a source of nutrition for those who are vulnerable and don't have food. 'But the people who kind of actually do most of the picking and eating tend to be from the homeless community. They'll sit on the park bench. It's a place for them to sit, enjoy the views, and get a handful of berries that are nutritious for them when sometimes they're just hungry,' Laroque said. Canning now helps teach the Sustainability in Action class, which helps provide volunteers to keep the garden running. She says she sees a real desire by students to make a difference and help the community with their projects. They are so invested that a lot of the work is done outside of school. 'It's not just for a grade; it's for actually being able to do something and leave your mark and say, 'I tried to make a positive change in my community.'' U of S shelter project now provides nutritious snacks for those in need Another way the project has grown since it started was involving young children in creating a seating space for visitors to enjoy the area. 'They did a little Easter camp over Easter break with some kids. It was in partnership with the Wonder Hub, and then at the end, they created a colourful picnic table,' Canning said. Students in another class she instructs also started a project installing protective houses for bats at the shelter belt. 'That student group wanted to provide habitat for pollinators, so they put up a bat box.' Some of the plants have died over the years, and they try to replace them. According to Laroque, it's thanks to great volunteers and their partnership with The City of Saskatoon and the Meewasin Valley Authority that the project has managed to stay out of the weeds. 'Our glass is half full. We're going to keep going. Our bushes will keep growing.'
CBC
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Great Barrier Reef devastated by extensive coral bleaching
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CBC
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Tłı̨chǫ reforestation project reaches 1.5 million planted in first year
A total of 13 million trees are being planted on Tłı̨chǫ lands in the next five years as part of an ambitious project to fight climate change, restore ecosystems, bring back boreal caribou habitat and create jobs.
