School composting diverts organic waste from landfills and demonstrates to the community a concrete action to mitigate climate change. At this time, there is no regulated system for sorting garbage in Kent County schools. Although sorting initiatives are in place, it is possible that school waste is being sent directly to landfills. Once dumped, organic waste produces methane, an important greenhouse gas. According to Statistics Canada, landfills produce at least 30% of Canada's total methane emissions.
Native tree nurseries can be used as a carbon sink to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, while naturally creating habitats for birds, as well as small mammals and pollinators. School nurseries will provide a supply of native trees to fill gaps in gardening centers in southeastern New Brunswick. Biodiversity conservation leads to the reduction of greenhouse gases, a major contributor to climate change.
The Pays de Cocagne Sustainable Development Group is undertaking several activities with the schools in Cocagne, Grande-Digue and Notre-Dame, on the themes of biodiversity conservation with tree nurseries and waste management with composting. Other activities, such as gardening, tree planting and recycling were selected as ongoing projects. The 2018-2019 Year-end Report (French only) lists activities and results of the project.
Since the beginning of September 2019, several students from the schools of Cocagne, Grande-Digue and Notre-Dame have been planting trees. Ten classes representing approximately 175 students from the three schools have transplanted approximately 285 trees that have grown in the nursery for the past two years on the schoolyard onto various locations in the community.
Acknowledgements
By sharing our resources and expertise with a population of more than 1,000 students, teachers, staff and parents in the Cocagne watershed region, the PCSDG is increasing the capacity of citizens, young and old alike, to undertake projects to fight climate change.The PCSDG would like to thank its partners for supporting the project: the Kent Regional Service Commission, the Francophone South School District and the Gaia Project.
