Westmeade School Outdoor & Sustainability Education
In light of the Coronavirus Outbreak this is a virtual program via Zoom
Video recording is not available.
Karen will discuss the process of establishing this sustainability program and give us an update on the status of the garden and waste reduction efforts. It's the process of beginning and continuing to build an elementary community that minimizes waste and maximizes sustainability. She will share her ideas for sustaining this program and growing it into a model for other public schools. The plan at Westmeade Elementary began with getting students outside and connecting them with nature through the seeds of a garden and bird identification. This relationship with nature has been supported with funding provided by the Middle TN Group of Sierra along with funds from other sources.
Holistic approach to gardening
Westmeade Elementary now has a vegetable garden useful for attracting pollinator species such as bees, ants, beetles, birds and butterflies. It is on a learning continuum moving away from herbicides towards a more natural and chemical-free approach. This welcomes a broader host of weeds and insects that all have a special purpose in the Wildlife pollinator garden.
Waste Reduction
Westmeade has established a multi-faceted waste reduction system. This combines food rescue, composting and recycling facilitated in a community effort by the teachers, students. amd on-site help from volunteers including Sierra Club members. The school was able to donate untouched food to underserved individuals in the Nashville area as a result. To further support this initiative, teachers at Westmeade continue to take trainings from Urban Green Lab to put Westmeade on the track to becoming an Urban Green Lab school.
Karen McIntyre is the librarian at Westmeade Elementary with a passion for sustainability and helping children to cultivate a long-lasting connection to their food, environment and community.
Read more about Westmeade Elementary Sustainability