Issue 3 • Learning about, for, and with food • winter 2015

A community journal on place, land, and learning

www.landandlivingskies.ca Of Land & Living Skies: A Community Journal on Place, ENVISAGE en·vis·age [en-viz-ij] 1. to form a mental image of; visualize; contemplate Land, and Learning is a partnership between SaskOutdoors, 2. to conceive of as a possibility in the future; foresee A community journal on place, land, and learning the Sustainability Education Research Institute (SERI) with the University of Saskatchewan’s College of Education, and the Faculty of Education at the University of Regina. Of Land LEARNING FOR, ABOUT, AND WITH FOOD & Living Skies is a community journal where theory and By Karen McIver, Editor practice merge, becoming a space for dialogue within the “There should be a garden in every school” said Dr. Vandana are getting sick from living their traditional ways of life; by fields of environmental and sustainability education, and Shiva in Regina this October. I smiled with delight because the hunting and fishing. She grew up near the location of the focusing on research, policy, and community practices, as day prior to her talk my students and I just finished tilling a Alberta tarsands and writes in her article, “People no longer well as inspiring action. site for a school garden that we will be planting in the spring. feel safe to harvest traditional medicines, teas or berries But why was I so happy to hear her say this? because they have become contaminated.” Our human impact Issue 4 • Youth environmental activism • summer 2015 For me, and many others in the field of Environmental on the more-than-human world has not only made us more

A community journal on place, land, and learning Education, we understand the act of eating is political or vulnerable to disease and illnesses but has also impacted how as our Research from the Field article states, “eating is an we can heal ourselves. environmental act.” We are concerned about the many social and environmental issues that are connected to eating, and Each aspect of the focusing on food in our educational experiences is something that we can do as educators, students, and activists, to make production and consumption a difference. Saskatchewan is an ideal place to focus on education for, of food can be linked to about, and with food as the entire southern part of our province NEXT ISSUES COVER IMAGE ARTIST: is considered to be in the “grain belt” of Canada making us one a subject area within the Marcia McKenzie Youth Environmental Activism of the largest grain producers around the world. According to Marcia McKenzie is an Associate Professor in Published Spring, 2015 Submissions due February 2015. the World Watch Institute, “Transporting food is one of the Saskatchewan curriculum. Educational Foundations at the University of fastest-growing sources of greenhouse gas emissions…each Saskatchewan. She is Director of the Sustainability Wandering/Wondering year, 817 million tons of food are shipped around the planet” Recently, many organizations and schools have been con- Education Research Institute (SERI) and the Project Published Fall, 2015 Submissions due August 2015. (taken from http://www.ceeonline.org/greenguide/food/upload/ necting food to curriculum. This issue of Of Land and Liv- environmenthealth.aspx). The distance that food has to travel ing Skies: A Community Journal on Place, Land, and Learning Director of the Sustainability and Education Policy to get to our plate is called “Food miles”. However, growing and describes some of those organizations doing this work. Little Network (SEPN). She initiated the offering of two www.landandlivingskies.ca for the Call for Submissions for harvesting food, in addition to processing, storing, the way we Green Thumbs is written about on page 5 and describes support courses for undergraduate and graduate students called our future issues shop, and agricultural practices used also contribute to climate for educators to grow gardens within their classrooms. Sask- Place and Critical Eco-pedagogies, often offered as a Editor: Karen McIver change. Each aspect of the production and consumption of Outdoors supported the Core Neighborhood Youth Coop (CNYC) summer institute. One of the days is spent on a bicycle Inquiries: [email protected] food ­– from “field to fork”­– can be linked to a subject area in Saskatoon to go on a camping trip where they discussed tour of various community gardens in Saskatoon. The Advisory editors: Audrey Aamodt, Valerie Triggs, within the Saskatchewan curriculum. the idea of animal and plant rights. Adam Hering created an above picture is from this experience. In addition to a focus on agriculture due to the physical activity using the Universal Declaration of Human Rights but Marcia McKenzie geography of Saskatchewan, the northern third of the province replaced each occurrence of the word “person” with the name Publisher: SaskOutdoors is part of the Precambrian Shield, an area perfect for hunting, of an animal. He shares this activity with us on pages 7-9. Design and Layout: Tania Wolk, GoGiraffeGo fishing, and trapping. Saskatchewan has over 10,000 lakes CHEP is an organization in Saskatoon bringing together Thank you to this issue’s funders: Printed on 100% Recycled Paper providing habitat for many plants and animals. community and schools to produce food. Their main goal is to Recently, David Suzuki went on a cross Canada speaking improve access to good food. Katie Suek describes the CHEP tour called the “Blue Dot Tour”. The goal of the tour is to Backyard Garden Program on pages 10 and 11. The Regina fight for Canadians’ right for clean air, clean water, and clean Public Interest Research Group (RPIRG) started up a Green Patch soil. David Suzuki said, “Coast to coast to coast, there is a on campus at the University of Regina. The article by Lucas united movement that is building towards a day when every Fagundes on page 12 allows us think about post-secondary Canadian’s right to live in a healthy environment is recognized campus sustainability, and how campus’ can contribute to www.SaskOutdoors.org at every level of government.” What a wonderful vision for community well-being. environmental educators to keep in mind as we teach and learn Our Research from the Field article (p. 14-22) written by about food. Food provides an easy way for us to connect social Jolie Mayer-Smith and Linda Peterat reviews over ten years of issues to environmental issues in our communities. research on food and environmental education. They worked As Melina Laboucan-Massimo states in the Towards with the Intergenerational ... continued on page 3 ... College of Education Decolonization section of the journal, people in her homelands www.seri.usask.ca www.uregina.ca/education of land & living skies WINTER 2015 WINTER 2015 of land & living skies 1 Contents DIALOGUE di·a·logue [dahy-uh-lawg, -log] 1. conversation between two or more people 2. an exchange of opinions on a particular subject; discussion

to traditional foods was limited. Processed and imported foods replaced wild meat, fish, fowl and berries and food security became FEATURES regulars letters a significant concern. Many OCN members living on reserve live well below the poverty level. Over 65% of the community is diabetic 1 envisage Learning About, For, and With Food. What with many medically categorized as obese. Most rely on medication PLACE PRACTICE Karen Mciver a great issue theme! In this age of urban sprawl, apps and packaged to treat diabetes and other chronic illnesses. Of the 5700 band 5 Little Green Thumbs goods, knowing about what we eat is almost a lost art. And what members, only approximately 20 are over the age of 68. BY Rick Block 3 dialogue could be more important than understanding and appreciating what (see the back cover for details of how the community came a profile of an organization that provides garden-based education to we eat? Thirty years ago, very few people did not have a connection together to address these impacts) students in Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Alberta, and Newfoundland 4 contributors to a farm in Saskatchewan. If you did not come from one, your parents or grandparents did. Today, a couple generations later, by Dr. Alex Wilson Curriculum Brought to Life 14 snapshot many children do not even know where milk comes from, let alone Dustin Bajer 7 aLL I Provided was the idea the chicken on their plate. Being able to run to the supermarket BY Adam Hering Thanks for the feedback. Keep the conversation going by and buying packaged ham or sliced bread is definitely hassle-free, an experiential activity using modifications of the universal declaration 17 Poems sending your thoughts, reactions, ideas, or anything else to but does nothing for our understanding of raising pigs or growing [email protected] of human rights to discuss animal welfare Anita Verlangen wheat. At Motherwell Homestead National Historic Site, we have Community traces 21 teachings from the north been trying to re-connect people and their food. Through a variety 10 urban agriculture internship Dr. Herman Michell of programs based on the Field to Fork concept, school groups and learning for, about, and with food... BY Katie Suek visitors have a chance to garden, clean the pig pen, hold chickens, ... continued from page 3 ... Landed Learning Program an overview of a community education project focused on growing food 32 resources milk cows and bake bread from freshly milled flour. Believe me, it which is a school-community food garden initiative in in Saskatoon for profit is hard to describe the wonder and fascination of children the first Vancouver. They share with us the different types of learning time they see a cow being milked, or gingerly gather the egg from found within the food garden setting. The article ends by this is my place fresh food under a chicken. Light bulbs flash and connections get created as discussing the importance of garden learning and teaching to 12 Planting concepts magically as seeds grow into plants! Simple, real education. require repeat exposure and participation that extends over BY Lucas Fagundes Check it out at www.parkscanada.gc.ca/motherwell a look at student-led community gardening at the post-secondary level intergenerational Adriana Bacheschi, Visitor Experience Manager, full growing cycles. They link this idea to the concept of slow learning Motherwell Homestead pedadogy articulated by Payne and Watchow (2009). They RESEARCh from the field argue that the slow pedagogy and experiential learning that 15 sLow Pedagogy and Slow Research : Understanding happens in food gardens can influence students’, teachers’, Learning about Food-Environment Relationships and community members’ understandings to how food and Dr. Jolie Mayer-Smith, University of British Columbia The Opaskwayak Cree Nation (OCN) permaculture environment link to their daily lives. Dr. Linda Peterat, University of British Columbia is located along the banks of the Saskatchewan River in Treaty The issue ends with a beautiful photo essay and reflection an article documenting over 10 years of research on school gardens 5 territory. The community has a large population of over 5700 members, of whom approximately 3200 live “on-reserve”. Although from a teacher who has used school gardening in his teaching photo essay OCN has maintained a strong cultural and spiritual base, the practice at the elementary level for most of his teaching 23 connecting kids with nature food security community has also witnessed a great deal of change over the career. As well, we hear about Sky Ann Stinson’s experience BY Rod Figueora past three generations. Traditionally, this Inniniwak community had of raising food at the solar-powered acreage she grew up on. a beautiful photo essay describing a teacher’s journey growing food in garden sustainable food sources. Families hunted, trapped and gathered We are delighted to have her experience as a 15 year old his elementary classroom local foods and many kept a small garden in the summer. learning about food through her daily practices. In the early 1900s, the settlement was forcibly moved from Working on this issue has been an experience for me that towards decolonization Photography the south side of the Saskatchewan River (an area with topsoil and has reminded me of all of the great work happening around 28 Idle no more adjacent to rich farmland) to the north side of the river. Although the Canada focusing on the daily practices in schools and in BY Melina Laboucan-Massimo. our own lives that contribute to a more sustainable future. a tribute to the two year anniversary of Idle No More community is now geographically large and scattered over a number of sites; all have a clay base and little topsoil for growing grass, However, the articles also show me how important it is to family experience animal welfare vegetables or trees. The Reserve pass system restricted hunting and discuss the very land on which we do this work. If we want to 30 chickens in the family clean soil trapping and in the 1960’s the Grand Rapids Hydro Dam project work towards ecological justice as educators and community BY Sky Stinson flooded traplines, made negotiating waterways dangerous, changed members, we must have conversations in our practices that a 15 year old girl describes her connection to the food that she eats the migration patterns of birds and animals making it increasingly discuss colonization and the history of the land we are doing idle no more difficult to gather traditional foods. Despite having many modern our work and growing our food on. conveniences, the health and wellness of the community has been grow negatively impacted by these historical factors. Karen McIver, Editor After relocation no new gardens were planted and access

2 of of land land & & living living skies skies WINTER WINTER 2015 2015 WINTER 2015 of land & living skies 3 contributors Place Practice

Adam Hering Adam is a veterinarian and a graduate student at the University of Saskatchewan. He is a passionate outdoors enthusiast who makes it a goal to get out as often as possible and help bring as many others out with him. His professional interests are in wildlife and conservation and his research is on tuberculosis in northern canadian bison. Some of his favourite outdoor pursuits are ocean kayaking, rock climbing, backpacking and skijoring. adam Katie Suek Katie is an engagement and consultation specialist based in Saskatoon. She is currently pursuing her Master’s degree in Sustainable Environmental Management at the University of Saskatchewan. As part of her community service learning project, a requirement of the graduate program, she was matched with CHEP Good Food Inc. where she has been actively involved as the facilitator for the Urban Agriculture Internship Project.

KATIE jolie Mayer-Smith is Professor Emerita of Science Education, University of British Columbia, Vancouver. In 2002 she co-founded the Intergenerational Landed Learning on the Farm Project, which she directed until her retirement in July 2014. She lives in Vancouver, BC where she helps coordinate and co-advises Landed Learning programs, writes about environmental education and follows her passions for learning, exploring nature, and participation in all forms of outdoor experiential activity. [email protected]

Jolie Linda Peterat is Professor Emerita of Curriculum Studies, University of British Columbia, Vancouver and co- founder of the Intergenerational Landed Learning Project. She is retired and lives in Vernon BC where she has for 7 years coordinated a small Landed Learning program through the Okanagan Science Centre. She continues to research and write on women’s and food history. [email protected] A Garden in Every School...

Linda Lucas Fagundes was the RPIRG Green Patch Coordinator at the Regina Public Interest Research Group A School in Every Garden (RPIRG) for the 2014 season. He is studying environmental engineering at the University of Regina, and has Program: Little Green Thumbs By Rick Block extensive knowledge of permaculture techniques Location: Saskatchewan, Alberta, Manitoba, Newfoundland and Labrador Each year, the Little Green Thumbs program unlocks the Melina Laboucan Massimo is a long-time Indigenous and environmental activist. Since 2009 Melina has Target audience: Elementary, Middle, and High School magic of gardening for students by giving them the opportunity been working as a tar sands campaigner for Greenpeace Canada.Melina is a Lubicon Cree from Northern Alberta Students to become food producers right in their classroom. As students melina and has witnessed first-hand the impacts of oil sands development on her Nation’s people, culture, and land. Subjects: Science, Math, Social Studies, Language Arts, actively co-operate to care for their indoor garden, they learn She now spends most of her days traveling inside Canada and around the world to share her family’s stories and Health, Environmental Studies about nutrition, environmental stewardship, sustainable food realities with a larger audience. Teaching Methods: Appreciative Inquiry, Project-based, systems, and community interdependence. Arts-focused Little Green Thumbs students and teachers begin Website: www.littlegreenthumbs.org the school year with seeds, soil, and lots of excitement. Sky Ann Stinson is 15 years old and lives on a solar-powered acreage near Craik, SK with her parents and smart, courageous and handsome younger brother, Grayden. Besides chickens, her family has guinea fowl, bees, a Throughout the year they carefully tend and care for their rick small cherry orchard, a greenhouse, garden, and a usually several other projects keeping them busy and resilient. classroom garden together, fostering a sense of responsibility, Author note written by Grayden Stinson. achievement, and team-work. At the end of the school year, they celebrate their harvest by sharing the food they have grown with school mates and community members. Rick Block is the Program Director of the Little Green Thumbs program, administered by Agriculture in the Agriculture in the Classroom Saskatchewan (AITC-SK) Classroom Saskatchewan. He is originally from a small farm in Waldheim, SK, and along with Jacquie and their has a mandate to Connect Kids with Agriculture through 2 children, recently completed a 3-yr community food security assignment in Mexico. rod curriculum-based programs and resources. Since 2007, the Little Green Thumbs program, under the guidance of AITC- Rod Figueroa emigrated from Chile in 1978 and has lived most of his adult life in Saskatoon. He studied at SK and financial support from Agrium Inc., has grown to the University of Saskatchewan and recently finished his Master’s Degree in Environmental Education. Rod has involve more than 7,500 students actively gardening in been teaching for the Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools for the last 10 years. He is married to Janet and has 2 Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Newfoundland. daughters and a beautiful granddaughter. Rod is involved in the GSCS anti-oppressive committee is also Co-Chair Little Green Thumbs was sprouted in Calgary, Alberta SKY ANN of SAFE, an STF Special Subject Council. by Nicholas Jones. His idea was simple – give kids the

4 of land & living skies WINTER 2015 WINTER 2015 of land & living skies 5 Place practice Curriculum Brought to Life opportunity to experience fresh, natural food that they have grown themselves! From that beginning, those involved All I Provided was the Idea! today all share the sentiment of our Charter: Plant, Grow, By ADAM HERING Eat, Share – Coming Alive in a Garden of Possibilities!! Students and teachers have had amazing responses to the Little Green Thumbs program, as they are given tools IDEAS for empowerment and transformational learning. Even on Camping and the outdoors has always been a passion the darkest, coldest, gloomiest winter days in Saskatchewan, of mine, and when I moved to Saskatoon a year ago I was the Little Green Thumbs classrooms are growing and glowing eager to see what kinds of outdoor programming I could in a warm, green, and bright learning environment. During get involved with. After a little bit of looking around, I the 2013-2014 school year, more than 2,200 students in found SaskOutdoors and was quickly welcomed into the Saskatchewan spent an estimated 113,578 learning hours organization. I was lucky enough to grow up in a family with the garden! that enjoyed camping, had the required equipment and however I believe that this limited access plays a critical Little Green Thumbs is having an impact. In a 2014 they actually like vegetables when they are fresh and knowledge, and made it a priority to get outdoors regularly. role in giving the feeling of escape that can make camping survey, teachers reported significant increases (from Sep 2013 straight from the plant. That is very rewarding. I have come to realize that for many people who weren’t trips so therapeutic. As we hiked we talked about things to June 2014) in the percent of students who demonstrated: • It’s the best hands on resource I have. Take the books raised in this environment, there is a large barrier to getting like self-sufficiency, bear safety and how disconnected we • Care towards agriculture and farming and the smart board, the computer uplinks and the outdoors and going camping and I wanted to help make are in our day-to-day life from the planet we rely on for • Eagerness to eat healthy food - over 1000 students in Internet feed. I need the garden. those opportunities more available to people who don’t everything. I also had the opportunity to learn a bit about Saskatchewan ate vegetables from their LGT classroom • I learned how to grow a garden! (which I have never otherwise get them. what life is like for some of these youth, growing up and living in Saskatoon’s core. It’s a world I can hardly imagine. garden during the 2013-14 school year done successfully before) That was a tremendous feat! After looking around for programs to get involved One of the youth joked, “We just LEFT Saskatoon, what do • Concern about reducing food waste Celebration events give value to the work that has been with, a friend mentioned to me that there was an alternative education program in downtown Saskatoon called the Core we need bear spray for now?!?” • Care towards the environment as a whole put into the gardens throughout the year. The celebrations are Neighborhood Youth Coop(CNYC) that would likely be I am a strong believer that the best way to make Additionally, and equally important to the sustainable also a wonderful way for students and teachers to enjoy the interested in making those opportunities available to their people think about how our actions as humans impact the nature of the program, teachers themselves recognize the fruits of their harvest, try out new recipes, visit a new place, students but didn’t currently have any programming of planet and the rest of the animals that we share it with, personal/professional impact of the Little Green Thumbs and/or invite the community members into the school or that sort. The CNYC offers a second chance to marginalized is to take the education outdoors to be in the places and program: classroom. Many schools find that celebration activities give youth who did not succeed in the regular school system. She among the animals that we stand to lose by forgetting • I love being able to bring nature into the classroom. rise to new ideas and projects that further engage students and helped me organize a meeting with the schools’ director, these lessons. Around the time that we were planning the Many people have commented on how calm and their community in growing food and being stewards of their Dave Shanks. I learned from this meeting that many of CNYC camping trip, there was growing discussion in the appealing my classroom is. I especially love it when environment. For more information regarding Little Green the youth at the school seldom had opportunities to leave media about pipeline development and the controversies students who don’t normally enjoy vegetables, discover Thumbs, please see our website at www.littlegreenthumbs.org the city, let alone go on the kind of backcountry camping around the pros and cons of the different options. I was trip I was envisioning. Dave said he’d love to make that becoming increasingly frustrated by the fact that these kind of thing happen for them if I could help them arrange discussions always revolved solely around humans, what funding, logistics, and the other details. there was to be gained and lost financially, and at most the I made it my goal to see the trip through and started impacts on climate change in a vague disconnected way. stopping by the school during lunch hours to meet and get Even discussions about oil spills in the ocean came down to know the students. The more people I talked to about to “how would that impact fisheries’ income, tourism and it the more people wanted to help until I felt like I was job creation or loss”. I even read an article about how oil barely doing anything at all! With the help of Vinessa spills could be good for the economy because they create Currie-Foster and her company Clearwater Canoeing, (who jobs! I was saddened by the lack of discussion on how these volunteered their time, equipment, expertise and personnel) catastrophes might impact all of the other species on this we arranged a trip to Meadow Lake Provincial Park for the planet that belong here just as much as we do. I believe that end of June. Once in the park, we spent the first night in this is largely a result of the lack of personal connection that a group campsite where we set up tents, made fires and most people feel towards our wild spaces and our wildlife. played by the lake. On day 2, our group split up for the Often they are just an abstract “they” that is summed up day and paddled or hiked to a backcountry campsite where and considered as one vague concept of “nature”. This trip we would reunite to spend night 2 before returning to the was, in part, my way of addressing that frustration. vehicles on day 3. For most of the group, camping in a site I came up with an activity that brought these topics to with no vehicle access was an intimidating new experience the forefront and encourage this conversation with the youth

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participants and the other leaders. Everyone was given the just one species on a planet of many, and that with this 10) Article 24. Every deer has the right to rest and leisure, while giving them space to move in the direction that people option to participate as much as they liked or leave and do power we must consider how our actions impact the rest of including reasonable limitation of hunting hours and were interested in and allowing myself to be a participant in other things, and to my delight, all of the youth as well as all the species that we share our world with. hunting seasons. them rather than a moderator. of the leaders participated and remained actively engaged 11) Article 25. Every pet the right to a standard of living Method: Split everyone into groups of 6-8 people with at throughout the entire discussion! I think part of what made Trigger: To get people thinking about the topic. The first adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of least one or two interested leaders in each group. (20min) it work so well was that it was relevant to exactly where section of the program was designed as an individual his family, including food, shelter, and medical care and 1) Pretend you are tasked with writing an International we were at that time, and in a space that clearly did not journey for each participant to take alone. The following the right to security in the event of Injury, sickness, old Declaration of Animal welfare/rights “belong” to humans, and so the notion of thinking that we statements were printed off and spaced along a trail for age or other circumstances beyond his control. a. Forget the legal language and try to give one were the only ones out there that mattered felt as ridiculous people to read and consider. Each person should not proceed 12) Article 29. In the exercise of his rights and freedoms, statement addressing: as it should feel everywhere. For many of the youth on the to the next statement until the person ahead of them had every animal shall be limited solely for the purpose of i. Pets / entertainment/ zoo animals trip, who have the kinds of challenging pasts that I can’t finished reading and moved on to the next statement. Very securing due recognition and respect for the rights and ii. Resource animals (research, livestock) even imagine enduring, the conversation was far enough little introduction was provided beyond explaining the freedoms of others and of meeting the just requirements iii. Wildlife removed from their personal histories while close enough rules and reading the first point to prepare people for what of morality, public order and the general welfare in a b. Are these different? Why? to home to make it worth their time and energy to engage they were about to read so as not to impact the way they holistic society. 2) Since we’re in the beautiful outdoors lets hone in on the in and discuss. The conversation meandered from talking interpreted and analyzed each statement. (The intent of 13) Article 30. No human has the right to engage in any last one. Wildlife. about animal rights to ethical hunting, from community some of the statements was to be disagreeable or frustrating activity or to perform any act aimed at the destruction a. Do we owe them anything? gardening to the oil and gas industry. It was a privilege for to help people realize that even if they hadn’t spent much of any of the rights and freedoms set forth herein. b. Do they owe anything to each other? me to just let the conversation flow and see where it would time thinking about it, they did in fact have an opinion c. What are some things that currently happen in go. Luckily, we naturally found our way to our immediate about it). (15-20min) As you may or may not have realized while reading our society today that violates your international impact on the world and a discussion of “Leave No Trace” 1) What you will read throughout the upcoming walk is an these statements they are simply modifications of the declaration of animal welfare/rights? camping ethics served the perfect way to wrap things up. excerpt of statements from a document. Please take the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The Article 3) As a group, devise a strategy of how you can create In the end, I think my time spent with the CNYC youth time to read each one, try to understand what it means numbers correspond to the article of the declaration that change that will help protect the welfare/rights that you was more valuable and educational to me than anyone else. and think about whether you agree or not. If there are was modified or shortened to form what you read. I found believe wildlife are entitled to and prepare to share this I hope that by sharing the lesson plan of the activity I ran, statements you don’t understand please write down the this to be an interesting starting point for the discussion section of your declaration with the rest of the group. readers can journey through a similar discussion with us article number and we’ll discuss them together. because it raises the point that we believe all people are and will help readers introduce these discussions and ideas 2) Article 1. All creatures are born free and equal in entitled to certain rights simply by being a human being to groups that they work with as well. A huge thank you dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and while if we were to try and adapt these to fit other species Conclusion: (15min- as long as people are engaged in the conversation) to SaskOutdoors (SOEEA), who provided a large portion conscience and should act towards one another in a of the planet, we quickly realize that they either don’t apply 1) Allow groups to share what they came up with. of the funding that made this trip possible as well as the spirit of brotherhood. or else many ways that we interact with other species would 2) What were some commonalities and differences between CNYC, Clearwater Canoeing, the Saskatoon Community 3) Article 4. No horse shall be held in slavery or servitude; violate these. what the different groups feel our responsibility is Food Bank and Learning Center, the Boys and Girls Club, slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their Once everyone completed the short trail walk/reading, towards other animals of our world. the White Buffalo Youth Lodge and a whole bunch of good forms. we collected around the fire to begin discussing what they 3) What are some of the key barriers to these declarations hearted individuals who all contributed parts to make this 4) Article 5. No mouse shall be subjected to torture or to had just read and more formally introduce the topic of the being enacted in our world? trip such a success. It would not have happened without cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment or punishment. program. Below are a few of the prompting questions I 4) How are the universal declaration of human rights and each of you. I’m excited to announce that Saks Outdoors 5) Article 7. All beings are equal before the law and are used. your declaration interrelated (is thinking about animals has decided to make a CNYC camping trip an ongoing entitled without any discrimination to equal protection a privilege that only people who have all their needs project and will provide funding and support in order to of the law. met have time for? Who is going to worry about wildlife enable two camping trips a year for the amazing students 6) Article 9. No wild animal shall be subjected to arbitrary Questions for discussion: (15-20min) 1) Are there any statements you did not understand? Let’s conservation when their kids are hungry?) and staff of the Core Neighborhood Youth Co-op and other capture, imprisonment or exile. discuss them. 5) Allow the discussion to venture into whatever direction interested youth. 7) Article 13. Every Caribou has the right to freedom of 2) How did these statements make you feel? What were you like. The longer your group keeps talking, the more movement and residence within the borders of their your thoughts? you can get into how interrelated so many issues are! territory. Universal Declaration 3) Are there any statements that really resonated with you? a. The responsibility of individuals (Leave No Trace, 8) Article 17. (1) Every bear has the right to control and Any you really disagreed with? environmental awareness, hunting vs. livestock,…) of Animal Welfare Activity defend his territory alone as well as in association with As discussed in the article above, the aim of the lesson 4) Did you recognize any of these statements? Where are b. Government responsibility (national policy, Protected others. (2) No bear shall be arbitrarily deprived of his plan below was to discuss the impact that humans have they from? wild spaces/parks, Climate change legislation) Territory on the world around us. I hope it will raise the point that, 5) Have you heard of the terms animal rights or animal c. Corporate responsibility (environmental assessment, 9) Article 20. Every ant has the right to freedom of peaceful despite our technological advances and the power they give welfare? What do they mean? What’s the difference? accountability) assembly and association. us to manipulate and control the world around us, we are I did what I could to gently guide and prompt discussions d. Local and International development…

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The Urban Agriculture Internship Project – an Initiative by CHEP Good Food Inc. By Katie Suek

CHEP Good Food Inc. (CHEP) is a Saskatoon-based, not-for-profit organization focused on improving access to Community was delivering all produce to market by bicycle, something “One thing that sticks out to me is the potential for The local good food community in Saskatoon is, and good food. In the spring of 2014, CHEP launched the Urban we like to call the “pedal powered produce” model. To do Aboriginal entrepreneurship in Saskatoon especially in the will continue to be, an important component of the project Agriculture Internship Project in partnership with the School this, they used parts from an old children’s bike trailer to core neighbourhood. One of my dreams is to teach young in terms of providing support, learning opportunities, and of Environment and Sustainability (SENS) at the University create a trailer capable of transporting produce to market. All Aboriginal people how to contribute to the local food advice to the interns. Throughout the project to date, the of Saskatchewan. The intent of the project is to determine if of the seeds and equipment purchased for the project were economy. Could you imagine if even two or three said yes? team has had the fortunate opportunity to meet a number people can grow food in Saskatoon (or any urban center) for sourced locally, and all produce grown was sold locally at the Another thing I am now constantly aware of is the potential of community members who have offered advice, tours, profit. With funding from PotashCorp, CHEP hired a team Saskatoon Farmers’ Market. for the use of vacant lots for small scale urban farming. and/or experiential learning opportunities. Interns are also of two interns in May 2014 to research, design, grow, care expected to contribute to the community where possible. for, and sell produce from their own gardens. The interns One way that this project was unique was that not only They are encouraged to source seeds and equipment locally, Awareness were matched with two backyard garden spaces through the Another pillar of the project is the importance of were we learning about growing food in an urban setting, help out at events organized by other organizations, such CHEP Backyard Garden Program. The team was encouraged generating awareness. To date, the team has kept an active but we were also challenged with growing our own business. as the Core Neighbourhood Youth Coop (CNYC) Tomato to seek out opportunities to learn through experience, while social media presence through updates on Twitter, Facebook, We got to come up with the name, create a business plan, and Transplanting Event and Community Garden build days, and never losing sight of the four pillars that closely align with and the Urban Agriculture Project blog. Generating awareness then market our product. We were at the Saskatoon Farmers offer to give local gardeners a hand in return for sharing their CHEP’s vision and organizational goals: community, culture, of the project is important for a number of reasons. Aside Market every week in the summer selling our fresh produce. knowledge. sustainability, and awareness. from helping the team advertise their product, it also helps Being at the market gave me new insight into the local food to generate awareness of food security issues in Saskatoon economy. Going into the market made me scared, but I found Culture and the benefits of locally grown foods. Following our story that other vegetable vendors were willing to help and network Food is an important element of any culture. A may also serve to provide a directory of the services and about the joys and challenges of farming. Now I can say that considerable portion of the population of Saskatoon’s core programming that Saskatoon has to offer to help people who not only have I grown my own food, but I also have valuable neighbourhoods, where the project is based, is Aboriginal. would like to learn more about urban agriculture and market marketing and sales experience as well.” – Dallas The team was thus encouraged to consider Aboriginal gardening. perceptions of good food at all phases of the project. To better understand these perceptions around food, the team After five months of hard work, the Urban Ag interns met with three community members who generously shared have become familiar faces at the Wednesday Saskatoon their knowledge of food preparation, community, health, and Farmers’ Market, where they will continue to sell what food security. remains of their harvest. The current project wrapped up at the end of October 2014. Given its success, CHEP hopes to Sustainability begin year two of the Urban Agriculture Internship Project in The team has identified a number of sustainable the spring of 2015. standards and goals on which to operate their business. All produce is grown using organic principles, meaning that “I loved this project because we were encouraged to only biological fertilizers (compost) and pest control (hand learn. I learned about urban agriculture, organic farming picking) were implemented. Where possible, the team tried to practices, running a business, and community involvement. I reuse or repurpose old equipment instead of buying new. For can use the skills that I have gained through this project for example, one of the sustainable initiatives the team undertook the rest of my life.” – Delaney

10 of land & living skies WINTER 2015 WINTER 2015 of land & living skies 11 This is My Place

Planting concepts, harvesting impacts BY Lucas Fagundes - Green Patch Garden Coordinator The RPIRG Green Patch is a community garden in the the community. The last one occurred in July and focused University of Regina’s Edible Campus with 5400 sq ft. It’s a on vertical planting and container gardening for students or source of sustainable and locally grown organic food. people living in apartments. The garden acts as a model for sustainable development Summer 2014 was the third year of the garden and the promoting education on horticulture, food security, healthy season ended successfully with a harvest celebration on eating habits, community work, engaging students and other September 16th. The event was a huge success, with more university stakeholders in group work, sharing behaviors than 40 volunteers as well as students from a ‘Global Food and commitment. Along with these benefits, the project also Systems’ course offered at UofR, came to help the with promotes environmental responsibility and aesthetics. final harvest. The celebration included some organic snacks The garden acts as a model The high quality vegetables help people who can’t afford produced with the garden’s produce, as well as speeches by organic food (or any kind of food) to have a more balanced some of the organizers. for sustainable development and healthy diet. This is because three quarters of the crop We will now give some time for the soil to recover promoting education on is donated to Carmichael Outreach, a soup kitchen in Regina and rejuvenate and begin planning for the 2015 growing which cooks for underprivileged people and serves more than season. horticulture, food security, 200 people per meal. The other third of the production is We are grateful for all the people who have been shared amongst the volunteers. supporting us and help to make this project successful each healthy eating habits, This year, approximately 1700lbs of vegetables were year. grown in the garden! There was a huge diversity amongst community work, engaging the types of vegetables that were grown. Examples include: The Regina Public Interest Research Group (RPIRG) is students and other university squash, pumpkin, zucchini, cucumbers, tomatoes, peas, beans, a student funded resource centre at the University of Regina lettuce, Swiss chard, beets, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbages, committed to social and environmental justice. We provide the stakeholders in group work, onions, garlic and corn. In addition, there were also a variety resources and funding necessary to enable students to organize of perennials, and herbs grown. around issues through research, education, and action. sharing behaviors The Green Patch makes sure to run workshops each year and commitment. that aim to spread sustainable knowledge and behaviors in

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Snapshot Research from the Field

Slow Pedagogy and Slow Research: New Directions for Understanding Learning about Food-Environment Relationships Dr. Jolie Mayer-Smith, University of British Columbia Dr. Linda Peterat, University of British Columbia

initiative in Vancouver, we consider the kinds of experiences INTRODUCTION that are needed to foster the deep dispositions that result Food garden programs in schools and communities have in everyday actions of environmental care. We begin by proliferated as sites for environmental and sustainability describing the Intergenerational Landed Learning Program. education during the past decade. Such garden-based We then discuss the scope and nature of the participants’ environmental programs aspire to a complex of learning learning uncovered through research, argue the importance outcomes and long-term impacts. To date, however, much of documenting both the direct learning and the indirect, of the research, evaluation, and reporting on these programs unplanned and emergent learning that happens in a food has focused on the immediate outcomes of short-term garden, and examine the notion of “slow” in relation to interventions. To advance understanding of the learning gardens, pedagogy, and research. We close by proposing new outcomes of garden experiences, we need perspectives, perspectives that can bring us into a fuller understanding of theoretical constructs, and research methodologies congruent food-environment learning. with the long-term horizon, breadth and scope of food garden learning. In this article based on our ten years of experience in INTERGENERATIONAL LANDED LEARNING designing, delivering, and researching the Intergenerational In 2002, we created Intergenerational Landed Learning Landed Learning Program, a school-community food garden on the Farm for the Environment. The project takes place at UBC Farm, on the campus of the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, and has the long-term goal of fostering environmental stewardship. The guiding premises credit: Dustin Bajer of Landed Learning are that eating is an environmental act (Berry, 1990; Pollan, 2006), that food growing can provide Dustin Bajer is a teacher, permaculturalist, master gardener, and self-described network nerd living in Edmonton, Alberta. Dustin and his opportunities for tangible hands-on participation with the students have designed two school food forests and have built Canada’s first high school aquaponics system. land, essential for developing environmental consciousness (Kozak & McCreight, 2013; Morris, 2002), and that we TOP : Downtown Edmonton peaks up through the river valley as a group of students spend the morning planting edible native often learn as children to care for the environment through plants next to the North Saskatchewan. interpersonal relationships and the influence and mentorship bottom 1 : Permaculture student Alex Villneauve holds of a piece of ginger that he grew in the school’s rooftop greenhouse. of a parent or grandparent in our families (McNamee, 1997). bottom 2 : A group of students posing in front of the North Saskatchewan river, after planting 500 edible native plants with the City Children in grades three to seven from urban schools come of Edmonton’s help. with their teachers to UBC Farm for a full day experience bottom 3 : Two students working in the school’s food forest. The food forest contains hundreds of edible perennial plants that come on 10 to 12 occasions throughout the school year. They back year after year and will produce food for the school and community. Featured in this picture are a Pembina Plumb and work in groups of three or four children partnered with two a Nanking Cherry. community volunteers, who are university students, retired farmers, and gardeners. These volunteers guide the children in planting, caring for, harvesting, cooking and eating the food crops they grow.

14 of land & living skies WINTER 2015 WINTER 2015 of land & living skies 15 Research from the Field Research from the Field Locally Grown Peppers from the Saskatoon Farmers Market The children and adult volunteers, referred to as “farm By Anita Verlangen friends”, work side-by-side and learn to grow food while Direct and Intended Learning Intergenerational Landed Learning teaches about exploring ideas that are related to the theme of each farm ecosystems and plants through hands-on experiences These are by far the best peppers I’ve ever had day (e.g. eco-cycles, healthy soil, pollination). Early in the and curricula that deal with growing food from seed to Locally grown and pesticide free. program, children talk with their farm friends about their lives harvest and preparing that food for eating. Most children Available for at least half the year at the Saskatoon Farmer’s Market. and food growing experiences. Groups engage in cooperative in the project achieve the direct and intended outcomes and planning and decision-making, and expertise is exchanged successfully learn about soil ecosystems and plant growth, I like the Farmer’s Market. and shared while they plant, care for their food gardens, and about sustainability and environmental stewardship, about Local organic veggies prepare food for eating. Over time, the children and adults farms and farming, and about food, food growing and Food vendors with vegan options. bond and establish their group identities with creative names healthy eating. The children’s learning about science is (e.g. kale kings; nasturtium ninjas). Direct teaching on farm extensive and includes learning about soil structure, plant Farmer’s Markets is item #5 on a blog that went viral called days is limited to short whole group “lessons” on each days’ anatomy, photosynthesis, growth and classification; garden stuffwhitepeoplelike.com– tasks and conversations about our role in the ecosystem, care invertebrates and vertebrates, pests versus helpful insects a satirical look at white, upper middle class, left leaning, liberal elites. for the earth, food security, nutrition, and human health. and pollinators; ecological principles; cycles of nature and Participating teachers are supported by program staff who composting. This breadth of knowledge is illustrated by a Item #1 on the list is coffee, with extra points if it’s fair trade. provide advice and resources, and through group planning child who told us: “We learn what plants are for outside, what Item #6 is organic food. meetings that are held three to five times each year. At these plants are for inside, how we should plant them and how Item #32 is vegan/vegetarianism. meetings teachers share resources, ideas and practices and deep we should plant them, where we should plant them. We Item #48 is Whole Foods and Grocery Co-ops. individually decide how to integrate food garden learning and are learning how to protect the plants. We’re learning how Yep, I like all of those things. activities with their classroom curriculum. The children use to weed and what to weed instead of say, weeding the plant” individual and group journals to document their experiences (grade 7 student). I spent a bit of time looking at the blog and learning. The program concludes in June each year wondering what point the author was trying to make with his satire. with a harvest celebration that includes a communal lunch Is he writing from a critical environmental lens? prepared by the children and their farm friends. “from food gardening children Is he critiquing consumerism? I’m not sure.

RESEARCH INTO GARDEN LEARNING learn about the environment But it did make me think about how the choices we make about what Research in Intergenerational Landed Learning is including the children’s journals, their writing activities, and its stewardship.” we consume ongoing. Each year we document experiences, investigate poetry, and school projects and displays. Previously we make us feel better about consumerism have reported our research with the children, teachers, and without questioning the act of consumption. outcomes, and refine our practices based on what we Our research indicates that from growing their own volunteers in Landed Learning (see e.g. Bartosh, Mayer- have learned, adopting an action research lens (Carson & food, children learn the significance of farms and the labor Smith & Peterat, 2006; Mayer-Smith, Peterat & Bartosh, And I thought about Rudy Sumara, 1997; Zuber-Skerritt, 1996) that fosters self-inquiry, associated with farming. They learn about the life of farmers 2006; Peterat & Mayer-Smith, 2006; Mayer-Smith, Bartosh and the people who need to get food at the food bank reflection, insights, and change. We are interested in what and the role of farms in the food system. As one child program participants (children, volunteers, and teachers) & Peterat, 2007; Mayer-Smith, Bartosh & Peterat, 2009). In and eat meals at The Friendship Inn learn through their food growing experiences and how this this article we look across that research to characterize food- the ones who aren’t able to afford sustainable, organic products contributes to their ecological understandings and growth environment learning and offer new directions to inform The truth is, you can’t buy food security or environmental sustain- as caring inhabitants of the planet. Over the years we have practice, research, and discourse. ability for $4.99 a pound used a variety of methods to gather data on participants’ learning. We have conducted individual student interviews THE NATURE OF FOOD-ENVIRONMENT LEARNING

pre, mid-point, and post program. We have also conducted Food gardens are spaces where change and growth small group interviews with children, individual interviews in learning are expected, yet our research over ten years and focus groups with volunteers, individual interviews with indicates that understanding that learning is challenging. teachers, and we have done follow-up interviews of students Food garden experiences contribute to broad and varied five years after they participated in the program. We have learning about the food-environment relationship. To used surveys administered pre and post program that include characterize this breadth we find it useful to distinguish open and closed end questions, and drawing activities. between the direct learning that happens as intended and Participants’ activities and interactions are observed formally appears to be directly related to the design and practices of and informally, and documented using digital photography, the program, and indirect learning that is unplanned and video, and anecdotal reports. We have analyzed documents emergent, and indirectly related to the program.

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explains: “Now I know how much work farming is because Emergent learning in the food garden derives from I used to think you don’t have to weed and dig the holes Indirect and Emergent Learning the sociocultural setting and the human relationships and Beyond the direct learning exhibited by program and wait for that long of a time. I just thought that farming community that grow along with the crops. Children learn participants, our research indicates there are numerous was you just put it in and then you take it out and then about the non-parental adults who mentor them and become learning outcomes that were not planned for or expected. you have vegetables. It takes a really long time and I didn’t their friends. They recognize that older people possess wisdom We characterize these outcomes as indirect and emergent know that” (grade 7 student). Through their learning of how and valuable experience, and that they can be funny and fun learning. Indirect learning is the larger and indeterminant to grow food by organic and sustainable practices and how to be around (Bartosh, Mayer-Smith & Peterat, 2006). They learning that is personalized and resultant from the meaning different fruits and vegetables are produced, harvested and appreciate that adults will listen to and value their ideas, making of individual participants. This learning encompasses prepared, children also learn what parts of plants are edible, and they learn how to talk to, be friends with, and show indirect academic outcomes (see e.g. Williams & Brown, 2012, how to follow food safe practices, and how to prepare and respect for adults: “It’s wonderful ‘cause me and Charlotte (a p. 36) and also multiple and equally important affective, cook healthy dishes with fresh ingredients. contextual, and hands-on activities. They experience science senior), we get along with each other. When we work with emotional, and social outcomes. The learning and messages We also have evidence that from food gardening as personally relevant and memorable, and some disclose Charlotte she tells us what to do and where it is better [to sow each child takes away from playing with soil and planting children learn about the environment and its stewardship. their realization that science is fun, and not scary. Children’s seeds]. We usually make the best decisions when we work seeds, and their personal discoveries about the invisible They learn that the environment includes the physical and understandings of the nature of science, illustrate that with Charlotte” (grade 4 student). This intergenerational life beneath their feet and the food that springs from the biological worlds (including themselves), and discover the emergent learning in a food garden is not only cognitive in respect and relational learning are significant outcomes that seeds they sow in the earth cannot be scripted, planned, or connections between healthy soil and a healthy planet, and nature but also affective and emotional. correlate positively with improved environmental attitudes precisely determined. the connections between human health and environmental Emergent learning related to farming, includes children and learning about environmental issues for students health. In food gardens children learn how to care for the learning to revise their storybook stereotypes of all farmers (Groendal, 2012; Groendal, Hymel, & Mayer-Smith (2013). environment by recycling, composting, and lifestyle choices. “Volunteers and parents report being men in overalls and farms as having a red barn and As they garden, children learn leadership, responsibility, One child describes their environmental learning: “It [the animals, and coming to respect and admire the knowledge stewardship, and self-esteem (Mayer-Smith, Bartosh & Peterat, program] teaches you about the environment and how it children’s tastes change after and work of farmers. For example, as one youth stated: “He 2007; Mayer-Smith, Bartosh & Peterat, 2009). They learn to interacts with things around it. Like how the insect interacts experience in food gardens and knows a lot of stuff I didn’t expect in a farmer. He knows care for soil, tools, and the food they grow. One child states: with us and how we really depend on each other” (grade 4 the science part of it in addition to his farming” (grade 7 “It’s very important to take care of the environment because student). food preparation” student). These understandings reflect the social dimension we rely on it…like everything comes from our environment… Similarly, the teachers and adult volunteers experience of learning that emerges when people garden communally. and we should keep it healthy if we want to continue living direct learning attributable to the program. All the adults Our insights into indirect learning come from children’s In relation to food and health, students who garden learn because without the environment we cannot grow food and learn about gardening, science, environment, and food. journal and reflective writings and anecdotes of teachers, there is a difference between fresh food and food products. stuff like that” (grade 5 student). Success in growing food Experienced gardeners learn the science associated with project volunteers, parents, and the children themselves. Volunteers and parents report children’s tastes change after builds self-esteem. Children take pride in the hard work the practices of planting and caring for food crops and the Emergent learning includes children learning about the experience in food gardens and food preparation. Many of gardening and what they grow; they bond with garden ecology of soil, and garden neophytes learn to care for plants. nature of science. Through hands-on experience with food children prefer the taste of fresh food from the garden, and insects and plants. Significantly, the children also learn Teachers learn to integrate food garden concepts with their plants, children learn that science is more than facts from come to appreciate the nutrients it contains. Further, they can about learning. Food gardening fosters understanding that science, art, socials, language arts, drama, and music lessons. textbooks and experts. They begin to understand science distinguish between vegetables that are freshly picked and learning is a life-long activity. They discover learning outside And, through the cooking that happens, all adults learn how as an everyday life practice that involves asking questions those from the local grocery, and demonstrate a preference the classroom is fun and memorable and learn how to share to prepare seasonal food dishes with children. that can be investigated through experimental, experiential, for the former. their knowledge with peers and their families. They begin to

18 of land & living skies WINTER 2015 WINTER 2015 of land & living skies 19 Research from the Field Teachings from the Northern Landscape: re-occurring column in each issue. identify with “being a gardener” and recognize that the skills food growing supports and encourages both adults’ and they are developing can continue to grow throughout their children’s commitments to environmental stewardship. New Directions for Understanding Food- lives. This constellation of affective learning outcomes that Some make lifestyle changes, becoming more conscious Environment Learning Reflecting on the insights gained through research leads Woodlands Cree encompass concern, responsibility and interest, illustrate consumers, re-cyclers, and gardeners. Others become leaders further the scope of emergent learning that grows in tandem in new food-environment projects in their communities us to embrace the principle of slow as a way of deepening with seeds planted in a food garden. and schools. To date we have identified 14 projects across understanding of food-environment learning. Learning in food gardens is slow in several ways. Learning occurs slowly Values that Guide Participation in intergenerational food gardening has Canada and internationally initiated by former volunteers Dr. Herman Michell indirect learning outcomes for the adults as well. Teachers who were inspired by their participation in Intergenerational over the cycle of the seasons, with the growth of plants. Learning about a flower and its ecology in the garden involves gain understanding, expertise, and skills in informal learning Landed Learning. As a former volunteer explains: “The The Woodlands Cree of Northern Saskatchewan and Manitoba watching it break through the earth, unfurl over time, and pedagogies and adult volunteers who arrive with stereotypical Inspiration Garden really came into being because of my have always had a set of Traditional Values that guide daily life. views of what children can learn or how they behave, personal experience volunteering with Landed Learning. I develop into a fruit, unlike learning about a flower from a These values emerged out of a deep relationship with the land, moderate their ageist beliefs as they work alongside young could see first-hand how students’ experiences help create text or diagram where all parts are shown simultaneously lakes, and rivers. students. Senior volunteers learn to recognize, appreciate, appreciation for the planet and our environment. I wanted to (Williams & Brown, 2012). Learning about land, food, health, The Elders say traditional values are teachings and lessons of how environment, community and care cannot be hurried. Such and value the wisdom they have acquired over time and, like create something similar at the Inspiration Garden” (project to live in a good way. They guide our thinking and actions. the children, they gain self-esteem (Bartosh, Mayer-Smith & volunteer, 2010). learning emerges gradually, progressing with the growing Woodlands Cree values are passed on by Elders and reinforced Peterat, 2006). Previously we have discussed these offshoot projects as plants and developing relationships. Our research with through role modeling, living by example, coming together with “growing our model” of intergenerational food-environment teachers indicates learning-to-teach in a food garden setting, relatives from across the country, sharing knowledge, engaging education (Mayer-Smith, Peterat & Bartosh, 2006). But similarly takes time (Bartosh, Mayer-Smith & Peterat, 2006). Emergent Learning Beyond the Food in ceremonies, prayer, songs, dances, stories, art, drama, writing, given the reach and number of projects that have taken root Teaching in a garden is very different from a classroom and crafts, and other traditional expressions…. Garden - The Environmental Echo Effect over the years, we now recognize these new initiatives as it takes time to feel comfortable teaching in this different Research in environmental education frequently focuses “environmental echo effects” of Landed Learning. Our use space and transitioning to a different pedagogy. on immediate results and impacts of short-term interventions, of the term environmental echo effects is an adaptation of and reports these as key outcomes. Even longitudinal studies Cornblath’s (2008) reference to echoes and “echo effects” of sustainability initiatives narrow in on direct outcomes (Adler, 1993) to describe the impact of social forces and events “Learning about land, of particular interventions. From ten years of researching on curriculum practices and educational policies. Echoes are whether an intergenerational food-environment initiative food, health, environment, the reflection of sound waves that appear to mirror or repeat can promote stewardship, we argue for another measure a message with some variation. While Cornblath discusses community and care of success. Researchers need to consider emergent learning how larger social events are taken up in schools and policies, that extends beyond the setting of particular programs and it is equally important to identify the ripples that emanate cannot be hurried.” interventions. We have observed that intergenerational out and echoes that emerge from environmental initiatives. According to Cornblath, “Echo effects are indicated by the Meaningful learning and learning-to-teach in food taking up or use of the re-presentations of events” (Cornblath, gardens requires repeat exposure and participation that 2008, p. 2155). We view the numerous projects initiated by extends over a full growing cycle. Repeat experience and former participants as environmental echo effects of the reflection on this experience develops an eco-pedagogy or Intergenerational Landed Learning Project. These new food- slow pedagogy as articulated by Payne and Watchow (2009). Wîchîtôwîn environment projects are echoes that reflect, adapt, and re/ They state, “A slow pedagogy… allows us to pause or dwell Sharing and Caring are Cree Values that are braided into present our program’s ideals, principles, and approach. They in spaces for more than a fleeting moment and, therefore, everything we do on a daily basis. are indicative of the significant emergent learning that encourages us to attach and receive meaning from that place” extends beyond our garden program. Further, they illustrate (p. 16). This view is echoed by Cutter-Mackenzie (2009) who we must care for others. We share our food the transformative power of learning about food and food found that gardens provide an opportunity for students to Trappers say with visitors when they come to our camp. We welcome them in growing for promoting environmental dispositions and slow down and experience intercultural and environmental our home and treat them like they are our closest relatives. individual and community action. We argue that researchers learning. The slower pace and dwelling-in garden spaces who wish to understand and communicate the impact of food foster somatic, intuitive, and emotional experience that requires reflection and time to be realized. gardens in promoting change in food and environmental Dr. Herman Michell is originally from the small fishing/trapping community Finally, learning as one grows their own food in a garden dispositions, attitudes, and behaviors, should design research of Kinoosao, on the eastern shores of Reindeer Lake. He speaks fluent aspires to develop environmental stewardship encompassing and evaluation studies that identify and track echo effects, Woodlands Cree (‘th’ dialect) and also has Inuit, Dene and Swedish factual knowledge, know-how or skill, and dispositions. And, because these will provide much-needed empirical evidence ancestry. Dr. Michell is the President CEO of NORTEP-NORPAC in La Ronge, as Orr (1994) notes, “new knowledge … often requires re- of the reach and impact of such initiatives. Saskatchewan. arranging worldviews and paradigms…and we can only do

20 of land & living skies WINTER 2015 WINTER WINTER 2015 2015 of of land land & &living living skies skies 21 21 WINTER 2015 of land & living skies 21 Photo Essay Wild Rice Stuffing Research from the Field 3 cups (750 ml) chicken broth 1 cup (250 ml) diced celery Conservation Photography is not simply a photographer ¼ cup (50 ml) minced onion going into nice places and capturing good quality images ½ cup (125 ml) melted butter/margarine References of nature or people. Conservation photography brings the 4 oz. can (110 ml) mushrooms or fresh mushrooms Adler, L. (1993). Curriculum challenges in California: Third statewide survey of challenges to curriculum materials and services. Fullerton: California State viewer into an environment, into a moment in time or space 1/3 tsp. (2 ml) salt University. ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED375475) where something truly extraordinary is about to take place. ¼ tsp. (1 ml) pepper Bartosh, O., Mayer-Smith, J., & Peterat, L. (2006). Informal science learning on an urban farm: a study of teachers’ and students’ experiences in a long-term It is about educating the viewer about special places that are ¼ tsp. (1 ml) each sage and thyme environmental education project. Proceedings of the National Association for at risk, of rare and endangered animals who need assistance 1 cup (250 ml) Raw Wild Rice Research in Science Teaching Annual Conference, San Francisco, CA. Berry, W. (1990). What are people for? New York: North Point Press. to survive in a relentlessly changing world. Follow basic instructions for cooking wild rice, but substitute Carson, T. & Sumara, D. (1997). Action research as a living practice. New York: Peter One photograph can touch the hearts and souls of chicken broth for water. Sauté celery, onion (and fresh mushrooms) Lang. Cornblath, C. (2008), Echo effects and curriculum change, Teachers College Record, viewers who will never, in their entire lifetime, have the in butter for 2-3 minutes. Combine all ingredients. Makes about 6 110 (10), 2148-2178. opportunity to see or experience an almost invisible short- cups, or enough to dress a 10lb Turkey. Cutter-Mackenzie, A. (2009). Multicultural school gardens: Creating engaging garden spaces in learning about language, culture, and environment. Canadian Journal horned lizard whose habitat is at risk, or a stark and lonely of Environmental Education, 14, 122-135. prairie that is about to be turned into a grain field. Simply Wild: For stuffing with a difference, substitute cooked wild Groendal, R. (2012). Children’s perspectives on relationships with non-parental adults: insights from a structured intergenerational program. Unpublished It is about the photographer seeing an issue of rice in all your meat, poultry, fish and vegetable stuffing. Northern Masters thesis, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. conservation concern and bringing that issue into the hearts Lights Wild Rice grows in the shallow, sheltered lakes and streams Groendal, R., Hymel, S., & Mayer-Smith, J. (2013). Children’s perspectives on relationships with non-parental adults: Insights from a structured and minds of the public to ensure that years and years down of northern Saskatchewan. It matures slowly through the summer intergenerational program. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the the road, a child with a camera can also be overwhelmed by months, free of pesticides and herbicides, helped only by the sun. Canadian Society for the Study of Education, Victoria BC. Kozak, M.S. & McCreight, J. (2013). We grew it!: Enrichment through gardening in the beauty in front them. www.northernlightsfoods.com elementary school. Applied Environmental Education & Communication, 12: Conservation photography is about capturing a fleeting 29-37. Mayer-Smith, J., Peterat, L., & Bartosh, O. (2006). Growing together to understand image that tells a vast story about the people who help sustainability – an intergenerational farming project In W. L. Filho (ed.), preserve our wilderness, who seek to keep traditions alive to that slowly” (p. 20). Thus, to understand this learning we need Innovation, education and communication for sustainable development (pp. 361-378). Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang. ensure that your knowledge of them is increased – so that research measures and indicators that capture and portray Mayer-Smith, J., Bartosh, O, & Peterat, L. (2009). Cultivating and reflecting on you too care about what happens to our precious places, more than knowledge gains. While it is important to identify intergenerational environmental education on the farm. Canadian Journal of Environmental Education, 14, 107-121. species, and people. knowledge developed through food garden experiences, it is McNamee, A.S. (1997). Ecological caring: A psychological perspective on the person equally important to attune to and identify the long-term environment relationship. In P.J. Thompson (Ed), Environmental education for JOHANE JANELLE dispositional and social learning that results. the 21st century (pp. 259-267). New York: Peter Lang. Morris, M. (2002). Ecological consciousness and curriculum. Journal of Curriculum There are frequent claims that garden learning is under Studies, 34(5), 571-587. theorized and under researched (Ratcliffe, Merrigan, Rogers Orr, D.W. (1994). Earth in mind. Washington, DC: Island Press. Payne, P. G. & Wattchow, B. (2009). Phenomenological deconstruction, slow pedagogy, & Goldberg, 2007; Robinson-O’Brien, Story & Heim, 2009; and the corporeal turn in wild/environmental/outdoor education. Canadian Williams & Dixon, 2013). But there is disagreement on the Journal of Environmental Education, 14, 15 – 32. Peterat, L. & Mayer-Smith, J. (2006). Farm friends: Exploring intergenerational research directions needed. Ratcliffe, Goldberg, Rogers, environmental learning. Journal of Intergenerational Relationships, 4(1), 107- and Merrigan (2007) offer a theoretical framework for 116. Pollan, M. (2006). The omnivore’s dilemma: A natural history of four meals. New connecting Kids with nature developing and evaluating school garden programs. They York: Penguin. claim it takes into account “all known elements of garden Ratcliffe, M.M., Goldberg, J., Rogers, B. & Merrigan, K. (2007). Chapter 6 – Article #3 A Model for Garden-Based Education in School Settings: Development of a programs; incorporates individual, school, community, and conceptual framework to improve children’s academic achievement, ecoliteracy, bioregional levels of program influence; and addresses health and wellness while enhancing schools, communities and bioregions. In Rod Figueroa M.M. Ratcliffe (2007). Garden-based education in school settings: the effects cognitive, physical, behavioral, and social outcomes…. And on children’s vegetable consumption, vegetable preferences, and ecoliteracy hypothesizes causal relationships between program elements (pp. 91 – 141). Doctoral dissertation, Tuft’s University. I have always enjoyed gardening; the relationship between Mother Earth and oneself is very spiritual and sacred. There is Ratcliffe, M. M., Merrigan, K. A., Rogers, B. L. & Goldberg, J. P. (2011). The effects something special and exciting about watching something grow. Maybe it’s just the satisfaction of harvesting something you and outcomes” (p. 94). While their model for garden-based of school garden experiences on middle school-aged students’ knowledge, learning expands the scope of relevant constructs to be attitudes, and behaviors associated with vegetable consumption. Health grew yourself or the connection to soil and the organisms it contains. All I know is that I wanted my students to feel that same Promotion Practice, 12 (1), 36 – 43. connection. At the very least to learn a few life skills they could use. With so many distractions in this technological world considered in design, research, and evaluation, it does not Robinson-O’Brien, R., Story, M. & Heim, S. (2009). Impact of garden-based youth consider the element of time. We believe there is a need for nutrition intervention programs: A review. Journal of the American Dietetic some kids rarely see the sun come up except when they are watching television. Never mind having students grow vegetables Association, February, 273 – 280. in a core- neighbourhood urban setting! I knew that once my students got a taste of this “hands-on” adventure, they would a paradigm and discourse on slow research that is congruent Williams, D. R. & Brown, J. D. (2012). Learning gardens and sustainability education. with and useful for understanding the slow pedagogy and New York and London: Routledge. find it rewarding and fun. I have been teaching for 10 years and in my second year of teaching a friend introduced me to a experiential learning that happens in food gardens and has Williams, D & Dixon, P. (2013). Impact of garden-based learning on academic new organization called Little Green Thumbs (discussed more thoroughly on page 5). outcomes in schools: Synthesis of research between 1990 and 2010. Review of the potential to shape participants’ understandings and Educational Research, 83(2), 211-235. actions in relation to food and the environment throughout Zuber-Skerritt, O. (Ed.) (1996). New directions in action research. London: Falmer. their life.

22 of land & living skies WINTER 2015 Summer 2014 of land & living skies 23 Little Green Thumbs gave me the opportunity to provide my students with the necessary resources to grow a garden indoors.

One of the first things we grew in the classroom was lettuce. When I showed the students the different types of lettuce seeds one student responded with, “These tiny seeds are going to turn into lettuce? Yeah Right!!”

Another project was to start an outdoor garden with a greenhouse, compost bin, and raised beds.

24 of land & living skies Summer 2014 I saw how participation led to a sense of ownership and pride, fostering both interest and stewardship for the environment.

They began to realize how it was all connected. As a teacher, those are the things you want to see in your students; co-operation, self-esteem, and a sense of achievement.

I invited elders and knowledge keepers to talk about which plants did what and how they were used before settlers arrived. The students learned that the spirit in these plants had a connection to the Creator, and because human are the most dependent species on Earth, we must respect these gifts being offered to us.

By the end of the year we had a celebration and harvested what we grew. All of the students ate their vegetables.

My students looked forward to coming to school, and getting their hands dirty. I even had students who would come on the weekends and during summer break just to hang out and do a little weeding and watering. They took pride in the work they did and made sure to take care of what they had built. When I was transferred to another school, I was glad to see that all of the hard work was not in vain; other teachers and staff members continued with the work I had started. Not only did the students benefit from the school garden, but I have many fond memories that I will cherish for a long time. To me, that’s what teaching is all about!

26 of land & living skies Summer 2014 Summer 2014 of land & living skies 27 Towards Decolonization Idle No More in the Tar Sands by Melina Mewapan Laboucan-Massimo

Editor’s Note: November 2014 marked the two year to say NO MORE, Enough is Enough. anniversary of the Idle No More movement. Idle No More All across Turtle Island we see communities trying to (#idlenomore) has it’s roots in Saskatchewan and has become protect the little they have left as a result of a dishonoured a global movement that “calls on all people to join in a treaty process and the disrespect the Canadian government peaceful revolution, to honour Indigenous sovereignty, and has shown for these sacred agreements. Agreements that to protect the land and water” (idlenomore.ca). We wanted to our ancestors made so we could live as equals in peace and honour the movement by reprinting the following speech given in co-operation. at an Idle No More rally in Edmonton on January 11, 2013. Canada promotes itself as being a democratic country It was originally published on Melina Laboucan-Massimo’s but this is becoming further and further from the truth as GreenPeace blog. http://www.greenpeace.org/canada/en/ the Harper government makes sweeping changes to federal photo credit: by Zack Embree Blog/idle-no-more-in-the-tar-sands/blog/43665/ legislation without First Nation consultation or consent. Each day in the tar sands over 1.5 million barrels of oil economies before it is too late. In Bill C-38 and Bill C-45 we have seen dramatic changes is produced. For each barrel of oil that is made it takes 3 to There are prophecies that speak of a time when people Tansi ~ Niya Melina Miyowapan Laboucan-Massimo. to over 100 Federal Acts and Laws – changes that will affect 5 barrels of water to make just one barrel of oil. This means must come together to heal the earth. Niya Nehiyaw. Kinaskomtinowow. the safety of our water, fish and the land which undermines everyday in the tar sands they are using millions of barrels A time when people from the Four Directions come My name is Melina Mewapan Laboucan-Massimo. I am our Treaty and Aboriginal rights. of water to produce oil! together to work for Justice, Peace, Freedom and recognition a member of the Lubicon Cree First Nation. And I work as Yet communities like where my family lives still do not of Kichi Manitou, our Creator, the Great Spirit and the a Climate & Energy campaigner on Tar Sands issues here in have running water. sacredness of Mother Earth. Alberta. Animals and fish have become Does the Harper government not understand that water The Idle No More movement is a sign of the changing It is amazing to see you all out here today as we stand sick with tumors and caribou are is the most valuable and precious resource we have? Yet we times – that we will no longer be silent while the land and together to assert our rights as Indigenous peoples. After see this government continue to strip away any protective Mother Earth continue to be pillaged and sold off for profit. years of organizing here in Alberta and across Turtle Island, listed as a threatened species. measures to ensure that communities will continue to have But we must stand strong as one – mothers, fathers, sisters, it is pretty inspiring to see so many people coming together access to clean water – a necessity for all Canadians. brothers, Elders and young ones – we must choose to say The Harper government’s omnibus budget bills introduced stand and say no more. No more can you divide and conquer, the most sweeping changes to environmental law ever seen Yet communities like where no more will you instill fear in us. No more. We must choose in Canadian history - all of this is designed to make it easier to fight for the preservation of Mother Earth and a way of life for the government and companies to extract resources from my family lives still do not that is sustainable for all. It is our responsibility to protect our lands. have running water. our homelands. In the north of Alberta we already see the water Hai hai becoming polluted, the air being poisoned and the land being People across this country need to understand that this destroyed. In the tar sands we see the landscape drastically will affect us all. The legislative changes are coming to a changing from a once pristine and beautiful boreal forest to river or lake near you thanks to Bill C-45. Out of 32,000 an increasingly industrial and toxic terrain. large lakes across Canada, now only 97 lakes are protected. Animals and fish have become sick with tumors and And out of 2.5 million rivers in Canada, there are now only caribou are listed as a threatened species that are predicted 62 rivers protected under federal law. It is clear that these to disappear entirely from our traditional territories within changes are an attack on our Aboriginal and Treaty rights. the next 30 years. People no longer feel safe to harvest In the next 10 to 20 years, the exploitation of the tar traditional medicines, teas or berries because they have sands will be one of the biggest issues and debates of how become contaminated. People young and old have started to we as a human race consume and produce energy. Working die of rare forms of cancers that we have never seen before. towards harnessing renewable energy and returning to More than any other time in our history the earth is our sustainable ways as Indigenous peoples is of extreme being contaminated and destroyed at an unparalleled rate importance if we are to live out our existence as stewards and people and animals alike are being sacrificed for the of the land, a duty given to us by the Creator. Now is the benefit of a few. time to transition to more sustainable and self-sufficient

28 of land & living skies WINTER 2015 winter 2015 of land & living skies 29 family experience The 25 chicks have arrived; the ones we raise for meat. years old. Before that I also butchered at my grandparent’s It’s hard to believe they will transform from adorable balls house and cousin’s house, but didn’t raise the chickens. So of soft, yellow down to large, plump, white-feathered adults I honestly could not say when I first saw a chicken, raised a in only one season. I wonder if I will someday relive these chicken, or butchered a chicken. My family all looks a little experiences with a family of my own some day in the sad as I snap them back to reality, delivering the chickens’ distant future? I can imagine opening the box of fluff to death sentence, but they will accept it because we will have small screams of delight coming from my future children, discussed this beforehand. and my husband’s reaction, depending on whether he thinks If raising chickens is in my adult future, I hope it this was his idea. can be a positive experience for any kids I have and for my husband as well, just as it was for me. When I was around five years old it apparently didn’t bother me to be up to I enjoy eating meat, and raising my elbows in a chicken, and my parents tell me how much I wanted to help. One year, maybe when I was 11 or 12, it our own chickens allows us to did bother me, and I felt disgusted. Now, in my teens, it is provide better living conditions more of a normal thing than something to be disturbed by. Chickens in the Family I enjoy eating meat, and raising our own chickens allows for the birds than if they were us to provide better living conditions for the birds than if by Sky Ann Stinson they were factory farmed. They get to go outdoors, scratch factory farmed. They get to go in the soil for insects, chase grasshoppers, and explore outdoors, scratch in the soil for their surroundings. I hope if I have kids some day that they will feel compassion and respect as well as understand the insects, chase grasshoppers, and interconnectedness of living things. I want them to know explore their surroundings. about life and how we nourish ourselves.

The sensation of looking at the first chicks of the season hasn’t changed for me. When I was a small child, there were no words to describe how amazing it was to see day-old chicks and it’s the same now as a teenager - even if I’m supposed to be more “adult” now. Will I lose this as I grow older? They won’t stay small forever. Soon they will grow feathers to replace their down. They look somewhat awkward and disheveled at this stage but eventually will complete this transition and become completely covered in white feathers. How quickly time flies. I return to imagining the future me and my chickens… A soft chatter of chirping is drifting up our basement stairs to where we are now gathered as a family. While my two oldest girls discuss the new arrivals, I see a memory of my brother and I naming any chick we could find a distinguishing feature on. I must remember it is the first time my family has raised birds, and that they aren’t used to it. I start talking to everyone, reminding them that the birds are for meat and, although they are cute now, we are going to be butchering them in about 12 weeks. I remind them not to get too attached. Personally, I never did. Maybe because I can’t remember the first time I butchered, or even the first time I raised chicks. The most I can remember is butchering and raising chicks at home when I was 10

30 of land & living skies WINTER 2015 WINTER 2015 of land & living skies 31 Resources Green Teacher: Every Bite Affects the World Education for Planet Earth an Earth Care Cookbook for Joyful, www.greenteacher.com Mindful Eating Nova Scotia School Garden Green Teacher has FREE Webinars for educators. Webinar by Catherine Verrall Resource Guide recordings are available for public viewing 30 days after each live webinar. After this time, archives are available to Green Teacher Every Bite Affects the World helps us be mindful of the connections http://novascotia.ca/agri/documents/education/program_ magazine subscribers only. between what we eat and the health of our bodies, as well as the schoolgarden-guide.pdf health of the soil, water, climate, communities and farmers both Green Teacher is a non-profit organization dedicated to here and far away. The book invites you to be part of the journey. This resource guide focuses on how to start a school garden and helping educators, both inside and outside of schools, promote on curriculum links so teachers can integrate the garden into their environmental awareness among young people aged 6-19. They lessons. The guide also includes information on resources available offer a quarterly Green Teacher magazine offering perspectives on “Combining original recipes, inspirational quotes, and to schools in Nova Scotia, and references to gardening information the role of education in creating a sustainable future, practical reflections on our relationship with food and the land that and contacts. It is a good guide for starting a garden anywhere in articles, and ready to use activities for various age levels, and produces it, Every Bite Affects the World is at once mouth- Canada. reviews of dozens of new educational resources. watering and thought-provoking.”

– Ryan Meili, MD, author of A Healthy Society.

“This book takes people back to being connected to the land, knowing that natural plants grown without pesticides provide highly nutritious meals. First Nations’ diets often included these plants. Also growing food this way is taking care of Edible School Yard Network the soil, our Mother Earth, to feed future generations. I look A People’s Curriculum for the Earth http://edibleschoolyard.org/ forward to making many of the recipes, and learning from the Five years in the making, A People’s Curriculum for the Earth is a information in Every Bite Affects the World.” The Edible Schoolyard Network connects educators around the collection of articles, role plays, simulations, stories, poems, and world to build and share a K-12 edible education curriculum. The graphics to help breathe life into teaching about the environmental – Sheila R. Brass, member of the Peepeekisis First Nation, website features a searchable resources data base. You can search crisis. The book features some of the best articles from Rethinking Saskatchewan. for a lesson to use in your classroom based on season, subject Schoolsmagazine alongside classroom-friendly readings on climate matter, grade, and program type. Program types include lessons change, energy, water, food, and pollution—as well as on people related to cooking, gardening, farming, school cafeterias, busness, who are working to make things better. A People’s Curriculum for etc. There is also an opportunity for educators to contribute the Earth has the breadth and depth of Rethinking Globalization: resources to the data base to share what you have done with your Teaching for Justice in an Unjust World, one of the most popular students. books we’ve published.

At a time when it’s becoming increasingly obvious that life on Earth is at risk, here is a resource that helps students see what’s wrong and imagine solutions.

SaskOutdoors www.saskoutdoors.org

Did you know that SaskOutdoors has financial support for environmental action projects and outdoor education experiences such as starting a garden on your school grounds? Applications are due March 15 and October 15 each year. See our website for more details.

32 of land & living skies WINTER 2015 WINTER 2015 of land & living skies 33 amber green/ ©Manitoba first Nations Education Resource Centre inc. Opaskwayak Culture and Healthy Living Initiatives Project written by Dr. Alex Wilson

The Opaskwayak Cree Nation (OCN) is located along the banks of the Saskatchewan River in Treaty 5 territory. To address the negative impacts to the community due to historical factors (listed on p. 3), community members came together to start the Opaskwayak Culture and Healthy Living Initiatives Project. A major component of the initiative was to return to and promote healthy and sustainable food sources such as wild meat, fish and growing organic fruits and vegetables. Last year three community gardens (a main garden, a potato garden, and a raspberry patch) were created. 38 families participated throughout the season and others visited the garden events which created and strengthened rich community learning and familial connections. Meals, stories and educational materials were shared at these gatherings. People reclaimed agrarian aspects of Cree culture and heritage and many began to eat new and healthy organic foods. Eighty-seven fruit trees and dozens of vegetable and herbs were planted. Foods grown were of an impressive size and quality. Fundraisers to support the development of an outdoor kitchen and clay oven for the garden were successful and those involved had many requests from families to join the garden group. OCHLI is excited to build on this strong foundation.

Follow the story on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OCNFoodSovereigntyProject