WILD & Blue Schools

Isn't it time you encouraged the young people in your charge to get their hands dirty? Seriously, if you're looking for hands-on opportunities for students to actively participate in wildlife conservation, then a habitat project is for you. Each year, youngsters from coast to coast undertake wildlife habitat improvement projects in their schoolyards and communities. Not only do bears, bats, fish, and foxes benefit from these noble efforts; so do young Canadians, who learn that all life forms, including people, are creatures of habitat. Learning that our environment provides the food, water, shelter, and space we need to survive gives us a deeper appreciation of the place we call home.

• Blue schools develop and carry out a "Blueprint for Ocean Action."  Becoming blue, or ocean friendly, is a reachable goal for every school in Canada. It means achieving important goals, such as helping to prevent marine pollution, conserving aquatic habitat, and celebrating Oceans Day, June 8. 
• Both the WILD and Blue School initiatives share the goal of inspiring youth to value our natural world while instilling in them a sense of responsible stewardship through habitat projects.
• These programs achieve this goal by cultivating students' awareness of conservation principles and through hands-on habitat projects that enable participants to turn awareness into action.

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Register in the Program and Apply for Funding

Chances are you could use a financial boost to get started on a habitat project. Support is available from the Canadian Wildlife Federation. To qualify for assistance, your project must meet important criteria. Merely cleaning or beautifying an area isn't enough; you should be able to explain how wildlife will benefit.  Keep the following criteria in mind when applying for funding:

• CWF will only consider applications for funding that demonstrate student initiative in all phases of a project to ensure that educational objectives are met.
• Any grade — from kindergarten up to and including high school — is eligible. Youth groups supervised by qualified leaders are also eligible.
• Funds are available for the purchase of non-capital equipment and supplies needed specifically for ypor habitat project; for example, plants, trees, seeds, and lumber. Transportation costs are not covered.
• Plantings must consist of native vegetation.
• Funding is limited to a maximum of $200 per class and $500 per school.
• Funding is not retroactive; all projects must be registered with the Canadian Wildlife Federation before they can be considered for financial support.
• Please apply only for the amount of money you need. Try calling on volunteers, getting your community involved, or having students bring what they can, such as hand tools or rakes and shovels, from home.
• The Habitat fund selection committee meets in spring and fall and evaluates all applications according to a point system. Special consideration is given to the age level and number of students involved in a project, its complexity, and the extent of community and/or volunteer support.
• Groups supported by the Habitat fund must provide follow-up photos, slides, or written descriptions of completed projects. Long-term projects are eligible for funding each year, as long as follow-up is provided for each phase completed.

Use the Habitat Projects Registration Form to register your project and apply for funding.  This form can also be used to apply for Blue School funding.  Only one form per project is needed.  Projects may be registered electronically. However, to be eligible for funding, you must print out and fax or mail the registration form, signed and dated, to us.

WILD School Guidebook

Imagine a world where children discover wildlife and habitat not from a textbook or video but from experiencing nature in their backyard. A world where every schoolyard has a wildflower garden, pond, or nesting structure; where parents, school board trustees, and community members actively work together to build and maintain a natural environment for people to enjoy and where children learn and play.

The image described here is what a WILD School looks like. No longer are schoolyard habitat projects simply an extra-curricular activity initiated by a keen teacher or parent. By building a new habitat, expanding or maintaining an existing project, or simply enjoying the fruits of many years of building a natural environment, educators can find the many values a wildlife habitat has to offer through CWF's new WILD School program.

We're putting the finishing touches on the brand new WILD School guidebook, which will build on the strengths of Habitat 2000, its predecessor. WILD School is bound to delight teachers with its hands-on plans, curriculum connections, project funding, achievement awards, and solid support. Available later this year, the WILD School guidebook is full of ideas on habitat improvement plans and learning activities. If you would like more information about this exciting new program email us at info@wildeducation.org . 

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