<![CDATA[MARIA LISA POLEGATTO - Sustainability]]>

<![CDATA[MARIA LISA POLEGATTO - Sustainability]]>Mon, 16 Mar 2026 01:18:13 -0400Weebly<![CDATA[Sustainable Junk Journals: Repurposing Junk into Creative Art]]>Sat, 06 Dec 2025 00:11:15 GMThttps://www.marialisapolegatto.com/sustainability/sustainable-creativity-turning-junk-into-creative-art Maria Lisa Polegatto December 2025

(Photo credit: Maria Lisa Polegatto)

Sustainable Junk Journals: Repurposing Junk into Creative Art

Introduction

All junk, trash, garbage, discarded or abandoned items, waste or debris (“junk”) has a story of it's own - from its origin, to its creation, to the place it rests before returning to the earth. Recycling, reclaiming and reusing these items is essential to keeping our natural environments clean. Nature nurtures our health, well being and creativity - gifts we need daily in our busy modern lives.

Every day junk ends up in landfills, making its way to all ecosystems, including wild areas (Polegatto, 2020). This junk can travel to rivers, streams, and marine environments due to inadequate recycling techniques, floods, and natural disasters (European Journal of Environment and Earth Sciences, 2025). This is detrimental to nature and species (Environment, 2025), which includes humanity.

Each year “19-23 million tonnes” of plastic pollution ends up contaminating water sources altering habitats, nature, ability of adaption of ecosystems to respond to climate change, affecting humanity’s livelihood, food production and societies well being (Environment, 2025). In terms of “municipal solid waste” humanity “generates between 2.1… and 2.3 billion tonnes” per year (UN Environment Programme, n.d.).

In 2020, earth’s tipping points were crossed where “the total mass of all human-made objects – totaling 1.2 trillion metric tons – surpassed the total biomass of all living things on Earth” of which the plastic portion was only made in the last 100 years (The Pew Charitable Trusts, 2025).

Junk is made by a variety of sources. Even when it is made, it is then used by a variety of businesses in their business spreading the use of junk around globally.

Junk is generated by multiple sources and, once created, is distributed and used by businesses globally, expanding its environmental footprint far beyond its point of origin. Sources of junk from source → user → environment, includes:

Food and beverage industry
Retail and consumer goods
Households
Office & workplace settings
Travel & hospitality
Events & celebrations
Industrial & commercial sources

Plastic pollution (Photo credit: Maria Lisa Polegatto)

Junk Ownership

I often hear people blaming manufacturers, businesses, retailers, or corporations for junk in environments. But the truth is simple: junk is two-fold and each of us is responsible for the junk we create and dispose of. Yes, we need junk to be produced in ways that can easily degrade and be eco-friendly - but, we can’t blame waste landing in nature on producers when they didn’t throw it there.

Once an item is purchased, it becomes that new owner’s responsibility to use and dispose of it properly, which includes any junk that comes with a product. Whether it’s a cup, wrapper, bottle, or packaging, it's litter and it’s up to each person to ensure junk is recycled, repurposed, and/or disposed of safely and properly.

Throwing junk out a vehicle window, leaving it in nature, or dumping it in public spaces only adds to the problem. It can also have far reached devastation - such as a lit cigarette bud causing a forest fire, plastic bags suffocating species, or balloons wrapping around species and strangling them. Death should not be the result of junk. There should instead be junk mitigation.

Light bulb pollution found at ocean ecosystem

Light bulb found in nature (Photo credit: Maria Lisa Polegatto)

Creative Reuse of Junk

Instead of misusing junk, we can instead reimagine it as a resource. We need to change our ways of being that benefit the environment. This can also lead to society coming together to collaboratively work on this issue. No act is too small to help.

Junk is what we consider to be “an object of low quality, little worth, and reduced value”, but that junk can still be useable – which is why junk can be both “a risk, but also an opportunity” and that junk can instead be valued through the process of “recycling or reuse” (Teixeira da Silva, 2022).

Some common junk items and their creative ideas include:

Glass jars can be used to hold items, including preserves and dehydrated food.
Cardboard boxes can be used as a base in the garden retaining moisture in a much-needed warning environment.
Plastic bottles can be used as garden watering tools.
Old clothing can be repurposed into reusable cleaning cloths or up cycled for crafts or thrifted.
Paper scraps can be shredded for compost, fire starters, or handmade recycled paper.
Items from restaurants, hotels, places we travel to, can be used to make creative junk journals to save memories and the environment at the same time.
Plastic cups can be used to hold water when making art.

The reuse of junk is a way to reclaim what would otherwise become part of the existing global crisis – giving junk a second life.

The more we reuse, the less we throw away — and the smaller our environmental footprint becomes.

Canadian Maple Leaf (Photo credit: Maria Lisa Polegatto)

"Squarely Sustainable...
"Use Less...Use Better...Spark Action... Engage Partners"
(Esposito, 2019)

Junk Journaling

One way to reuse junk is to make junk journals by reusing materials that would otherwise be discarded. The great thing about junk journals is there is no wrong way to create them. While everyone can use the same materials, everyone can create a different result.

I made a junk journal (Polegatto, 2025) from my favorite fast-food restaurant packaging (Wendy's, 2025) and 2025 Gold winner of my local CommunityVotes Awards for fast food (CommunityVotes, n.d.) - Wendy’s Restaurant . The junk journal turned into:

a creative chronicle.
saved what most discard as junk.
sparked an interest for me to examine junk being used for innovative sustainability without prior intention.
research noted the “foil-coated paper should be used in place of plastic packaging materials” (European Journal of Environment and Earth Sciences, 2025) which is decorative in a junk journal.
created a unique junk journal.

While junk journals are not a new concept, we need to take a new view of what junk is and whether it is really junk or artistic supplies that can be used for purposes other than was originally intended.

I started to look at my junk creatively and instead saw letters, words, images, colors, patterns, designs, and ideas that I could transform into art. We can innovate the future with today’s junk – that’s creative but also a way to turn junk into a sustainable option to reduce, reuse, recycle. This can help to:

Use junk as an supply.
Educate people in ways to participate in a more sustainable future.
Innovate ways to produce packaging.
Encourage people to practice sustainability.
Contribute to various United Nation's Sustainable Development Goats (SDGs).

The UN SDG’s include 17 sustainable development goals across all ecosystems – air, water, and land (United Nations, n.d.). These SDGs are global, multi sector goals to guide society wide progress. All SDGs are not meant to be able to be met by single businesses but rather they guide where applicable. Many businesses focus on 3 to 7 of the SDGs that relate to their business activity.

Wendy’s already achieves eight (8) SDG goals in relation to:

Food – 2-zero hunger; 12-responsible consumption & production;
Footprint – 9-industry, innovation and infrastructure; 13-climate action; 15-life on land; and
People – 8-decent work & economic growth; 10-reduced inequalities; 17-partnerships for the goals (Wendy’s, 2024).

The support and participation in the use of their packaging for creative uses adds to their SDG achievements connecting ecosystems without adding more packaging or designing. In this way, there can be a collaborative understanding and use of junk between producer, user, and community, including a social connection.

Every wrapper, bag, piece of packaging - plastic or other, we reclaim is a small but meaningful act of sustainability. This junk is then prevented from ending up in nature which would then end up in waterways and eventually the ocean where it would be eaten by species, such as turtles who can die as a result or fish who are then eaten by humanity which can cause human illnesses from the pollution (Polegatto, 2020). It is a vicious cycle.

(credit: United Nations)

Junk Sources, Creativity and Uses

There are a variety of uses for junk to enter our lives instead of being buried or floating in our environment. Some sources you can be creative with:

Old Book covers or pages
Envelopes – existing or used
Crosswords and puzzles
Junk mail
Fabric scraps and textiles for binding and decoration
Toilet paper rolls
Packing paper, plastic, or foil
Magazines and flyers
Receipts and ticket stubs
Brown paper bags
Restaurant packaging, ie: wrappers, bags, packaging, promotions
Hotels flyers, postcards, note pads
Cereal or cookie boxes
Wrappers, labels and cups
Cardboard for journal covers
Napkins - unused of course :)
Wendy's Thin Mints Frosty Activity Book (Wendy's, 2025) for decoration
Plastic cups - to hold water or paint - that's what I use them for
Plastic containers to hold items in your shed or garage or craft items
Plastic bubble tops of Frosty's used as windows on journal covers
Bubble wrap
Tissue paper and wrapping paper

You can add your own creative flair to your journals or art so the overlooked is instead unique:

Drawing and doodling
Painting, watercolor, color pencils
DIY collage pages
Spirograph and stencils
Yarns and string
Stamps with eco ink
Glue sticks instead of toxic glue
DIY notebooks with scrap paper

Uses of junk in junk journaling includes making creative items, such as:

Pockets - transform paper into envelops or areas to put things in your journal.
Tags - these are great removable items to put in journal pockets.
Notes - Add them to your journal to write on - can be the paper bag cut into a small note book tucked into a journal pocket.
DIY Collage - gather up the small pieces, paste them all on a sheet, for a DIY collage design.
Pages - use the paper bags as pages in a journal to decorate on.
Zines - DIY mini magazines to decorate with junk.
Journal - make a cover with a box you reuse to create a journal from scratch.
Design- use the junk designs, words, letters, quotes, to decorate your journal.

The idea is to reuse existing junk creatively instead of adding more junk into the environment. Look at your junk - are there words, designs, letters, colors on them you can creatively use?

Corporate packaging is designed with a great deal of time and creativity - why waste it.

Every wrapper has a story!

Wendy's Junk Journal (Photo credit: Maria Lisa Polegatto)

“Doing the right thing, in the right way…
delivering more with less environmental impact.”
(Wendy's, 2025b)

Community Responsibility

Junk mitigation is a shared effort. Picking up litter when you see it, recycling correctly, and reducing unnecessary purchases all make a difference. But real change happens when each person takes ownership of their impact and leads by example.

When we treat junk as a personal responsibility, we protect not only our environment but also our communities and future generations. Leaving at a store the box or packaging to be disregarded or taking it home and reusing it sustainably can help.

While I was at the ocean one day having a snack with my dog at our vehicle after enjoying the many healing benefits of nature (Polegatto, 2024). A vehicle drove up, the person got out, coffee cup in hand, walked forward into nature returning with comment “there’s nothing here” with coffee cup missing! I was speechless. Obviously, they discarded the coffee cup in nature – where it would land in the ocean and didn’t see the obvious - they were in nature, not a state of nothingness.

I often go deep into nature for the awe and wonder of the natural world. I am refreshed, rejuvenated and resilient in nature as it restores me. There are many benefits of being in nature from using our senses, the ecological shield to experiencing better wellness (Polegatto, 2024).

Nature is a part of us, and we are a part of nature. We need to live in synergy with nature. With the changing and unpredictable weather, fires, floods, we are well beyond the need to mitigate the effects of climate change. If we don’t respect nature, it can’t support us by filtering the air, cleaning the water, and freely fertilizing the land (Polegatto, 2024) while interconnecting with all ecosystems and species (Polegatto, 2020).

(Photo credit: Maria Lisa Polegatto)

Good Done Right (Wendy's, 2024)

Conclusion

Wendy's motto, "Good Done Right" (Wendy's, 2024), isn't just about "good" food "done" the "right" way - it reflects their commitment to quality, responsible sourcing, and environmental care. We can take inspiration from this mindset. Every scrap of junk we reclaim for a junk journal is a personal act of "Good Done Right" - turning junk into art, memories, and meaningful steps to a cleaner, more creativity, sustainable world.

The next time you are about to throw away junk - pause for a moment to really look at it, feel it's texture, it's weight, it's story. Then ask yourself if there is a way to transform the junk into something beautiful.

Even major brands recognize the impact of packaging on our environment. Wendy’s states, “We want to be a part of the solution — not part of the problem,” (Esposito, 2019) and aims to “sustainably source 100% of our customer‑facing packaging by 2026” (Wendy's, n.d.). Yet, even with these efforts, their packaging still ends up as waste. No one business can solve litter themselves.

That’s where creativity meets responsibility. By repurposing packaging into junk journals, we give discarded materials a second life, transforming what could pollute our land, waterways, and oceans into meaningful art. Every page becomes a reminder that sustainability isn’t just corporate responsibility — it’s personal action of creative reuse that contributes to cleaner environments and inspires others to rethink waste.

Junk journals are great for people of all ages to create, contribute to, and share with each other. Gather up your supplies - from meals, trips and daily life - give them a home in your journal, honor their origins and create art with your hands. In this way, the scraps of junk are an act of restoration to where it came from - the earth - to nurture, honor, engage and connect with care.

Every act of sustainability we as individuals do makes a difference. Let’s start being a part of the solution. Every piece of junk handled properly and creatively is one less threat to humanity, wildlife, ecosystems, and the planet we all share.

Let’s innovate a cleaner, creative, beautiful future where sustainability becomes a daily way of life.

(Photo credit: Maria Lisa Polegatto)

Call to Action

Every scrap of junk, wrapper, bag, packaging has a story – reusing junk invites that story to speak again. I challenge you to look at “junk” creatively and create new sustainable ways of being.

What projects have you created using discarded or overlooked materials?
Has this post inspired you to use junk in a new, creative way?
Have you created a junk journal?

Remember, sustainability isn’t perfection – it’s paying attention, experimenting, and creatively innovating ways of being that honor nature, and ultimately support the planet, nature and species of which humanity is a part of.

Wendy's Junk Journal (YouTube credit: Maria Lisa Polegatto). If video does not load - use this Link.

References

CommunityVotes. (n.d.). Fast Food – Food and drink. CommunityVotes Cape Breton 2025. https://capebreton.communityvotes.com/2025/03/food-and-drink/fast-food

Environment, U. (2025). Plastic pollution. UNEP. https://www.unep.org/plastic-pollution?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Esposito, L. M. (2019, February 26). Environmental sustainability: The Wendy’s way. Wendy’s. https://www.wendys.com/blog/environmental-sustainability-wendys-way-squarely-sustainable

Polegatto, M. L. (2020). Deep dive into the ocean ecosystem with the Giants. Adobe Express. https://express.adobe.com/page/cpDgtpT3qInrL/

Polegatto, M. L. (2024, March). Genius hour project: The interconnectedness of acorns, ecosystems and humanity. MARIA LISA POLEGATTO. https://www.marialisapolegatto.com/sustainability/genius-hour-project-the-interconnectedness-of-acorns-ecosystems-and-humanity

Polegatto, M. L. (2025). Wendy's Junk Journal. [Handmade journal using Wendy's packaging]. Personal Collection.

Teixeira da Silva J. A. (2022). Junk Science, Junk Journals, and Junk Publishing Management: Risk to Science's Credibility. Philosophia (Ramat-Gan, Israel), 1–4. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11406-022-00590-0

The Effects of Plastic and Microplastic Waste on the Marine Environment and the Ocean. (2025). European Journal of Environment and Earth Sciences, 6(3), 1-9. https://doi.org/10.24018/ejgeo.2025.6.3.508

The Pew Charitable Trusts. (2025, December 3). Breaking the plastic wave 2025. https://www.pew.org/en/research-and-analysis/reports/2025/12/breaking-the-plastic-wave-2025?utm_source=chatgpt.com

United Nations. (n.d.). The 17 goals | sustainable development. United Nations. https://sdgs.un.org/goals#icons

Wendy’s 2024 corporate responsibility report. Wendy’s. (2024). https://s1.q4cdn.com/202642389/files/doc_downloads/2025/Wendys-2024-Corporate-Responsibility-Report.pdf

Wendy's. (2025). Packaging Material [Physical Observation. Wendy's, 300 Welton Street, Sydney, Nova Scotia].

Wendy’s. (2025, February 14). Wendy’s Thin Mints frosty activity book. Wendy’s. https://www.wendys.com/blog/wendys-thin-mints-frosty

Wendy’s. (2025b, April 24). Advancing good done right: Wendy’s releases 2024 corporate responsibility report with progress across food, footprint and people pillars. Wendy’s. https://www.wendys.com/index.php/blog/wendys-2024-corporate-responsibility-report?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Wendy's. (n.d.). Reducing our environmental footprint: Wendy’s® CSR. Reducing Our Environmental Footprint https://www.wendys.com/csr-what-we-value/footprint?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Wendy’s. (n.d.). Wendy’s 300 Welton Street: Fast food, burgers, chicken, chicken sandwiches, salads, Frosty®, open late, drive thru, meal deals in Sydney, NS. Wendy’s 300 Welton Street: fast food, burgers, chicken, chicken sandwiches, salads, Frosty®, open late, drive thru, meal deals in Sydney, NS. https://locations.wendys.com/canada/ns/sydney/300-welton-street

Junk Journals to mitigate global junk crisis

Junk Journal Word Art (credit: Maria Lisa Polegatto)

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]]><![CDATA[Survival Gardens: Childhood to Adult Wellbeing]]>Sat, 13 Jul 2024 23:56:45 GMThttps://www.marialisapolegatto.com/sustainability/survival-gardens-childhood-to-adult-wellbeingMaria Lisa Polegatto July 2024

Gardening is an act of love and caring—exactly what we needed to focus on. A garden requires a helping hand and some attention at stressful times. In other times its beauty comes from just letting it be. What a teacher it is. It symbolizes life, growth and rebirth
Chris Adams (O’Brien, 2016 Chap 12.).

People have been growing food for decades before it was known as gardening. I love my gardens and spending time in them to nurture the plants, wildlife, and myself in the process. Nature brings resilience and getting your hands in the dirt is a great way to connect with nature that we are a part of.

I can spend hours in the garden seeing how the plants seemingly magically grow, produce food and beautiful blooms, do weeding for the food to grow, find worms to add to the garden bed that aerate the soil, pick fresh grown food, listen to the birds, see the variety of bees and hummingbirds and more.

My favorite bees are the fuzzy big bumblebees, but I also appreciate the honeybee for the sweetness they create in honey.

The glory of gardening: hands in the dirt, head in the sun,
heart with nature. To nurture a garden is to feed not just
the body, but the soul. Alfred Austin (Harris, 2024).

Introduction. A garden at home can provide “greater diversity of perspectives” of the world especially around unexpected learning outcomes, such as in the garden (O’Brien & Howard, 2020). Each garden is akin to homeschooling yourself and your family.

Gardening with your family and community creates co-learning and interconnecting community with nature in sharing gardening skills and food (O’Brien & Howard, 2020). Planning your own garden can build a mindset for future benefits and skills (O’Brien & Howard, 2020). With the current cost of food, we can take positive action and have better wellbeing in the process

A garden is a grand teacher. It teaches patience and careful watchfulness;
it teaches industry and thrift; above all, it teaches entire trust. Gertrude Jekyll (Harris, 2024).

Gardening History. Gardening has changed throughout many years from methods of:

Indigenous
European
Colonial
Victorian
war time
organic
urban
vertical
hydroponic
cultural
sustainable
and more (Gardening Canada History, n.d.).

Prior European settlement in Canada, Indigenous peoples carried out various methods of gardening, which included cultivating crops such as:

corn
beans
squash. and
tobacco”,

which “were deeply intertwined with cultural practices and sustainable land stewardship” (Gardening Canada History, n.d.). Indigenous persons have been growing food for centuries and have much knowledge of native species in environments (Gardening Canada History, n.d.).

During the First World War gardens called War Gardens were encouraged, then in 1918 they became known as Liberty Gardens, and during World War II in the 1940s they were called Victory Gardens which then faded away until Coronavirus in 2019 when people started growing food in their backyards again (Stearns History Museum, 2020).

We have become so busy in our lives trying to keep up with life and expenses we have forgotten how to survive without modern day conveniences. Gardening brings us in touch with nature and activities of our ancestors to pass on to family and future descendants.

I like to call gardens “survival gardens” because they help you eat healthy, know what you are eating, help others survive and thrive in the process.

The first supermarket supposedly appeared on the American landscape in 1946.
That is not very long ago. Until then, where was all the food? Dear folks, the food was in homes, gardens, local fields, and forests. It was near kitchens, near tables, near bedsides.
It was in the pantry, the cellar, the backyard. Joel Salatin (Harris, 2024).

Learning Benefits from Childhood to Adult. We learn everyday and we are never too young or old to benefit from nature and learning how to grow with nature.

Childhood disposition for nature is central for them and the development of:

“biodiversity conservation”
cultivate future “pro-environmental” adults
substantial psychological and cognitive benefits
“sensory stimuli” for “mental and physical health”
“cognitive performance”
provide “stress-relieving effects”
high “subjective well-being”
fostering “long-term intrinsic motivation” for essential satisfaction
“sense of autonomy” (Kong & Chen, 2024).

“Primary school age” children have substantial interest and integration “into their identity” for life which decreases from “adolescence” with the increase of “emotional and social needs” (Kong & Chen, 2024).

Ages 7–9 have the best interposition being the “concrete operational stage”, depicted by fast “cognitive and motor development”, for a desire to explore.

The critical period to grow awareness of nature is ages of 6 and 12 (Kong & Chen, 2024).

Seniors have a great knowledge of growing food as their generation did so when they were youth. Invite your senior relatives, friends, or neighbors into your garden for some gardening tips and co-learning.

I like gardening—it's a place where I find myself when I need
to lose myself. Alice Sebold (Harris, 2024).

Activities. To encourage children to spend time in the garden, make it fun. Some ideas are:

Count the hours they spend in the garden each week and praise them for helping and give a Certificate of Achievement after the harvest is done for the hard work they have put in as garden assistant.
Be creative by having them draw, sketch, or paint the plants to track growth rates and make a chart to keep track of watering schedules, different crops planted from year to year and different growth stages.
Children can learn more about species of plants and animals by talking about the native plants in your yard and those that you added in. You can also discuss and look up pictures of animals that are in your yard and area and keep a journal.
Having a picnic in the garden space is a great way to celebrate success and enjoy the harvest as it ripens.
Sticks found in the yard can be used as stakes to hold up plants that need support so children learn how to interact with nature and use loose parts environmentally.
If other people come to help in your garden, you can send them a thank you note, a plant, like string beans to grow at home, or some harvest to enjoy or come to enjoy a meal at your home.
Children could do a journal of their garden journey by writing and drawing about the garden and changes that occur, for example, how the garden is built.
Research could help learning by searching online or going to a local plant shop to learn about species to plant to attract pollinators.

If making a public garden space, fundraising goals can be set, and children can help with ideas that can be brainstormed about raising money to buy seeds and supplies, such as bottle exchange, going to local shops with parents to obtain supplies. Workshops could include parents and children to help them start their own garden at home.

Social media can be helpful, outside of garden time, to share to encourage others to start their own survival garden that can help reduce carbon emissions and mitigate climate change such as by having a compost pile. The garden can be a source of inclusion for all persons to enjoy and help.

Trellis’ and outdoor shelters can be built and left up after use to help nonhuman species survive too. Hollow plant stems can be used by insects, leaves that fall can be a great insulation for insects to spend the winter.

A garden requires patient labor and attention. Plants do not
grow merely to satisfy ambitions or to fulfill good intentions.
They thrive because someone expended effort on them.
Liberty Hyde Bailey (Harris, 2024).

Sustainable Gardens. Growing a sustainable garden can give back to your ecosystem instead of taking from it and help it be more self-sustaining (Crow, 2022). I use one rain barrel I purchased to hook a hose to and then made others that are garbage cans with the lids turned upside down with a hole in the top to catch the rain and filter into the can. Gardening does not need to be fancy or expensive. It is exciting when it rains and fills the rain barrels when they are near empty. Nature is amazing and under rated.

I also love to compost by adding food scraps of fruits and vegetables, eggshells, banana peelings, leaves, grass cuttings, paper, and cardboard to add extra nutrients and form to the soil. My compost bins are five pallets that make up 3 bins: soil to use now, soil in process of composting and one for sticks and logs I can use in the bottom of garden beds. I painted them green to blend in with the foliage.

Composting also cuts down on the garbage in landfills that eventually finds it way into water sources that pollute water ecosystems and eventually ends up in our food sources (Polegatto, 2020). Have you ever had trash blow into your yard? Did you clean it up? I do.

I reduce, recycle, reuse to help clean up environments I am in. You can also join your local non-profit organizations that clean up areas and you can use apps to count the amount of trash you have picked up in your area.

You can save your seeds as your plants grow so you don’t need to buy new seeds, use the companion planting method so your plants grow well together, and plant with native plants as a few examples of sustainable practices (Crow, 2022).

I have wild thyme that grows on my front lawn, so I leave it grow and enjoy the wonderful smell it produces. Did you know you can eat violets? I had planted a small violet plant that spread through my lawn on its own. My lawn sprouts with violets in the spring so I let it naturally grow and have a delicious snack while seeing their beauty. I also let the dandelions grow until they turn to fluff which blows away into the wind to spread their seeds for more dandelions for another year.

Garden twigs and sticks can be used to fill in planter boxes that are too big for containers inside of them. This also acts as an insulator during the winter to protect the plant roots from frost. My Hosta plants are grown in large planters that I put inside a wood planter I made. I used sticks on the bottom of the planter to lift up the Hosta’s plant and then secure around it with sticks and twigs I pick up around the yard so I do not mow over them.

Any grass clippings are added to the compost pile. I also mow over the clippings to mulch them into the grass instead of racking them up.

When moving to a new home, you can let the garden grow naturally to see what pops up before you cut what you may think is weeds. There are apps where you scan a plant on your phone to see what it is. One of my neighbors is doing that and finding many plants she did not plant herself. I have even had plants sprout up that I did not plant that turned into beautiful rose bushes and flowering plants that feed the birds in the fall when berries are not plentiful. I also have a maple tree that has small maple trees sprouting around it, so I replant them in pots to grow in nature in other areas instead of mowing them.

A garden with leaves that are not raked up is not a mess. It is an ecosystem for the wellbeing of all species.

Odd as I am sure it will appear to some, I can think of no better form of personal involvement in the cure of the environment than that of gardening. A person who is growing a garden, if he is growing it organically, is improving a piece of the world. He is producing something to eat, which makes him somewhat independent of the grocery business, but he is also enlarging, for himself, the meaning of food and the pleasure of eating. Wendell Berry (Harris, 2024).

Make Your Own Soil. This year I made my own soil mix to add more nutrients in my raised garden bed. I used a mix of:

perlite
vermiculite
peat moss, and
soil

I learned from a gardener on YouTube, James Prigioni (2024). I have noticed my garden is growing better this year.

I also made the bed using concrete garden blocks that you insert 2”x 6” boards in to make the garden the size you desire. The garden can be modified from year to year with this system and built up by stacking blocks.

I layered my garden bed to use less soil for a more natural base and less cost (Prigioni, 2024). The steps I did were:

remove grass from the area for the garden
add layers of cardboard to the ground to stop new grass from growing up
layer of newspaper
layer of logs and sticks
layer of leaves
layer of compost from my compost pile
layer of old soil
then the layer of the new soil mix I made above.

I wanted to have a good mix of nutrients for seeds and transplants to grow well for a good food harvest. I did notice some acorns I had for my acorn project (Polegatto, 2024) that did not sprout yet, did sprout in the new soil mix.

To forget how to dig the earth and to tend the soil is
to forget ourselves. Mahatma Gandhi (Harris, 2024).

Attracting Wildlife. Not only can we grow our own food in times of consumerism and rising food prices, but we can also encourage wildlife into our garden.

Adding flowering plants and trees around your garden will attract pollinators to your garden to help produce more food. There are many ways to attract wildlife, especially pollinators to help the garden flourish (Mizejewski, 2022), such as:

feeders with seeds and nuts for birds and squirrels
adding mason bee, leaf cutter bee and butterfly houses and plants that attract them,
water sources to feed wildlife,
growing fruit trees which produce food and provide shade.

Many pollinators are endangered and need our help to survive (Xerces Society, n.d.). Very sadly, we are facing the biggest species extinction since the age of dinosaurs (United Nations, n.d.).

The garden suggests there might be a place where
we can meet nature halfway. Michael Pollan (Harris, 2024).

What to plant. What you choose to plant may be different than what I plant based on your food preferences and location. I like to plant food that is easy to grow, is tasty and grows well in my environment.

With climate change we are learning to adapt to heat waves and flooding that can affect your garden season. Keeping an eye on the weather is helpful to know if watering the garden is necessary if rain is imminent or you need to cover your plants with frost warnings.

This year I am growing:

Roma tomatoes
cherry tomatoes
cucumbers
squash
asparagus
green and yellow string beans
carrots
carrot tops for seeds for next year
green peppers
chives
strawberries
blueberries
sunflowers
two apple trees
prune tree
rhubarb
five-variety fruit tree
companion plants
wildflowers and flowering plants.

The first year I grew sweet million tomatoes they grew 7 feet tall, so I had to stake them higher and higher but had a delicious snack everyday in my backyard.

Be careful growing crops that can take over your garden space. I grew raspberries one year and they destroyed the rest of my garden by over taking and dwarfing everything. I did have a delicious summer eating them but had to remove them from that area.

Not everything produces an abundance of food as a garden is a learning experience and the weather can affect where and what you plant. Researching plant information and planting zones can help you decide which plants to grow, when to start them, their growing season and days to maturity, whether they grow annually or every year (perennials).

There are natural ways you can add nutrients to your plants without using chemical fertilizers. Companion plants and essential oils can help your plants grow better such as a basil plant or a drop of basil essential oil in a large jug of water to feed your tomatoes, peppermint to ward off ants and aphids, white fir for slugs, TerraShield for beetles, deep blue for sore muscles after a day in the garden and lavender for the insect bites (doTERRA, 2020).

While your body may be sore after a long garden weeding session your mind and soul will be in joyous wellbeing for spending time with nature. I find gardening so therapeutic and rewarding.

I grow plants for many reasons: to please my eye or to please my soul, to challenge the elements or to challenge my patience, for novelty or for nostalgia, but mostly for the joy in seeing them grow. David Hobson (Harris, 2024).

Garden DIY Projects. You can make your own garden projects instead of buying them to save cost. Make sure you practice safety measures when using power tools.

I have made things to add to my garden area to help wildlife, grow vertically, and make gardening easier such as:

bird houses
bird feeders
pergola to grow hanging planter strawberries and hold a mason bee house
patio pergola for a hammock area to enjoy reading in nature,
potting bench
trellis’
window boxes.

Think up too when gardening for vertical spaces so less room is required. I even use my clothesline to hang planters on and bird feeders. My maple tree houses a base with flowers and upside-down pots and insect houses, clay saucers for water, and bird houses in the branches.

While some people deter squirrels from their garden, I love to see them scamper in the tree branches, so I put out nuts for them in an easy to reach feeder just for them.

I also have several water sources for wildlife – hummingbird feeder, water saucers filled with rocks and pebbles, so wildlife has a landing pad, bird bath with rock to land on.

Last year there was an owl in the area that hooted at night. I never saw the owl but the hoot was such a blessing to hear.

All species need to be loved and fed and protected. In this day of reckoning we need to leave no species behind. All are vital for the web of life on our natural planet.

Everything that slows us down and forces patience, everything
that sets us back into the slow circles of nature, is a help.
Gardening is an instrument of grace. May Sarton (Harris, 2024).

Conclusion. We need to get back to growing our own food to learn how to survive. The forces of nature are getting fiercer with climate change such as hurricanes and natural disasters.

There is nothing like having your hands in the soil to connect with nature and build mental, physical, and spiritual well being. A great environment to learn while gaining wellbeing from nature is in your own garden. It helps you survive; other species survive and provides wellbeing for all involved.

Sharing our garden practices and skills with others is a great way to build a community of wellbeing.

What plants and food are you growing in your garden?

Do you have skills you can share to help others grow food?

Is there a senior in your neighborhood you can invite into your garden?

Feel free to share this article with others to encourage others to add nature benefiting aspects to their garden.

Grow up, grow out, grow long beds, short beds, let roots grow down, nurture yourself with nature, be nature that we are, be you, be well!

Whatever you do – grow a survival garden :)

The love of gardening is a seed once sown that never dies.
Gertrude Jekyll (Harris, 2024)

Wildlife water source

Water source in garden

Wild tansy which the bees feast on

DIY rain barrel from a garbage can

Water source for wildlife with rocks, shells and pebbles to land on

String beans growing in a pot with support

Wild thyme growing in my garden

Starting tomato seeds inside for the garden

Hammock to read in nature and relax listening to the birds singing

I found this at home depot going to the trash and took it home to use as a garden trellis

Green pepper seeds to grow and a plum seed and peach seed to try my hand at regrowing

Flower for the bees to feast on for a source of pollen.

Plants to attract the bees and butterflies

Blueberries

Insect/frog house

Seeds I obtained from my local Library and stores to grow

Bird feeder

Patio pergola for some shade

Rhubarb

DIY planter

Additional Resources

10 Ways to Save Pollinators

Fixing food’s big climate problem

National Wildlife Federation - Certified Wildlife Habitat - Certify your Garden

Canadian Wildlife Federation - Garden Habitat Certification

Sustainable Garden Ideas – 28 ways to create an eco-friendly garden

Gardening History

My Garden Tour

Gardening Tips I found helpful

DIY Gardening Projects

For the bees and birds

United Nations SDG 15: Life on Land

(Credit: United Nations, n.d.)

References

chezlin. (2019, March 29). How to make a Bee House for your garden - DIY. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYn6Py9OeX8&t=144s

Crow, R. (2022, May 6). Sustainable garden ideas – 28 ways to create an eco-friendly garden.
homesandgardens.com. https://www.homesandgardens.com/gardens/create-an-eco-friendly-garden-220348

dk builds. (2019b, September 9). Easiest DIY birdhouse with minimal tools, every step explained. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fSBDCHREseE&t=303s

doTERRA. (2020, July 24). DoTERRA gardeners’ Journal: DōTERRA Essential Oils. doTERRA. https://www.doterra.com/NZ/en_NZ/brochures-magazines-doterra-living-spring-2015-doterra-gardeners-journal

Epic Gardening. (2016, October 18). How to build cheap, DIY raised garden beds in under 30 minutes. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIyi95Umebk

Ferry, N. (2014, May 2). Ⓕ making a bird feeder (EP1). YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FopieaH02wc

Foley, J. (2024, July 12). Fixing Food’s big climate problem. Project Drawdown. https://drawdown.org/news/insights/fixing-foods-big-climate-problem

Gardening Canada History. (n.d.). Gardening Canada history. The History of Gardening in Canada. https://canadian-gardening.ca/garden-content/the-history-of-gardening-in-canada.html

Garden Habitat Certification. Canadian Wildlife Federation. (n.d.). https://cwf-fcf.org/en/explore/gardening-for-wildlife/action/get-certified/

Harris, K. (2024, June 9). 37 inspirational gardening quotes. Treehugger. https://www.treehugger.com/inspirational-gardening-quotes-4868813

Kong, C., & Chen, J. (2024). School garden and instructional interventions foster children’s
interest in nature. People and Nature, 6(2), 712–732. https://doi.org/10.1002/pan3.10597

Mizejewski, D. (2022, April 4). 10 ways to save pollinators. The National Wildlife Federation Blog. https://blog.nwf.org/2021/06/10-ways-to-save-pollinators/

O’Brien, C., & Howard, P. (Eds). (2020). Living Schools: Transforming education. Education for
Sustainable Well-Being Press, University of Manitoba.

Polegatto, M. L. (2020). Deep dive into the ocean ecosystem with the Giants. Adobe Express. https://express.adobe.com/page/cpDgtpT3qInrL/

Polegatto, M. L. (2024c, July 14). Garden Tour. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ae4WB01WDZ8

Polegatto, M. L. (2024a). Genius hour project: The interconnectedness of acorns, ecosystems and humanity. MARIA LISA POLEGATTO. https://www.marialisapolegatto.com/sustainability/genius-hour-project-the-interconnectedness-of-acorns-ecosystems-and-humanity

Prigioni, J. (2024, March 9). Homemade potting mix, cheap and Easy DIY Gardening. The Gardening Channel With James Prigioni. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Q2x-UkaUNk

Prigioni, J. (2024, March 16). How to fill raised garden beds cheap and Easy. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvCJ_Wim7To&t=2s

Prigioni, J. (2017, March 28). How to: Raised bed garden (easy way) planter wall blocks!!. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-QKSMh1E_GI

Stearns History Museum. (2020, July 22). A brief history of the victory garden. YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEfGVzTEV04&t=108s

United Nations. (n.d.). Goal 15 | Department of Economic and Social Affairs. United Nations. https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal15

Xerces Society. (n.d.). Endangered pollinators. Xerces Society. https://xerces.org/endangered-species/pollinators

YouTube. (n.d.). The rehab life. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/@TheRehabLife

made with Word Art

#gardening #gardens #compost #sustainability #bees #wildlife #butterflies #survival #food #plants #learning #education #environment #nutrients #grow

]]><![CDATA[Homeschooling and Survival Gardens for Childhood to Adult Wellbeing]]>Fri, 28 Jun 2024 22:50:53 GMThttps://www.marialisapolegatto.com/sustainability/homeschooling-and-survival-gardens-for-childhood-to-adult-wellbeingMaria Lisa Polegatto June 2024

As a student in junior high and high school I would study by reading the materials over several times. Then I would ask my mom questions while she was in the kitchen cooking. She was always a great student to help me learn as we discussed the answers. I think I was practicing teaching while I was learning.

Much later when my son was playing hockey and travelling a lot, he took courses online and I helped him as his home teacher; however, we were both learning at the same time. While the biology course was done in a lab class when I went to school, his was done by microscope at home. Learning at home allowed for field trips into nature, eating when hungry instead of set times, bathroom trips without having to raise your hand to ask for permission and learning when it fit in the schedule we made.

Learning at home provides “greater diversity of perspectives” of the world rather than rigid traditional school curriculum, class times and course schedules (O’Brien & Howard, 2020). We co-learned, interconnected with community and nature while learning (O’Brien & Howard, 2020). Being able to exercise before schoolwork raised his levels of endorphins to focus and get through schoolwork faster so nature time was longer for more resilience. Planning his schedule built skills and mindset for future benefits such as confidence and critical thinking (O’Brien & Howard, 2020).

"Children's individual interest in nature refers to their self-driven, repeated, and spontaneous engagement with nature, which deepens their knowledge and appreciation of it"
(Kong & Chen, 2024).

While learning at home may sound isolating, having extracurricular and recreational activities provided social time with family, friends, and teammates. Being able to spend more time with the family dog teaching her to search and find, play soccer and hockey which provided a bond and compassion with nonhumans and a connection with nature. Not only is it necessary to learn the three R’s of academics but also becoming aware of our environment to interact with compassion (O’Brien & Howard, 2020).

Learning at home also has the benefit of going to nature to grow your own food. I have heard from professionals that children know little about where food comes from other than grocery stores. We have become so busy in our lives trying to keep up with life and expenses that we have forgotten how to survive without the conveniences of modern day.

"Nature connectedness comprises three elements:
a cognitive component (how one feels integrated with nature), an affective component (one's sense of care for nature), and
a behavioural component (one's commitment to protecting the natural environment)" (Kong & Chen, 2024).

Childhood disposition for nature is:

central for “biodiversity conservation and individual development” to cultivate “pro-environmental citizens” as adults
substantial psychological and cognitive development benefits
exposure to “sensory stimuli” to improve “mental and physical health” and “cognitive performance”
provide “stress-relieving effects”
high “subjective well-being”
fostering of “long-term intrinsic motivation” for essential satisfaction instead of external reward
a “sense of autonomy” central for positive development (Kong & Chen, 2024).

“Primary school age” is of significance to create an interest in nature which decreases from “childhood to adolescence” with the increase of “emotional and social needs” (Kong & Chen, 2024).

Before adolescence, development can integrate nature “into their identity” and advance it throughout their life (Kong & Chen, 2024).

Ages 7–9 have the best interposition due to the “concrete operational stage”, depicted by fast “cognitive and motor development”, for a desire to explore the environment (Kong & Chen, 2024).

The critical period to grow awareness of nature is ages of 6 and 12 (Kong & Chen, 2024).

"The destiny of our world depends upon the manner in
which we feed ourselves (O'Brien and Howard, 2020).

We need to get back to growing our own food like our grandparents did for lower food costs, better health and the resilience and wellbeing nature provides us. There is nothing like having your hands in dirt to connect with nature and build a mental, physically, and spiritual well being. A great environment to learn while homeschooling is in your own garden setting.

Additional Resources

CBC Vancouver. (2023, Sep 5). Getting an edible education: LunchLAB teaches students how to cook | CBC Creator Network [Video]. YouTube.

Little Green Thumbs. (n.d.). https://www.littlegreenthumbs.org/

Promise of Place. (n.d.). https://www.promiseofplace.org/

References

Kong, C., & Chen, J. (2024). School garden and instructional interventions foster children’s
interest in nature. People and Nature, 6(2), 712–732. https://doi.org/10.1002/pan3.10597

O’Brien, C., & Howard, P. (Eds). (2020). Living Schools: Transforming education. Education for
Sustainable Well-Being Press, University of Manitoba.

#education #learning #knowledge #gardening #garden #plants #growing #environment #homeschool

]]><![CDATA[Conceptualizing Living School]]>Mon, 17 Jun 2024 22:50:43 GMThttps://www.marialisapolegatto.com/sustainability/conceptualizing-living-schoolMaria Lisa Polegatto June 2024

“We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors;
we borrow it from our children” (O’Brien and Howard, 2020).

Living schools are part of a community, eco-system, school network and are governed, upholding stakeholders, and giving voice and agency to all involved; students, teachers, parents, caregivers, and community (O’Brien & Howard, 2020). Their “superpower” is the integration of sustainability with well being and happiness to support the premise of “well-being for all”.

Living schools can be enriched with habits such as "mindfulness, meditation and yoga” along with “Indigenous knowledge and other ways of knowing” with framework and structure that meets the needs of the school (O’Brien & Howard, 2020). There are many ways practices are revealed such as school gardens, nutrition programs, cardboard challenge, and Treaty education (O’Brien & Howard, 2020).

Sustainability in living schools is initiated by programs such as

“recycling
composting
school gardens”
education on environment
energy audits
pollinator gardens
garbage audit
bee boxes
insect hotels
sensory garden (O’Brien & Howard, 2020).

Active learning provides for outside activities developing “physical well-being, socialization, and citizenship” such as Genius Hour projects, to increase student motivation, learning, “concerns, interests, cultures, identities, and issues (O’Brien & Howard, 2020). Schools should teach how to have well being, positive social values for community, self confidence, compassion, and connection with nature as Earth “custodians” (O’Brien & Howard, 2020). The Earth is deeply connected in living schools in how we are part of nature; the “web of life”, and part of the “dynamic, life-giving systems” (O’Brien & Howard, 2020).

“if we want children to flourish we need to give them time to connect with nature and love the Earth before we ask them to save it”
(O’Brien and Howard, 2020).

Reconnection with nature can occur with loose parts found in nature such as rocks, sticks, driftwood to “de-standardize” education (O’Brien & Howard, 2020). Using “two-eyed seeing” (etuaptmumk) of Indigenous knowledge and the “Seven Sacred Gifts” (love, honesty, humility, respect, truth, patience, and wisdom) and telling stories are not new ways of being and learning (O’Brien & Howard, 2020). Feeding wild animals in the winter to help them survive is known as “apiknajit” and helps us connect with nature and species (O’Brien & Howard, 2020).

The more time you spend in nature observing, the more you see signs to guide you (O’Brien & Howard, 2020). We spent more time outside having fun enjoying nature then we did inside. We learned many things from nature, such as:

we could tell the time of day but the position of the sun
when the water was flowing upriver, it signals rain
when the loons call out, it will rain soon
the sunset predicts the next day weather
juniper trees always point north
thunder and lightning always changes the weather

“Go into the forest, you see the birch, maple, pine. Look underground and all those trees are holding hands. We, as people, must do the same” (O’Brien and Howard, 2020).

The attributes and practices of living schools are:

values & vision
leadership
teaching & learning,
nature & place-based orientation
heath and well-being (O’Brien & Howard, 2020).

Without all these pillars being present in living schools, there would be an unbalanced environment.

Without values and vision, there would be no morals. culture, mindset, awareness and focus to base the school on for integrity.
Without leadership, there would not be collaboration, voice and agency, professional development, inclusion and diversity, structure, organization and flow creating confusion and disarray.
Without teaching and learning, there would be no innovation, spirit, inquiry, risk taking, skills and knowledge to take forward into the future for students.
Without nature & place-based orientation, there would be no connection with nature, community and social relationships, creativity, citizenship, species connection in all ecosystems, and no resilience of persons.
Without health and well-being, there would be no school as sickness would prevail physically, mentally and spiritually, no happiness and well-being.

We need healthy environments and community to build upon the future of students and community. We need compassion and to care for ourselves, each other, nature and nonhumans to sustain global well-being for all.

credit: O'Brien & Howard, 2020

“If we help take care of the earth, the earth will help take care of us”
(O’Brien and Howard, 2020).

Additional Resources

Living Schools: Transforming Education
:
Global Living Schools

credit: O'Brien & Howard, 2020

References

O’Brien, C., & Howard, P. (Eds). (2020). Living Schools: Transforming education. Education for Sustainable Well-Being Press, University of Manitoba. ISBN: 978-0-9939534-2-2 https://www.livingschools.world/publications-and-resources
            Chapter 3: Living School Attributes and Practices
Chapter 4: The Living School, Lismore Project: Re-imagining School
            Chapter 5: Sigurbjorg Stefansson Early Learning School: Learning Naturally
            Chapter 6: Keeper of the Living Culture

#livingschool #learning #education #knowledge #sustainability #environment #ecosystems #school #teaching #twoeyedseeding #nature #outside

]]><![CDATA[Living Campus, Living Schools, Living Organizations]]>Sun, 09 Jun 2024 00:26:48 GMThttps://www.marialisapolegatto.com/sustainability/living-campus-living-schools-living-organizationsMaria Lisa Polegatto June 2024

What is a living campus and living school? It is a place where “deep learning” happens when the entire school/campus/organization works together for the “well-being for all”, for “meaningful contact”, fundamental global growth, cultivating compassion of the “transformative mode of thinking” for “relationships and conversations (O’Brien, 2016) and flourishing on the “co-learning journey (O’Brien and Howard, 2020). This concept not only includes humans but also nature and species and their interconnectedness (O’Brien, 2016) instead of the narrow silo approach of traditional education (TEDxIowaCity, 2018).

I was deeply moved and inspired to read about Dawson College having

Peace Garden as a memorial of student, Anastasia Rebecca De Sousa
composting of the flowers for the garden
collaboration of global inclusion
beehives on the roof that connect with classroom learning, and
sustainable projects to “change the world” (O’Brien, 2016).

Great tragedy has led to:

a wonderful living memorial
healing of communities
learning environment
collaboration for future innovative projects creatively developed
sustainable achievements
connection of nature and species (O’Brien, 2016)
environment “grounded in purposeful learning by doing (O’Brien and Howard, 2020)
promote global peace (O’Brien, 2016).

We could gain so much from a peaceful world to grow seeds of positive change.

The “1249 Club” not only interconnects learning about the ability of bees to produce honey, but also teaches about the interconnectedness of them in their environment and in doing this challenge, the interconnectedness of humans with nature over bees journey of 1249 kilometers and the resulting wellbeing from exercise and happiness in the prize of one teaspoon of honey upon completion (O’Brien, 2016).

Teaching a student about a teaspoon of honey has no comparison to the personal success of travelling 1249 kilometers to enjoy that same teaspoon of honey.

Likewise, the spider plant project at Cape Breton University (CBU) teaches about nature and its benefits, using senses and compassion, and personal attachment to nature (O’Brien, 2016). I did make a point of visiting the living wall at CBU a few years back and on the way met up with Stephen Augustine and talked about nature and the need to incorporate it into our wellbeing both outside and inside.

Sustainable Happiness is an integral part of Living Campus. Chris Adam

Sometimes people think radical changes are anything outside the norm of conventional classroom teaching. Not all our global problems are easily solved with the solutions of the past. We have created new problems for the world such as climate change and extinction of species at alarming rates. Growing food on a roof top is a newer concept but radical in terms of past traditional growing methods as is growing vertically as well have beehives in roof gardens.

If you consider the existing practice of growing food with pesticides and expecting well being for all, is shocking to me that a holistic, sustainable approach could now be viewed as radical.

How could we have ever believed that it was a good idea
to grow our food with poisons?” Dr. Jane Goodall.

Fundamental change needs to come from global citizens who want wellbeing as a cornerstone of global community. We need input from citizens, educational scholars, “law”, “policy”, and “science” in our “chaotic environment” to:

innovate and solve global issues
have hands on experience
wide view of issues and landscapes
networking, and
no boundaries to share, collaborate and flourish (TEDxIowaCity, 2018).

Changing the world takes place over long periods with small actions that add up. Keeping in mind the challenge ahead of us is changing habits that have been in place since the exploration of continents, sailing from port to port, desire for convenience among the need for economic security, the industrial age, invention of non-degradable products, global monopolies and more.

We have created a world where wealth outweighs the survival of all species on the planet and the destruction of the planet itself both externally and internally. This is no reason to give up doing sustainable work but rather to move forward with passion for the benefit of all.

We need to support a

"culture of hope” - I grow vegetables in my garden and watch them sprout and grow as hope for the future to share with my elderly neighbor who can not garden anymore.
form “new relationships” - I recently formed new relationships in doing a volunteer event for the Canadian Sea Turtle Network In Iona for World Oceans Day and connected with the event organizers and participants.
collaborate with others - I reached out to organizations while doing my acorn project and as a result have offered to collaborate on an upcoming tree event with ACAP.
use “interdisciplinary learning” for “systems thinking” - in doing the acorn project, i reached out to a Oak Summit Nursery and learned about growing acorns for trees. I now have new knowledge to pass along and collaborate with others and I'm growing trees in my backyard now.
model “sustainable, healthy living” - growing food in my garden brings me happiness and brings smiles to people's faces when I share my garden seeds and food with them.
bring the living world into “education and learning” - providing acorns to Two Rivers Wildlife Park with the support of how to grow them and how to harvest other forms of acorns provided educational support to learn to pass the knowledge on to the kids programs. They will plant the milkweed seeds I provided them this summer for a new species at their site.
“nature connectedness” fostering “positive emotions” - this is my favorite form of relaxation to see how nature and species interconnect with their environments and other ecosystems which fosters positive emotions in me and a desire to share the knowledge with others. I shared about the interconnectedness of acorns, ecosystems and humanity in my acorn research and also about species in my whale research project.
become “choice-makers and change-makers” - I love to choose nature to make a positive change in the world. As a hockey Mom and hockey team manager when my son was younger and now a member of Cape Breton Search and Rescue (CBSAR) and doing research projects, I am familiar with event planning, fundraising, media events, marketing, designing posters, signs, name tags and more. One of the reasons I joined CBSAR was hiking through the woods in day and at night with the team.
encourage new projects through “living campus models” (O’Brien, 2016) - I am always offering ideas at work to foster an avenue to bring nature inside in a solarium or plant a roof garden for bees benefit, do an acorn project to new homeowners to name a few. We have a lot of gulls in the spring so I encourage and educate people in the building to keep an awareness of the gulls and how to watch out for any signs of distress. This year we called Hope for Wildlife to connect for knowledge of the fledglings when one appeared injured. Turned out the gull was a baby Black Winged Gull that wasn't able to fly yet.

We need to make what was old new again by revisiting the ways of being that allowed nature to flourish before humans forgot they are stewards of the planet and not in charge of its destruction. We need to work with elders globally to learn and cultivate collaboration for a healthy planet, healthy society, and healthy future generations. We need leaders who possess characteristics and strong sense of self and ability to do what is right and just in the world instead of what is merely profitable (O’Brien and Howard, 2020).

While technology allows us to work and go to school online, we need to wear our jammies outside while doing so in nature to increase our wellbeing. We need to “reimagine education” (O’Brien and Howard, 2020) so we can “thrive” and flourish in the living world (TEDxIowaCity, 2018) (O’Brien, 2016), be “resilient”, “active” and have “strong caring relationships” (O’Brien, 2016). I enjoy working on my art, reading, gardening, doing projects and spending time with my dogs in my back yard under the trees to smell the flowers and yes, I go outside to enjoy nature in my jammies :)

We need the “pockets of excellence” (O’Brien and Howard, 2020) of living schools, living campuses, living organizations to live our lives in peace with the world.

Additional Resources

Bennett, M. (2024). Making Space for Radical Pedagogy. Radical Teacher,
128. https://radicalteacher.library.pitt.edu/ojs/radicalteacher/libraryFiles/downloadPublic/22

Dawson College. (n.d.). Peace centre. Peace Centre | Dawson College. https://www.dawsoncollege.qc.ca/peace-centre/

Jickling, R. & Sterling, S. (2017). Post-Sustainability and Environmental Education: Framing
Issues. Palgrave MacMillan. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/315352062_Post-Sustainability_and_Environmental_Education_Framing_Issues

References

O’Brien, C. (2016). Education for sustainable happiness and well-being. New York: Routledge. Chapter 12: Living Campus and Living Schools

O’Brien, C., & Howard, P. (Eds). (2020). Living Schools: Transforming education. Education for Sustainable Well-Being Press, University of Manitoba. DOI: 10.34991/G4YZ-5W36
Introduction: Living Schools and Well-Being for All
Chapter 2: Living Schools and 21st Century Education

TEDxIowaCity. (2018, September 20). Benefits of a Radical Learning Community | Sarah Gardial [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/VkBg-hZDOG4?si=lpcfJfQAvvTnxhxV

#education #sustainable #environment #peace #garden #learning #knowledge

]]><![CDATA[Pedagogies: Nature, Food Systems and Education]]>Sun, 02 Jun 2024 16:54:55 GMThttps://www.marialisapolegatto.com/sustainability/pedagogies-nature-food-systems-and-educationMaria Lisa Polegatto June, 2024

Belfry, Gabarus Lake South, NS

I resonate with Lyle (2023) in “Every seashell is a story: Re/humanizing education through lived and living Curriculum” and her use of poetic verse and time in nature to acquire and convey knowledge.
Without spending time in nature and learning its silent teachings, we can not recall what nature has to offer for our senses for better wellbeing and happiness, not to mention education. While I have sound machines to hear the rolling waves crashing on the shores when inside, it cannot replace within me the rest of the excitement of my senses to be in nature personally.

I cannot separate myself from the place that shaped me…
I cannot help but see with the eyes of the sea within me. Ellyn Lyle

Nature Education. Being in nature allows one to experience the primitive yet inherently vital knowledge of experiencing the intimate “oneness with/in our inner and outer landscapes” for exemplified ways of the being and knowing (Lyle, 2023). Each one of us is but a student of this earth holding “wisdom born in relation” to deeply feel and “cultivate critical creative possibilities” to live in peace with each other through “arts-informed living inquiry” (Lyle, 2023).

Using “photography and poetry” can nurture “a living space of visual and textual literacy” that can be used “co-curricular” and helps students relate themselves to education to add “a place of presence” (Lyle, 2023). We are what we know and knowing the world we live in can foster growth for openness (Lyle, 2023), wellbeing, and sustainability. The growth of “photopoetic inquiry develops “social conscience” and innovation which is “vital to our existence and ……pursuit of rehumanizing praxis” (Lyle, 2023).

Having grown up along the water’s edge with all its creatures as my companions, it is difficult for me to imagine a simpler or more profound example of embodied reflexivity. Ellyn Lyle

It is no wonder people love to look at gemstones formed by the natural world depicting “creation, destruction, and reformation” (Lyle, 2023). Snails live in the world of seashells that grow into a better fit for life as we humans do through living in our realties to fit into our lives as we change from season to season and ages (Lyle, 2023).

Being in nature is my reality that has shaped my love for it. Growing up on the Mira River was endless water and nature education and spending time for response of animals at the ocean renews my love for nature. This is my favorite way of learning. I am constantly learning more about nature as I spend more time seeing the intricacies of it and continually need more time to learn more.

Nature’s Lessons

Oh, how the sea beckons to me
As its rolling waves crash upon the shore
Sea salt sprinkles in the breeze
I search for treasures
Unlike those found in stores
Pockets full of rocks
Negative ions abound
Seagulls and pipers call out
As nature teaches me.

Maria Lisa Polegatto

Sustainable Food Systems (SFS). Another avenue for educational need is related to our food sources. “There is a direct connection between food, human health, and environmental health” (Everitt et al, 2022). SFS identify human health as dependent on “healthy ecosystems” having “low environmental impact” and guarding “biodiversity” while “ensuring nutritional adequacy and food security” (Everitt et al, 2022).

We need food to be “accessible, affordable, culturally acceptable, and economically fair” and be generated considering existing and future generations (Everitt et al, 2022) which we suffer to achieve currently. Such strategies improve food systems, health, environment, and help mitigate climate change while also supporting local economy (Everitt et al, 2022).

Connection with the earth is vital for youth to gain knowledge to grow food, learn where it comes from and how it is produced. Schools can assist students by visiting local growers, growing food at school for physical education, composting (Everitt et al, 2022) and having a community seed library, such as our local Cape Breton Regional Library does, or a community seed exchange.

I have been gardening more this year than usual. I have been getting more involved in seeds and have collected various acorns to shake the seeds from them for future trees and am growing carrot tops to sprout, not carrots, but carrot seeds for more growth. We need to teach people of all ages how to live with the land instead of conquering it. I want to spend more time growing my garden knowledge.

Lead me to class inside
Where I count the minutes
The clock stands still too long
Lead me to class outside
My hands immersed in dirt
I will stay there all day

Maria Lisa Polegatto

Educating about growing our own food would improve human connection to nature instead of acts such as cutting down fruit trees that attract wildlife into town. There are always other options than killing wildlife for their necessity to eat, such as creating orchids in forests for wildlife to feast in peace without human interference. Since doing the acorn project this year (Polegatto, 2024), I have been finding new ways to incorporate education about growing our own food and sharing seeds to inspire others to learn. Tonight, I found a tiny maple tree in my back yard that I have now planted to nurture it. It is like growing your own child watching seeds sprout and grow through their stages.

Pedagogy. So how do we provide “knowledge and skills” to all generations for people of all ages to take charge for a positive sustainable future to encourage and develop current and future generations, increase awareness in community to live within ecosystem capacity, and value all life on earth now and for the future (Hussaina et al, 2024)? We must find strategies to educate, inspire and motivate learning.

Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) combine “behaviour modification, “knowledge sustainability and educational pedagogy” for learning success and transformation (Hussaina et al, 2024). The ESD is advanced by pedagogy which is defined as

“the learning processes and learning environment that are typically supported by teachers in the classroom setting” to convey “knowledge, value and skills” through teaching methods to inspire students for “lifelong learning”, recognizing “diversity, teamwork and cooperation, personal introspection and ideals, responsibility and faith in others, and integrated understanding (Hussaina et al, 2024).

With global uncertainty such as climate change, we need skills to help us comprehend the complexities of our environments, work well together, communicate, be positive and unified (Hussaina et al, 2024). The United Nations has identified 8 “essential ESD competences” that are classed into 3 domains, as follows:

Cognitive Domain
(knowledge and reasoning ability)

Systematic Thinking
Anticipative
Normative Critical
Thinking of positive solutions

Socio-Emotional Domain (social abilities)

Collaboration
Self-Awareness

Behavioural Domain
(action competence)

Strategic
Integrated

(Hussaina et al, 2024)

In order to achieve the ESD goals, pedagogical methods are required to develop competencies, such as:

Pedagogical Approaches to ESD – literature based;
Lifelong Learning – formal, casual and informal learning – I resonate with this strategy in that we are learning as we live and go through life phases and engage with new experiences;
Collaboration and Social Learning – social learning – I resonate with this strategy because we learn from others and we as humans need human interaction;
Problem Based Learning (PBL) – real life situations – I resonate with this strategy in using experiences to understand what can be learned in different situations;
Experiential and Active Learning – personal accountability.
Critical Pedagogy – “knowledge transformation”;
Dialogue Education – adult learning - I resonate with this as life has provided many opportunities to relate to.
Transformative or Transformational Learning – life experiences;
Design Thinking Methods and Learner-Centered Instruction – “knowledge development”;
Empowerment – taking action for growth – I want to take more action to educate about nature and the benefits of animals;
Apprenticeships and Internships – “real-world organisational” learning;
Research Based Learning – “primary or secondary research” – I enjoy researching and sharing for the wellbeing of all – humans and nature;
Writing Intensive Learning – “thorough essay” – writing is one of my passions (Hussaina et al, 2024).

New Pedagogies for Deep Learning (NPDL). New pedagogies can be defined

“as a new model of learning partnerships between and among students and teachers, aiming towards deep learning goals and enabled by pervasive digital access” (O’Brien, 2016).

NPDL are 6 competencies described to as “the 6 Cs” which are:

Character – qualities such as: “grit, tenacity, perseverance, resilience, reliability, and honesty”;
Citizenship – global citizens;
Collaboration – working “interdependently and synergistically” with others;
Communication - 3 “fluencies: digital, writing, and speaking”;
Creativity – “entrepreneurial eye”;
Critical Thinking – critical evaluation (O’Brien, 2016).

In addition to the 6 Cs, “E Squared”, which “refers to ethical entrepreneurship”. is also critical to NPDL (O’Brien).

We need to know who we are and continually grow into that person to find our way in the world. There are strategies we can rely on and use to help us succeed. The more knowledge we accept into our lives, the more we can engage effectively to collaborate and be creativity as global citizens with character (O’Brien, 2016).

What are your favorite strategies to use to inspire, motivate and educate others to be sustainable and encourage the flourishing of nature? What are your passions to inspire and motive you to get outside and enjoy the flourishing of nature? Instead of being afraid to not be in line with others, we need to be naturally and authentically ourselves and get outside to allow ourselves to experience firsthand the knowledge nature provides every second of every minute of every day we spend in it.

Belfry, Gabarus Lake South, NS

Additional Resources

UNESCO Campus: Decoding the world to reimagine tomorrow

Unesco: Education for Sustainable Development

Kukulska-Hulme, A., Bossu, C., Charitonos, K., Coughlan, T., Ferguson, R., FitzGerald, E., Gaved, M., Guitert, M., Herodotou, C., Maina, M., Prieto-Blázquez, J., Rienties, B., Sangrà, A., Sargent, J., Scanlon, E., Whitelock, D. (2022). Innovating Pedagogy 2022: Open University Innovation Report 10. Milton Keynes: The Open University.

Lyle, E., & Snowber, C. (2021). Walking as Attunement: Being With/In Nature as Currere. Journal of the Canadian Association for Curriculum Studies, 18(2), 6–20.

Wehmeyer, M., Cheon, S., Lee, Y., & Silver, M. (2021). Self-Determination in Positive Education. In M. L. Kern & M. L. Wehmeyer (Eds.), The Palgrave handbook of positive education, 225-250. Palgrave Macmillan/Springer Nature.

References

Everitt, T., Engler-Stringer, R., & Martin, W. (2022). Operationalizing Sustainable Food Systems through Food Programs in Elementary Schools. Canadian Food Studies La Revue Canadienne Des études Sur l’alimentation, 9(3), 124–146. https://doi.org/10.15353/cfs-rcea.v9i3.482

Hussaina, K., Amanb, N., Noorc, N., Shahd, Z. W. (2024). Education for Sustainable Development (ESD): Pedagogical Approaches that Make a Difference. International Journal of Social Science Archives, Jan-March, 2024, 7(1), 106-112. http://www.ijssa.com/index.php/ijssa/article/view/211/137

Lyle, E. (2023). Every seashell is a story: Re/humanizing education through lived and living Curriculum. In Qualitative Inquiry, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/10778004231176093

O’Brien, C. (2016). Education for sustainable happiness and well-being. New York: Routledge. Chapter 11: New Pedagogies

Polegatto, M. L. (2024). Genius hour project: The interconnectedness of acorns, ecosystems and humanity. MARIA LISA POLEGATTO. https://www.marialisapolegatto.com/sustainability/genius-hour-project-the-interconnectedness-of-acorns-ecosystems-and-humanity

#learning #education #knowledge #sustainable #sustainability #unesco #environment #nature #academictwitter #pedogogy #skills

]]><![CDATA[Positive Sustainability]]>Sat, 25 May 2024 23:51:05 GMThttps://www.marialisapolegatto.com/sustainability/positive-sustainabilityMaria Lisa Polegatto June 2024

How do we practice positive sustainability for our individual wellbeing while at the same time focusing on human and environmental systems of sustainability? Spending time nature is a benefit for wellbeing, connecting and being sustainable.

I have always found nature increasing my wellbeing to rejuvenate me and help me connect with the environment. Being in nature gives us wellbeing (forest bathing, hiking, walking, negative ions of the ocean) and it teaches us about the interconnectedness of ecosystems and as we marvel about the awe and wonder of nature, we begin to desire to protect it which leads to the practice of sustainability. Once we understand more about our natural environment, we are in a better position to educate about it and the benefits of it.

Definitions. First, let me define some terms before we go deeper into this post:

Environmental literacy is defined, according to the “North American Association for Environmental Education (2004)”, as “an awareness of and concern about the environment and its associated problems, as well as the knowledge, skills, and motivations to work toward solutions of current problems and the prevention of new ones.” (Ronen & Kerret, 2020).
Wellbeing literacy is defined as “the vocabulary, knowledge and skills that we need to discuss how to improve our wellbeing and the wellbeing of others” (Ronen & Kerret, 2020).
Positive sustainability is defined as the combination of “both positive and environmental education” viewpoints for an integrated approach adopting “sustainable wellbeing” which focuses on nature and individuals to create “sustainable wellbeing literacy” (Ronen & Kerret, 2020).

Introduction. Sustainable wellbeing is the result of improved individual and societal wellbeing with that of the natural environment which are “interrelated and interactive” (Ronen & Kerret, 2020). While we think our wellbeing is personal, it connects to “social structures and communities” and encounters numerous “social tasks and challenges” as we deal with life and work stresses to be efficient and productive in our communities which are part of our natural environment (Ronen & Kerret, 2020). While we travel through this world, our actions, no matter how small, have an impact on the world around us. A great place to start is to ask the question” “What do we want for our planet and its inhabitants?” (Ronen & Kerret, 2020).

“Only in action does knowledge become wisdom.” Dalai Lama

Since school students are the next generation of wellbeing, the future of the planet, and they can “learn and accept new concepts and habits”, education can play a major role in these goals and the achievement of them through the experience, implementation, and practice of skills to develop “caring environmental citizens” (Ronen & Kerret, 2020).

The promotion of “environmental literacy” is the “main goal of environmental education” in the “United Nations commitments” (Ronen & Kerret, 2020). Quality Education is one of the “United Nations Sustainable Development Goals” (“UN SDGs”) and includes the objective to "ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including, among others, through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to sustainable development" Gouvernement du Canada, 2024).

SDG Goal 4: Quality Education
4.7 By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including, among others, through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to sustainable development.

Adopting the UN SDGs in educational frameworks can help achieve an educated society while also providing for a better way of life and wellbeing for all our citizens (Engage Nova Scotia, n.d.).

17 Goals to Transform Our World
The Sustainable Development Goals are a call for action by all countries – poor, rich and middle-income – to promote prosperity while protecting the planet. They recognize that ending poverty must go hand-in-hand with strategies that build economic growth and address a range of social needs including education, health, social protection, and job opportunities, while tackling climate change and environmental protection.

Human wellbeing and environmental quality are a fundamental model of environmental literacy with vital elements being knowledge, “affect (an emotional component), cognitive skills (that include planning), environmentally responsible behavior, and self-control or internal locus of control” and yet, much is still to be learned (Ronen & Kerret, 2020).

Positive Sustainability. A ten-rule framework can be used to change our behaviour related to self care and how we care for the planet to guide us to change our “thoughts, emotions, and behavior while striving for sustainable wellbeing” (Ronen & Kerret, 2020). These ten rules anticipate helping “whole-school programs” including not just “cognitive-behavioral principles” but also mechanisms of educational innovation adopted for giving students who are “active participants” the ability to learning from experience, and the application of the rules, which are:

Focus on Behavior: “think behaviour”,
Focus on Solutions: focus on goals instead of the problem,
Be Flexible: be open to multiple ways of solutions,
Think and Direct Behavior to the Future: focus on “forward-thinking” instead of past events,
Act in Small Steps: break up action into smaller actions such as WOOP (Wish, Outcome, Obstacle, Plan),
Think and Feel Positive: think about the benefits to stay positive,
Identify and Use Strengths: find your top, middle and lesser strengths here on this free survey: https://www.viacharacter.org/,
Together and Integrative: work together like a “hive” for motivation and effectiveness,
Find Resources: find resources from stakeholders or community members,
Look at Policy and Policymakers: become involved in real world activities

(Ronen & Kerret, 2020).

Acting in small steps is my favorite way to motivate people to act regarding their wellbeing and sustainability. The simple act spending time in nature (wish) can be coupled with picking up at least one piece of trash (obstacle), has a compounding effect on the natural world that could prevent an injury or death and prevents that piece of trash ending up in our food source (outcome) which turns into a repeat action when in nature (plan). I also love the use of the strengths survey above to build confidence and focus on a person’s inner wellbeing and uniqueness while the world is focusing on being similar. We need people’s uniqueness to come forward and make a positive difference in the world.

We need leaders of all ages who can turn “educational frameworks” into avenues for current day “skills and competencies” teaching “critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creative problem solving” to our youth, keep them engaged and motivated to take positive action instead of apathy for sustainability (Ronen & Kerret, 2020). We also need those educational frameworks to intertwine with nature to enhance the human-nature connection and provide “prompt fundamental reconsideration of wellbeing and sustainability” (Mahony, 2022).

By “synthesizing wellbeing with sustainability”, the concept of “sustainable wellbeing” can evolve through the combination of the individual, environment, and human systems rousing “stewardship’ action through four lenses:

“framing of growth and change” (flourishing wellbeing and natural world);
“social justice” (poverty and equity);
“ethics of freedom” (how it is balanced); and
“value of nature” (instrumental and intrinsic” (Mahony, 2022).

We are guardians of this earth, and our walk is not solo. It is interconnected with many species that we are a part of in all ecosystems. We need to sustain the earth instead of devastating it. We need to find more sustainable ways to put back into the earth what we take from it, such as nutrients. Farmers know how to make peace with the earth and nourish it. Nature and animals in all ecosystems know how to freely sustain the earth (Polegatto, 2020). All humans need to learn how to innovate, be creative and take positive actions to be sustainable.

Quality education is key so our youth can turn global issues into global peaceful solutions and include their knowledge for the benefit of their elders and future generations in sustaining the only home we know (Polegatto, 2024).

Did you take the survey above and identify your strengths?

Additional Resources

A Whole-School Approach to Teaching the UN Sustainable Development Goals

Connecting the Dots

SDG Book Club – SDG17: Partnerships for the Goals

The WOOP Method – A Scientifically Proven Method to Achieve Your Goals

Toward a National Framework for Environmental Learning: Discussion Paper (share your thoughts in the survey below)

Toward a National Framework on Environmental Learning - Discussion Paper Survey

References

Engage Nova Scotia. (n.d.). Eight Domains of Well-Being
Framework. https://engagenovascotia.ca/eight-domains-of-wellbeing

Gouvernement du Canada. (2024, May 14). Government of Canada. Toward a
National Framework for Environmental Learning - Canada.ca.
https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate change/corporate/transparency/consultations/national-framework-environmental-learning/discussion-paper.html

Mahony, T. (2022). Toward Sustainable Wellbeing: Advances in Contemporary Concepts. Frontiers in Sustainability. Volume 3 – 2022, Section: Sustainable Consumption https://doi.org/10.3389/frsus.2022.807984

Polegatto, M. L. (2020). Deep dive into the ocean ecosystem with the Giants. Adobe Express. https://express.adobe.com/page/cpDgtpT3qInrL/

Polegatto, M. L. (2024). Genius hour project: The interconnectedness of acorns, ecosystems and humanity. MARIA LISA POLEGATTO. https://www.marialisapolegatto.com/sustainability/genius-hour-project-the-interconnectedness-of-acorns-ecosystems-and-humanity

Ronen T, & Kerret D. (2020). Promoting Sustainable Wellbeing: Integrating Positive Psychology
and Environmental Sustainability in Education. International Journal of Environmental
Research and Public Health. 17(19):6968. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17196968

United Nations. (n.d.). Home - United Nations Sustainable Development. United Nations. https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/

#sustainability #education #knowledge #learning #positive #unitednations #SDG #environment #ecosystems #strengths #wellbeing

]]><![CDATA[Nature, Interconnection & Other Ways of Knowing]]>Sat, 18 May 2024 22:39:40 GMThttps://www.marialisapolegatto.com/sustainability/nature-interconnection-other-ways-of-knowingMaria Lisa Polegatto May 2024

Nature is my happy place. From the moment I step outside into the fresh air, hear wildlife buzzing and chirping, see the clouds or clear blue sky, hear the water flowing in a brook or crashing on the ocean shore, in all seasons, it opens my view to the world of nature, and I feel more alive inside being outside.

I grew up akin to a “free-range kid” (O’Brien, 2016). My grandparents had a 200-acre property they worked as their family grew. They worked their land by farming with gardens and farm animals. They cut timber for the coal mines and my grandfather hand seeded the hay fields each year. As their children married, they then built and raised their family. I had lots of cousins in our snug community. We called it our own little Italy. We would go outside in the morning, come in for dinner and supper but otherwise, we would spend most days in nature. There was never any shortage of having a friend to play with. Nature was our playground with its free tools and activities fishing, smelting at night in the brooks and climbing trees.

We were in, on, under and near the water of the Mira River. We had bonfires in the evenings with marshmallows and wieners. We would swim, go for walks, sit for hours in the fields and forage blueberries for mom to bake cakes, muffins, and pies with nature’s bounty. We would also go for drives to the ocean for the day. We spent time in the back woods on the biking trails and in the winter, we would snowmobile for miles.

Nature taught me how to use all my senses and see the interconnectedness of everything learning many ways of being. When my son was growing up, we did much the same thing. With his golden retriever he would spend days outside playing, teaching his dog tracking, ice skating and having fun outside. We did not have “nature-deficit disorder” as we took full advantage of the benefits of nature in all seasons (O’Brien, 2016). Attachment “to the natural world” develops “in childhood through moments of attunement” and influences “decision-making” as adults (Jardine & Lange, 2024).

Unfortunately, not all children now have a desire or ability to spend time in nature. I think they do not even know what they are missing. The current lack of knowledge of species is a direct effect of nature deficit disorder along with a lack of knowledge of nature’s interconnectedness (O’Brien, 2016). Due to the increasing need for parental protection of children outside, there is less play in nature for children leading to a loss of “wonder, discovery, adventure, connection, and happiness” nature provides (O’Brien, 2016). This can lead to instead excessive technology screen time in the blue light losing track of time instead of learning survival skills in nature and how the earth’s ecosystems work and connect (O’Brien, 2016). Killing of species is evident today when humans disrupt the natural ecosystem and then try to fix their wrongs with animal culls such as bears, moose, owls. I advocate for animals that keep the earth alive simply by being on this planet and contributing in ways we as humans can not (Roman, 2023).

We need an “abundance of human creativity, culture, and productivity” to leave a delightful past for future generations to enjoy (O’Brien, 2016). To delight in our environment is to be outside enjoying the ambience of natural elements (O’Brien, 2016). We need to interact with nature to appreciate it which leads to our protection of nature – our home, and increase our understanding of how nature teaches us about life. While the busy life of the concrete jungles is necessary for the economy, the relaxing life of nature is necessary for us for our resilience, creativity, and ability to think clearly to innovate.

“Delightful places are best incorporated into routine experiences and not once in a while
places to enjoy. Relaxation in a city needs to be almost like routine treatments—once
a year is helpful but not lasting. A little pleasantness almost every day starts to have
a cumulative and positive effect” (O’Brien, 2016).

Delighting in nature does not mean you need to go far. You can plant a garden in your yard or on your balcony, go to a community garden, help a neighbor with their garden, start a community garden, create edible landscapes, go to your local farmer’s market, enjoy cultural activities, walking/hiking/biking, clean up projects (O’Brien, 2016). Imagination and creativity are the only requirement to develop your natural paradise (O’Brien, 2016). I feel the urge to get my hands in the dirt to plant each spring. It is a call from nature to spend days outside again like we did as children for sustainable happiness (O’Brien, 2016).

Nature’s Way of Being

The birch bark clings to the tree trunk
Unsure if it wants to let go to touch the ground
Dash, dash, dash the deer dances in the leaves
As he moves through the trees with fawn in tow
Nature’s morse code is heard by those who listen
The birds chirp each sequence in song
Silky are the velvet milkweed leaves
As the monarch flutters about its clusters
Smooth as butter is the buttercup
The glow of its reflection on my skin
Soothing is a day in nature as I climb into bed
I fall fast asleep, thankful for the delights of nature.

Maria Lisa Polegatto

We are a part of nature and nature is an integral part of us (O’Brien, 2016). The activities we enjoy in nature can be passed down to future generations for a sense of belonging developing our ways of being through exploring, interacting, connecting with landscapes (University of Saskatchewan, 2019). We are connected to the land, the spirits of our ancestors who walked this land before us, and our Creator in nature (University of Saskatchewan, 2019). Our intuition is heightened as we contemplate the changing world around us (University of Saskatchewan, 2019). We need only be still and use our senses, be present in each moment (University of Saskatchewan, 2019)., forgetting about the busy world’s desire to pull us back into it.

Meditation can be done in many ways from sitting, walking, standing. Even falling asleep while meditating is your bodies way of taking time for itself. You will find your creativity expanding in nature as the freedom of thoughts brings forth delightful thoughts. You will see the interconnectedness of all ecosystems blending through many lenses (University of Saskatchewan, 2019). Nature allows you to be yourself. No judging, no marginalizing.

Find your path, step forward and tell stories (TEDx NSCC Waterfront, 2016). Stories, poems, and art can build emotion, strength, empathy, compassion, and knowledge (TEDx NSCC Waterfront, 2016). Telling stories allows future generations to appreciate struggles and successes as they find their ways of being in the world through the foundation of their ancestors and are necessary and beneficial across transcultural collaboration (TEDx NSCC Waterfront, 2016). We need to appreciate “etuaptmumk” (two eyed seeing) to perceive the different views of peoples of different cultures (TEDx NSCC Waterfront, 2016) who can teach us cultural and sustainable ways of being and we in turn are also responsible for reciprocity of knowledge. By working together, we can be creative and innovate for sustainable ways of being and learn for the benefit of the earth and us with it.

“First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples have not benefitted” from formal knowledge systems in Canada with the overshadowing of “assimilative and punitive practices” aiming to extinguish languages, cultures, and holistic relationships integral to knowledge traditions (Deer & Falkenberg, 2017). I am part French Acadian. It is time “Indigenous content and epistemologies” are included instead of trying “to invisibilise Indigenous peoples from the history and current-day colonisation” (Riley et al, 2024).

I recall my mother helping my son with his French homework and her comparing her Acadian French with the French my son was learning in school. She thought her French was not good French as it was frowned upon when she was a teenager.

Despite the Expulsion of French Acadians between 1755 and 1763, my ancestors survived despite being removed from fertile land, having their homes burned, sent to sea on ships of which same sank, and their horses, spoils of war, which are kept for conservation on Sable Island, Nova Scotia. Many of the French Acadians were assisted by the Indigenous peoples during the Expulsion. My heritage fits in with my well being. Knowing the strength of my ancestors helps me move forward with a sense of self and identity (Deer & Falkenberg, 2017) giving me the strength to endure and ensure the survival of family.

“We have to recapture our peoples’ language, history and understanding of the world, take and live those teachings which will support us in this attempt to overcome oppression and reach mino-pimatisiwin – the good life. On a spiritual level, we must learn and understand the values and beliefs of our people and freely decide those which we will internalize. We must validate these values and beliefs through our spiritual expression and daily practices” (Deer & Falkenberg, 2017).

Mino-pimatisiwin (Cree) is the recognition and procurement of “healing, balance, and life-long learning” (Deer & Falkenberg, 2017). Principles of a “good life” include:

wholeness
balance
relationships
nurturing
harmony
growth
healing, and
mino-pimatisiwin

with core values of:

respect
sharing and
spirituality practices (Deer & Falkenberg, 2017).

Nature for me is “mino-bimaadiziwin (living a good life)” as it offers all of the principles in collaboration for the benefit of others and self (Deer & Falkenberg, 2017). Nature allows us to be “innately curious” on our path of learning (Deer & Falkenberg, 2017) so we can tell stories so others can learn too.

What is your story? How do you plan to tell your story to others to learn? A story, poem, art, video? It is your story to tell.

p.s. Did you listen to the morse code message in the poem above?

Additional Resources

Children and Nature Network. https://www.childrenandnature.org/

Neufeld, G. (2024, February 28). Why I capitalize Nature. Neufeld Institute Editorials. https://neufeldinstitute.org/why-i-capitalize-nature/

References

Deer, F. & Falkenberg, T. (Eds.). (2017). Indigenous Perspectives on Education for Well-Being in Canada. Education for Sustainable Well-Being Press, University of Manitoba. https://mspace.lib.umanitoba.ca/items/5e79d783-698a-46e4-a9cb-aa1806586269

Jardine, E. A., & Lange, E.A. (2024). Childhood Attunements to Nature Impact Adult Behavioural Patterns: The Importance of “Other-than-Human” Attachments. European Journal of Ecopsychology, (9) 38-73. https://ecopsychology-journal.eu/v9/EJE_v9_Jardine_and_Lange.pdf

O’Brien, C. (2016). Education for sustainable happiness and well-being. New York: Routledge. Chapter 8: Nature, Outdoor Learning, and Well-Being

Riley, T., Meston, T., Cutler, C., Low-Choy, S., McCormack, B., Kim, E., Nakar, S., Vasco, D. (2024). Weaving stories of strength: Ethically integrating Indigenous content in Teacher education and professional development programmes. Teaching and Teacher Education, Volume 142, 2024, 104513, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0742051X24000453

Roman, J. (2023, November 7). Eat, poop, die: How animals make our world . Eat, Poop, Die:
How Animals Make Our World eBook : Roman, Joe: Amazon.ca: Kindle Store. https://www.amazon.ca/Eat-Poop-Die-Animals-World-ebook/dp/B0BXL13CGF/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

TEDx NSCC Waterfront. (2016, June 13). Etuaptmumk: Two-Eyed Seeing | Rebecca Thomas [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bA9EwcFbVfg

University of Saskatchewan. (2019, December 2). Multiple Ways of Knowing in Environmental Decision Making | MJ Barrett [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_I2fGPMepsk

#nature #sustainability #earth #environment #learning #knowledge #education

]]><![CDATA[Sustainable Happiness and Education]]>Sun, 12 May 2024 22:08:32 GMThttps://www.marialisapolegatto.com/sustainability/sustainable-happiness-and-educationMaria Lisa Polegatto May 2024

The fundamental goal of positive education is to promote
flourishing or positive mental health within the school community (Moore, 2024).

In the 1990’s Martin Seligman changed the process of psychology to focus on mental wellness for better coping skills and happiness instead of mental illness (Hurst 2020). Positive psychology is “the study of human flourishing” to live your best life for strength and resilience (Hurst, 2020). Positive psychology and formal education have been collaborating and building a positive education framework based on “character strengths and virtues” for “positive schools” (O’Brien, 2016).

Positive education is “a growing movement in schools” globally (Hurst 2020). The basis of positive education in the classroom is to benefit everyone – known as PERMA (positive emotion, engagement, relationship, meaning, accomplishment) including elements of “gratitude, friendship, love of learning and generosity” (Hurst 2020). PERMA allows children to think positive and incorporate positive ways of being into their life skills (Hurst 2020).

Positive psychology, while being an “innovative and expansive field” (Waters, 2021), is not without its critics as it is a “relatively new field” in the sphere of psychological discipline which is already plagued with criticism with no “quick and dirty” solution to mental wellness (van Zyl et al, 2024). As with all newly introduced fields, more research is suggested to stimulate and offer “opportunities for the discipline to grow and develop” (van Zyl et al, 2024).

Building upon the constructs of positive education can enforce stability and improve the education of teachers and students for happiness and wellbeing for all (van Zyl et al, 2024). Programs could be tailored to include current global dialogue (van Zyl et al, 2024), such as climate change, allowing students to have their voices heard to find solutions to the future they will live in. Instead of focusing on the gloom and doom of climate change, focus instead on innovation and creativity for solutions.

Every small action makes a difference and every age, gender and living being on this planet has a positive difference they can make on this planet.

Instead of “after-school programs” (van Zyl et al, 2024) that longer distance students can not always attend, these programs could be brought into the during-school hours curriculum. We have many great minds among us of every age given the ability to be creative in a team of students and teachers.

While structure is an advantage to keeping tasks in order, having the ability to freely think, innovate and be creative is like meditation. Being told what to think, read, do, learn can turn students, some more than others, against school. Imagine having those students look forward to a class where after they endure the rigor, they are then free to let their creativity build a better future for everyone and a better mindset for them in the process. Imagine a class of students and teachers discussing issues that some may not have even been privy to prior. Imagine the impact of learning alongside an Albert Einstein who is allowed to think outside the box and create.

Education for sustainability is more than just a new curriculum. It is about
how the content and process of education can be interwoven with
real-life contexts to create opportunities for young people to take the lead
in building sustainable communities and societies. Peter Seng (O’Brien, 2016).

Akin to "gratitude letters" (Rahm & Heise, 2019) (O’Brien, 2016) and “systems thinking” (O’Brien, 2016), a class could write letters, poetry or do artistic representations to the United Nations addressing their concerns for the future of the planet with their solutions as a class project. Elected officials are a representative of the people and the people have a voice they can use that can give them confidence, build self esteem, a sense of purpose, exploration, and writing can relieve anxiety regarding issues. Kids write to Santa Claus and receive presents. Why not write to someone whose job it is to help make positive changes in the world.

Giving students the chance to write and work as a class at all ages can open their mindset to flourish in teamwork, confidence, respect, determination, happiness, and wellbeing (Waters, 2021). Instead of stifling creative minds, they would have the ability to let their minds flow with excitement for school (Waters, 2021).

While I was very shy as a youth, I still had determination and a strong sense of moral compass. I liked geology class because it was about the “genuine wealth” we find in nature (O’Brien, 2016) and we even took a field trip to dig for rocks. I liked history class as the teacher would act out the scenes we were learning about. I liked English class because we would have open discussions. I have used the “three good things” approach (Rahm & Heise, 2019) to promote positive thoughts among people who were having a bad day, including myself, and also started the day off with it to promote a positive attitude for a good day.

Teachers have much more to offer students than rigid curriculum. Teachers are role models to students learning how to act, react, learn, interpret, and communicate but have rigid timelines that can affect their wellbeing too (Rahm & Heise, 2019). Skills such as “teacher pedagogy is a contextual factor worth exploring in positive education” (Waters, 2021). When teachers are given avenues to foster wellbeing, students can learn better, engage more, be more confident and be more cooperative (Waters, 2021).

We need school to also teach us how to be able to solve more than math problems. And while the three R’s of education are important, we need to add more letters of the alphabet to include innovation, sustainability and creativity for solutions to global issues (R.R.R.I.S.C.).

In a world where there is so much stress and increasing anxiety in youth (O’Brien, 2013), there should be avenues for constructive pursuits of happiness and wellbeing inside of school. School is meant to teach us how to adapt to the world and life (Rahm & Heise, 2019), learn about history to not repeat the devastation, learn to communicate effectively, and grow into capable beings able to nurture ourselves, others, and the natural world. We need youth to have a mindset where they are not afraid to put forth their suggestions for a better world. With the current global negative trends, do we really have any other choice but to make a positive difference in the world?

Additional Resources

The Palgrave Handbook of Positive Education

What is Positive Education, and How Can We Apply it?

One Million Acts of Green

Earth Day Footprint Calculator

A Billion Acts of Green

Collaborative Consumption

Slow Food

The Economics of Happiness

Water Footprint Assessment Tool

References

Hurst, J. (2020, Apr 27) What is positive education? | peeble. [Video]. YouTube.

Moore, C. (2024, March 13). What is positive education, and how can we
apply it? (+PDF). PositivePsychology.com.
https://positivepsychology.com/what-is-positive-education/

O’Brien, C. (2013). Who is teaching us about sustainable happiness and well-being?
Health, Culture and Society, 5(1), 292-307.
https://hcs.pitt.edu/ojs/index.php/hcs/article/view/122

O’Brien, C. (2016). Education for Sustainable Happiness and Well-Being (1st ed.). Routledge.
https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315630946

Rahm, T., & Heise, E. (2019). Teaching Happiness to Teachers – Development and Evaluation
of Training in Subjective Well-Being. Frontiers in Psychology, 10: 2703.
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02703/full

van Zyl, L. E., Gaffaney, J., van der Vaart, L., Dik, B. J., & Donaldson, S. I. (2024). The
critiques and criticisms of positive psychology: a systematic review. The Journal
of Positive Psychology, 19(2), 206–235.
https://doi-org.cbu.idm.oclc.org/10.1080/17439760.2023.2178956

Waters, L. (2021). Positive Education Pedagogy: Shifting teacher mindsets, practice, and
language to make wellbeing visible in classrooms. In M. L. Kern & M. L. Wehmeyer
(Eds.), The Palgrave handbook of positive education, 137–164. Palgrave
Macmillan/Springer Nature. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-64537-3_6

#education #knowledge #learning #happiness #sustainability #positiveeducation #positivepsychology #earth #wellbeing #innovation #creativing #gratitude

]]><![CDATA[Education: Happiness, Well Being and Sustainability for All]]>Wed, 08 May 2024 23:43:47 GMThttps://www.marialisapolegatto.com/sustainability/education-happiness-well-being-and-sustainability-for-allMaria Lisa Polegatto May 2024

Think back to all the things you did as a child that made you happy. Today, our world is changing and activities we did are different for youth. The 2024 World Happiness Report (WHR) suggests happiness in youth is in decline (Helliwell et al, 2024). We need to solve world issues, such as climate change, social, cultural, and educational issues, and yet we expect youth to be happy, have good well-being and practice sustainability.

We need to deeply appreciate the “relationship between education and sustainability” and come to terms with the role education plays in relation to “social, cultural, environmental, and economic sustainability” (O’Brien, 2016). We need to “energize, stimulate, and inspire” people to be part of the solutions (O’Brien, 2016).

Education is part of the problem. Educational content needs a “total “make-over”” (“O’Brien, 2016) to include current interests and concerns allowing people to make positive contributions. We are no longer in the “Industrial Age” stifling our “creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship” (O’Brien, 2016). Education needs to provide youth skills for employment so we can all live within the planet’s scope of resources instead of having no sustainable boundaries (O’Brien, 2016).

Education can be part of the solution. Youth could act as “peer-learning coaches” helping design and facilitate to compensate for teacher shortages (O’Brien, 2016). Education can interconnect with sustainability teaching about “well-being, for all, forever” (O’Brien, 2016). The Earth Charter could amend current education to inspire a peaceful global future for all life to give hope and a call to creative, innovation and sustainable actions (O’Brien, 2013) (O’Brien, 2016).

Instead of debating education reform while the world is suffering from climate change, education should provide ways to relearn how to use the earth’s resources for the earth’s survival and replace what we take from it (O’Brien, 2013). We need to teach people how to fix and reuse what is broken, ensure manufacturers make replacement parts, and learn what happens when we disrespect the earth for future generations.

Instead of increasing anxiety in youth about the devastation of climate change (O’Brien, 2013), we need to refocus on increasing passion, inspiration, desire, creativity, innovation, and sustainability for solutions. There should be no age requirement in finding solutions with both teachers and students learning from each other. Online global education can allow for inclusivity. There should be no barriers to finding solutions, such as wealth, culture, location. We all need to work together to ensure the survival of all life.

Defining happiness and identifying characteristics. Happiness is peaceful and found inside not externally (CBC/Radio Canada, 2024). I think peace is underrated. While we are not always happy with world issues, having more communication and understanding can help heal and bring people together. Conflict can be good to flush out differences to find common ground.

It is important to define happiness and identify characteristics to better understand people, such as different cultures, locations, and age groups that can change definitions (CBC/Radio Canada, 2024). People learn at different rates globally.

Happiness can bring well being for all. Wealth and income can positively affect happiness but not define it, positively helping others can provide happiness, identifying passions can help navigate life as your profession or hobby (CBC/Radio Canada, 2024). We need to have outlets to encourage rest, resilience, and rejuvenation; otherwise, exhaustion can cause sickness. Older people can be happier (CBC/Radio Canada, 2024) possibly due to knowledge and experience in finding their ways of being. English people are suggested to be less happy and in Canada, Quebec’s rate of decline is less than the rest of Canada (CBC/Radio Canada, 2024). Possibly because Quebec has defined their culture and live it.

Being in the “flow” can provide happiness (Seligman, 2011). I have felt the flow at work when everything clicks with productivity. It does provide satisfaction and happiness in achieving tasks and goals. I have also found the flow in art allowing me to get lost in creative meditation.

Happiness is a pursuit we chase. We need to nurture and spend time in happiness to increase our well being and find our state of being without trying to control our outer world (Ted, 2008). The habit of positive emotions helps us “flourish” to experience happiness as an “antidote” to unhappiness (Ted, 2008). The more time we spend in nature, the more we want to protect and learn about it leading to sustainable practices. Albert Einstein’s quote always comes to my mind:

“Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better”

My Definition of Happiness. How do I define happiness? I think of nature as happiness with its stress-free environment. Nature is like a hug from the universe. I am passionate about finding sustainable ways to assist nature and animals and helping people learn about their benefits. Growing up I was always happy on the Mira River in a canoe or kayak paddling upstream to float downstream at sunset or moonlight.

Meditation for me is a freeing up of the mind to allow new thoughts to flow to find solutions and happiness in a divine connection with my inner self. Walking meditation with my dogs in nature is my favorite activity. We need to get out of the concrete jungles and spend more time in the sphere and delights of nature.

Conclusion. Happiness is the consequence of “a life well lived” (CBC/Radio Canada, 2024). What are your ways of being that bring you happiness? What are your passions in life? What did you do as a child that you enjoyed doing? What of those activities can you continue to do today? I suggest exploring nature to find your happy.

Poetry:

Hug From The Universe

Additional Resources

Abdallah, S., Hoffman, A., and Akenji, L. (2024). The 2024 Happy Planet Index. Hot or Cool Institute, Berlin. https://happyplanetindex.org/HPI_2024_report.pdf https://happyplanetindex.org/

Earth Charter International (2009). A guide for using the Earth Charter in Education. https://earthcharter.org/read-the-earth-charter/

Happy Planet Index Personal Test. (n.d.). https://happyplanetindex.me/

Stefan. D., Lefdahl-Davis, E., Alayan, A., Decker, M., Kulwicki, T., Parsell, J., & Wittwer, J. (2021). The Impact of Gratitude Letters and Visits on Relationships, Happiness, Well-Being, and Meaning of Graduate Students. Journal of Positive School Psychology, 5(2) 110-126. https://cbulms22.cbu.ca/pluginfile.php/537585/course/section/99620/Gratitude%20Letters.pdf

References

Albert Einstein quotes about nature: A-Z quotes. (n.d.). https://www.azquotes.com/author/4399-Albert_Einstein/tag/nature#google_vignette

CBC/Radio Canada. (2024, March 21). The Current with Matt Galloway | live radio | CBC listen: Why Happiness Rate are Falling Among Younger Generations. CBC news. https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-63-the-current/clip/16050855-why-happiness-rates-falling-among-younger-generations

Helliwell, J. F., Layard, R., Sachs, J. D., De Neve, J.-E., Aknin, L. B., & Wang, S. (Eds.). (2024). World Happiness Report 2024. https://worldhappiness.report/ed/2024/

O’Brien, C. (2013). Who is teaching us about sustainable happiness and well-being? Health, Culture and Society, 5(1), 292-307. https://hcs.pitt.edu/ojs/index.php/hcs/article/view/122

O’Brien, C. (2016). Education for sustainable happiness and well-being. New York: Routledge. Chapter 1: Introduction. Chapter 2: Well-Being for All, Sustainably

Seligman, M. (2011). Flourish. New York: Free Press. Chapter 1: What Is Well-Being? https://cbulms22.cbu.ca/pluginfile.php/537585/course/section/99620/Seligman-Martin-Flourish-Ch-1%20%281%29.pdf

TED. (2008, April 15). The habits of happiness | Matthieu Ricard [Video]. YouTube.
Happy Planet Index Personal Test. (n.d.). https://happyplanetindex.me/

#happiness #wellbeing #joy #sustainability #learning #education #knowledge #gratitude

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