Celebrating World Water Day & the St. Avila Raingarden

In the summer and fall of 2010, Ecole St. Avila graded 2 acres of school ground, to drain 5.7 acres of land into a .7 acre raingarden. The school’s raingarden is the first of its kind in Manitoba – in size and scope – and is developed to manage the school’s stormwater runoff from roofs, parking lots and drainage challenges. In the spring of 2011, hundreds of native plants and grasses will be planted in the basin of the raingarden along with dozens of native trees and shrubs around the rain garden’s perimeter. Many berms, swales and dry creek beds were incorporated to enable drainage. Currently the children and surrounding community see the change in the flat grounds as the development of a funky new ‘natural play’ playground and have yet to grasp the greater environmental significance.
Imagine Action’s support will enable not only the students, but a broader community to understand the significance of the St. Avila raingarden. Funding support will enable teachers to engage students in classroom activities focused in the tremendous impact native plants and trees have on our water supply, habitat and environment. Over the winter months leading up to World Water Day on March 22nd 2011 (this year’s theme being Urban Water Management). Teachers and students will engage in classroom activities - based on Manitoba’s sustainable development curriculum – to develop a deeper understanding of water and water stewardship.
St. Avila will celebrate on March 22nd with a World Water Day Festival. Parents, community members, partners and representatives of leading water stewardship organizations will be invited to attend the festival where students will showcase their insight on urban water management - in relation to the raingarden located on their school ground. At the festival, all attendees will be invited back to assist in planting the native plants and trees in and around the raingarden in spring – in the funky new playground.

Update (April 2, 2012)

Throughout the month of March 2011 students, teachers & parents worked on projects designed to increase awareness and understanding on how the new Ecole St. Avila raingarden works.

We had 7 organizations come to Ecole St. Avila on seven different days to help us understand the important role water plays in our day to day lives and existance on planet Earth! We learned about native plants and trees and how significant they were related to water quality and conservation.

We played games, we created a diorama of our raingarden, we watched videos, and gave class talks to fellow students. To celebrate World Water Day - we had a general assembly, watched and participatedin an enviromental magic show! These are the presentations we had:
Water – A Drop in the Bucket
Our Sacred Lake
Getting to know Lake Winnipeg
Water & Electricity
Watersheds & Wetlands
What YOU do Matters
How the Floodway Works

Update (April 4, 2012)

The attached image is a celebration on World Water Day of all the water activities / learning that occured in the Month of March.

BUT - when spring came - the students were involved in planting trees and native plants also - so - an ongoing project for sure!

We also had the Minister of Water Stewardship attend the event and provide us with funding to develop a Provincial Water Stewardship Guide

The work we did for the festival was a tremendous catalyst in moving the concept of raingardens along in Manitoba.