Teacher Becky Thompson (right) being shocked at the grant size, which is more than twice what she applied for.

By Spencer Sterritt

bright future

Surprise grant helps Nanaimo eco-school students rejuvenate local park

May 12, 2019 | 2:30 AM

NANAIMO — A grant more than double what was applied for means great things for the rejuvenation of an overgrown, often unused Nanaimo park.

The Departure Bay Elementary Eco-School received $1,200 from the Vancouver Foundation this week to pay for equipment used to clear out invasive species at the nearby Wardropper Park.

Teacher Becky Thompson said she had applied for a $500 grant, which would be enough to make sure every student had the tools to make a major difference at the park.

“Now that (the grant) is over double what I was expecting, I’ll go back to the class and students. They all have visions for the park.”

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“They’ve created maps and brainstormed different ideas, so it’s something to revisit now that the grant is so much more. What a problem to have.” _{Becky Thompson}

Students have already made a sizable impact at the small park, which has grassy fields and a fenced off-leash dog park.

“We want to naturalize the park again and have more native plats growing and thriving. Now that we’ve removed things, we hope to have a lot coming back. We’ve started seeing community members coming in and walking their dogs,” Thompson said. “It’s nice to see that the community is using it as well.”

The grant donation was unveiled at a presentation by speaker Matt Hill, who ran 11,000 kilometres across Canada and America in just over a year back in 2008. The run was an effort to inspire environmentalism and led to the Run for One Planet initiative.

All the students at Hill’s presentation cheered and were deeply engaged in his environmental message.

Thompson said it was inspiring to see such young students take to the heart the need to prevent future climate change and protect their environment.

spencer@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @spencer_sterrit