A moment of sharing at Saint-Guibert College in Gembloux! On February 4, 2023, the PlantC team went to the school grounds to lead a participatory workshop.
Ms. Claire, Initiator of the Project
The initiative comes from teacher Claire Guissard, who is accustomed to teaching outdoors, following the “Outdoor School” concept, once a week, to her second-grade students. The planting of a hedge is part of a great moment shared outdoors with the children!
I use nature to teach them discovery, but also mathematics and French, she explains. In this context, I wanted to develop a green space belonging to our school, on the station district site, with the children. Since I knew Aricia Evlard from PlantC well, we formed a partnership. My class was involved, as was the sixth-grade class. I found it interesting for the younger ones to collaborate with the older ones.
Claire Guissard – Teacher at the “Immersion” Gare Primary School, Saint-Guibert in Gembloux.
Sharing Knowledge About the Hedge
Before the children arrived, the PlantC team had prepared the site: measurements, marking, and several holes were dug to make their task easier. Upon the children’s arrival, after a brief contextualization and a presentation of the biologist and agronomist professions, the children gathered in sub-groups. Each of these groups received a sequence of trees to plant and was responsible for following the planting order. The PlantC team and the teachers were present during the planting to support the budding gardeners!
During one morning, no fewer than 46 students from second and sixth grade planted about a hundred shrubs. This was done under the watchful eye of the teaching staff and kindergarteners who were able to witness their achievements.
Hands in the Soil
The college students were well prepared for this morning. “We went twice to the Horticultural Technical Center in Gembloux,” explains Constantin, a sixth-grade student.. There, we learned about the different types of hedges and some vocabulary.
Afterward, we had to prepare our equipment: reusable plastic bag, watering can, gloves, boots, etc.
No fewer than 5 species make up this hedge: field maple (Acer campestre), hornbeam (Carpinus betulus), common hazel (Corylus avellana), osier willow (Salix viminalis), and beech (Fagus sylvatica).
We took advantage of this moment to:
- raise awareness about the importance of planting hedges, about the ecological network,
- share some anecdotes about the species that make up the hedge,
- transmitting best practices to replicate them at home.
In total, we planted nearly 70 meters of hedge with an enthusiastic team of volunteers !
Sharing Values Around the Hedge
The proceeds from the second edition of “Save the Lonzée Ice Floe” enabled Saint-Guibert College in Gembloux to finance its hedge planting project.
This morning is part of a loyal PlantC partnership: the Cocoatree chocolate factory (Geneviève Trépant and Lionel Duplicy). Through the “Save the Lonzée Ice Floe” initiative, Geneviève enabled the acquisition of about a hundred plants which are now planted on a 70-meter hedge at Saint-Guibert College. PlantC supervised the participatory workshop voluntarily.
A Project Completed with a Smile
To conclude, the PlantC team thanked all participants (students, teaching staff)! A morning rich in sharing, smiles, and connection to Nature!
