Clean Air Is Child’s Play
Nov. 10, 2011
Research indicates that air pollution poses a greater risk to children than adults because they typically spend more time outdoors and breathe more rapidly than adults.In Spring of 2010, air quality tests at Blessed Sacrament school on Oxford Street revealed their playground area had very high levels of airborne pollutants from nearby streets and parking lots.
How great that Blessed Sacrament is the pilot school for Clean Air is Child's Play school ground greening initiative.
Clean Air is Child’s Play is a movement spearheaded by two phD students at The University of Western Ontario in collaboration with the London District Catholic School Board to green school grounds, in particular those that are in dense urban areas and are known to have very high levels of airborne pollutants from nearby streets and parking lots.
Naturalized school grounds provide inspiring places to teach in, about, and for, the environment, ensuring a new generation of stewards of the environment.
Greening or ‘naturalizing’ school grounds – e.g. adding trees, shrubs, sand, and mulch – can help reduce exposure to airborne pollutants in several ways. Removing asphalt and planting shade trees helps to reduce the amount of heat given off by impermeable surfaces. As vegetation captures airborne contaminants, increasing the amount of trees and other plants on school grounds can also reduce site levels of air pollution.
The portion of Blessed Sacrament's yard targeted for greening is currently off limits to students due to the dangers from traffic on Oxford Street. This program is innovative as it involves both children and the community in designing and building the space. This participatory process positions citizens as co-researchers and decision-makers, instilling a sense of community pride and ownership.
London Community Foundation is pleased to have awarded this project $25,000 through the 2011 Clean Air Challenge Grant Program.
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