Phoenix Crossroads Pollinator Corridor

The Cause

Create, manage and maintain a pollinator corridor in East Calgary. The corridor would stretch throughout the school property and our neighbors across the street (Calbridge Homes and Righteous Gelato) to attract native bee and butterfly populations (pollinators)and provide essential food for their sustainability and population growth. There are over 40 different native bees species alone in Western Canada. The goal is to have a planned, planted corridor for pollinators that will flower at different times during the season to provide ongoing food for those populations. Phoenix is a Canadian Wildlife Federation certified wildlife friendly habitat and borders on abandoned train tracks and a field which is home to a number of native wildlife from bugs and pollinators, to Birds of prey, wolves and rabbits have been spotted. In consultation with ALCLA Native Plants, we will be using Native flowering and fruiting plants. They have recommended Wild Northern Gooseberry Saskatoon fruit. This would be harvested by our students to help them learn about sourcing of local foods and eating close to earth. We will also add Silver Buffalo Berry, Crocus, Bee Balm and Prairie Sage.

Who Will it Benefit?

The City as a whole will benefit with the addition of another pollinator corridor. The deeper impact will come to the local neighbourhood which will benefit from adding to food sustainability and local small scale urban agriculture. Our students and families benefit the most in additional opportunities to learn about the impact of human decisions on sustainable food sources and how those decisions can have a lasting impact. Bringing back the Bees and learning about other pollinators that come for a visit will give the students a well rounded environmental education to add to our Food Forest, garden and Honey Bee Hives we have. This will provide Opportunities to study species in their natural environment.