Growing Awareness: Students Lead Native Plant Project
Raising Awareness About Local Insects, One Native Seed at a Time
At a time when global insect populations are in rapid decline, a group of three local high school students (St. Thomas Aquinas High school)—Amelia Lansdown, Emma Song, and Cayla Ernst—decided to take action. Inspired by The Insect Crisis, a powerful book that outlines the urgent need to protect insect biodiversity, the trio focused their CAS (Creativity, Activity, Service) project and presented their idea to their teachers and school principal.
Their mission? Raise awareness about the critical role of insects in local biodiversity—and give people the tools to help.
Through weeks of planning, research, and creativity, the students built an engaging educational campaign. They designed a display board, created a detailed native seeds and planting booklet, and compiled a list of local plants that support local insect species.
They were faced with limited funding and decided to approach Oakville Public Library and Oakvillegreen for support. We were thrilled to donate native seeds and educational handouts. With this help, they set up an informative booth during Parent_Teacher night at their school. The event gave families the chance to learn about the important role of native plants in supporting local biodiversity, as well as the critical need to create habitats for pollinators, including insects that are often overlooked or misunderstood such as moths, flies and mosquitos.
Parents and teachers left with seeds in hand and a better understanding of the important role that local plants and insects play in our environment. In total, over 300 seed packets and 300 booklets were distributed—each one a step toward more pollinator-friendly yards and a more informed community.
We’re incredibly proud of Amelia, Emma, and Cayla for their leadership and dedication to making a difference. Their project is a shining example of how youth-led environmental action can create ripple effects of change.
Oakvillegreen is honoured to have played a part in supporting their vision, and we can’t wait to see what they grow next.