Fifty-nine schools will break ground on projects to help nature, seeded by WWF-Canada’s Go Wild Grants

WWF Canada
Go Wild

TORONTO – February 26, 2024 – WWF-Canada is pleased to award 59 Go Wild Grants to projects at primary, secondary and post-secondary schools across the country. Valued at $1,500 – $2,000, the grants will support student activities that help to protect or restore nature in schoolyards, campuses and communities.

This grant program is part of WWF-Canada’s 10-year plan to Regenerate Canada, which includes the goal of restoring one million hectares for biodiversity and climate by 2030.

Since 2015, WWF-Canada has funded 529 Go Wild school and campus projects, awarding a total of $412,460. This year’s projects include growing native plant gardens, creating habitats for birds and pollinators, contributing to shoreline restoration, planting “micro-forests” (clusters of diverse tree and plant species) and creating outdoor education areas. Each Go Wild project will make a tangible difference for local nature and wildlife.

Go Wild Grants help school communities learn about their local ecosystems, including their history and biodiversity, how they work, and what they need to thrive. The grants also support students in learning how to protect or restore habitats as well as connect with their communities and with nature.

WWF-Canada accepts applications every fall, with projects taking place the following spring and summer.

Elizabeth Hendriks, vice-president of restoration and regeneration at WWF-Canada, says: 

“We’re delighted to be funding 59 new Go Wild projects. Each year, we’re blown away by the quality and creativity of the applications and 2024 is no exception. We can’t wait to see this year’s grantees bring their projects to life to restore and protect important local habitats and help biodiversity and the climate. The benefits of these projects will live on for decades through the habitats they create and the students they inspire.”

Some of the Go Wild Grant projects for 2024 include: 

  • Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Que.: On its campus, John Abbott College will create a micro-forest with 14 native tree species and a First Peoples’ Garden with native plants. These spaces will be used for land-based teaching about plant life cycles and traditional plants used by Indigenous communities.
  • Nanaimo, B.C.: Students at Departure Bay Elementary School will replant native plants at a nearby park to improve its ecological health and enhance biodiversity.
  • Winnipeg, Man.: Grade 3 and 4 students at Strathcona School will grow native plants from seed and construct a community healing garden that reflects the diversity and richness of plants native to the province.
  • Trout River, N.L.: Students at Jakeman All Grade School will plant a wildflower garden and trees to learn about the benefits of native plants, including how they provide wildlife habitats, stabilize soil, improve water quality and prevent erosion.
  • Glencoe, Ont.: Glencoe District High School will reforest an area of grass with tree species native to its location within the Carolinian zone of southern Ontario. This biodiverse “Graduate Forest” will grow over time as each year’s graduating class celebrates an annual tree planting event.

Go Wild Grants are part of WWF-Canada’s Living Planet @ School and Living Planet @ Campus programs. For a complete list of Go Wild Grant projects, visit wwf.ca/schoolgrants.

For more information, contact [email protected].

About World Wildlife Fund Canada
WWF-Canada is committed to equitable and effective conservation actions that restore nature, reverse wildlife loss and fight climate change. We draw on scientific analysis and Indigenous guidance to ensure all our efforts connect to a single goal: a future where wildlife, nature and people thrive. For more information visit wwf.ca.