Think Twice Project

This project engaged approximately 50 Grade 7 students in Mission BC to deepen their connection to nature and inspire them to foster a sense of appreciation and care for the environment and to become actively engaged in caring for their community. The initiative combined the environmental issue of waste with artistic expression and native plants to educate students and the public on the impacts of waste in the community, as well as possible solutions. 

Art is a powerful and meaningful way for people to get engaged in community building. It adds a layer of emotional connection and storytelling that can inspire people to bond with, appreciate and protect the natural world. Youth readily respond to engagement through artistic expression, which makes this project a needed approach for social and environmental change. 

Through this project, students engaged in learning about the importance of waste reduction and recovery, as well as its impacts on the local community in Mission. Students then participated in a storytelling workshop to discuss and share their hopes and visions for a more sustainable future. Final workshop supported students with creating their own biodegradable seedling pots using paper recycling collected at their own school. The pots were be decorated with the students’ messages of hopes about nature and sustainability. 

The decorated pots and seeds of native shrubs and seedlings will be distributed to the wider community at a public event in partnership with MESS. Members of the public will receive the pots with information on the benefits of native plants and caretaking instructions. The public will also be invited to share their hopes on waste reduction and nature conservation in the region.