Students around the world have been skipping classes on Fridays to call for immediate action against climate change. The students at Many Faces Education Centre have joined the protests, meeting with provincial and city representatives to call for change.
On May 24, they completed work to reduce their own carbon footprint, planting 150 white spruce trees around the Many Faces school and by the trails of the Flin Flon Ski Club.
The students spread limestone around each tree they planted to counteract Flin Flon’s acidic soil.
Harley Genaille is one of the students who planted trees. He said he feels connected to the global movement of students fighting for climate action.
“I feel we’re all working together to make this planet a better place,” he said while planting.
“It feels really good just to do it, and I enjoy planting trees.”
Dan Dillon teaches at Many Faces and worked to incorporate tree planting in all aspects of his class, including having his students calculate how many trees they would need to plant to offset their own carbon footprint.
Events like this are tracked around the world. Dillon said their actions, like many others, have been inspired by Swedish teenager Greta Thunberg.
On May 24, Flin Flon and Winnipeg were the only Manitoba locales holding events. While some protests call for meetings with governments, Dillon said his class has already taken those steps by meeting with Flin Flon MLA Tom Lindsey and Mayor Cal Huntley and is now moving in a different direction.
“There’s thousands of people in partnership with [Thunberg] around the world,” Dillon said. “We’re not talking with the official people, we know what’s going on. Now we’re taking action.”
Lindsey, Huntley and Flin Flon School Division superintendent Constance McLeese helped the students plant trees near the school.
“Our future is in good hands,” McLeese said.
The Hapnot travel club is planning to plant more trees to offset the carbon footprint of their 2021 trip to Ecuador.
