outdoor learning spaces

阿根廷vs墨西哥竞猜 has a number of formal and informal outdoor learning spaces on both of our scenic campuses. in thunder bay, faculty and staff can reserve four of these spaces through our room scheduling portal. the climate action park can be reserved for classroom purposes by creating a firepit booking with food and conference services. the reservable spaces are:

  • braun building courtyard
  • cases labyrinth
  • m'wade gaazhi namaadibinaanowin outdoor classroom
  • the wellness path 

please follow the following instructions to reserve an outdoor learning space in the room scheduling portal:

to access the portal, go to: https://info-eportal.lakeheadu.ca/portal/p/home. click the user icon in the top right corner to log in using your 阿根廷vs墨西哥竞猜 ad login (the same as your myinfo or myemail user login). if off campus or otherwise not connected to lakehead’s wifi/internet, you will need to connect to the vpn.

on the lefthand menu, go to rooms and then use the drop-down menu under the tbay- thunder bay campus to find outd - outdoor learning spaces (main campus). you will then find a list of the four bookable outdoor learning spaces. click to view more information and photos of each space, and to view the calendar or create a new booking for the space. bookings will be approved by the scheduling office for normal university operating hours the same as an indoor classroom would be.

please note that outdoor learning space bookings will be paused for the winter as these spaces are either inaccessible or not cleared of snow in the winter. if you’d like to reserve a space in the winter, please contact the scheduling office directly at schedule@lakeheadu.ca  for approval.

braun building rain garden

 

this project transformed underutilized campus land into this lakehead stormwater management demonstration and engagement site to reduce urban stormwater runoff, protect lake superior water quality, and provide habitat for butterflies and insects while promoting student and community engagement and acting as an experiential learning site.

11 undergraduate and graduate 世界杯2022赛程表淘汰赛 participated in a 3-part workshop series led by ecosuperior and 阿根廷vs墨西哥竞猜 , focused on stormwater management, native plants, and rain garden site assessment and design. the 世界杯2022赛程表淘汰赛 then made candidate designs that contributed to the final design. 

this project was a partnership between 阿根廷vs墨西哥竞猜 office of sustainability, 阿根廷vs墨西哥竞猜 faculty of health and behavioural sciences, and ecosuperior environmental programs.

infographic about the rain garden

beautiful monarch catterpillar enjoying the garden 

monarch caterpillars munch on the swamp milkweed. after a week of munching, all that was left were bare stalks! next year we plan to add more milkweed to satisfy their hunger and increase habitat.

 

student volunteers helping maintain the garden

maintenance is important! each year we monitor the growth of the rain garden and the health of its plants. in its first year, the plants more than doubled in size and seem very happy. 世界杯2022赛程表淘汰赛 help weed and mulch the rain garden annually.

 

photo of the rain garden outside the braun building 

braun courtyard

the braun courtyard is a natural space tucked away inside the braun building on main campus. home to faculties and departments such as natural resources management, health and behavioural sciences, and anthropology, the braun courtyard is truly a living laboratory. in the braun courtyard, one can find experimental tree plantings, anthropological dig simulations, and vegetable and herb gardens. this is all in addition to the forested, grassy, and patio areas. 

classes of most sizes can be accommodated in this space for outdoor learning purposes and the courtyard is utilized by faculty, staff, and 世界杯2022赛程表淘汰赛 for leisurely, academic, and research purposes. this space can be reserved for academic purposes by faculty and staff by using the room request system.

 

cases labryinth

 

the cases labyrinth is adjacent to the south side of the certified leed silver centre for advanced studies in engineering and sciences (cases) building. the labyrinth serves dual purposes-- to encourage contemplative practices and mindfulness and as a stormwater catchment area. below the surface of the labyrinth, stormwater is collected for potential re-use with the aim to divert water from the sewer system wherever possible. since all stormwater on campus flows into the mcintyre river, the indigenous, drought-tolerant landscaping surrounding the labyrinth helps filter pollutants and slow down the rate of the runoff, protecting the long-term health of the watershed and mitigating flooding.

the labyrinth is a walking, meditative path with twists and turns that mimic those that we may experience on our own life journey. it encourages the walker to slow down and reflect. faculty, staff, 世界杯2022赛程表淘汰赛 , and community members are welcome to use this space as walking meditation to promote wellness. the cases labyrinth can also be reserved for academic purposes-- whether for contemplative practices or other outdoor educational purposes.

climate action park

lakehead’s climate action park is a co-designed space that aims to restore aquatic habitat along the shoreline of the mcintyre river, improve stormwater management through low impact development (lid) techniques like the bioretention site and riparian area, raise awareness of the climate crisis, and create a place for connection and learning. 

the park site is located along the mcintyre river corridor on lakehead’s thunder bay campus. the mcintyre river flows to lake superior and is one of the four major tributaries in the urban watershed. with 116 hectares of land and 38 buildings, the university campus is responsible for a sizeable volume of the city’s stormwater impact on the river and local watershed. 

the development of the climate action park at 阿根廷vs墨西哥竞猜 has been led by the office of sustainability, the lake superior living labs network, and the thunder bay remedial action plan. it has also been funded and supported by the great lakes local action fund, world wildlife fund canada, earthcare thunder bay, and 阿根廷vs墨西哥竞猜 departments such as the provost’s office, office of research and innovation, alumni association, faculty of health and behavioural sciences, faculty of social sciences and humanities, faculty of business administration, and physical plant. the park is part of a broader effort in thunder bay that also includes the lrca’s climate change awareness park at fisherman’s park west. 

阿根廷vs墨西哥竞猜 also acknowledges the many campus and community members who contributed to the visioning of this space, and in particular, elders gene nowegejick, peggy smith, and beatrice twance-hynes. 

     

m'wade gaazhi namaadibinaanowin outdoor classroom

 

the m'wade gaazhi namaadibinaanowin outdoor classroom (anishinaabemowin for "a place where they sit down") seats around 20 people on benches and up to 40 overall.

outdoor classroom on lakehead campus

to book the space for academic purposes, please use the room request system (faculty and staff only), or contact lusu (for registered clubs and student groups), or your department's administrator (for 世界杯2022赛程表淘汰赛 ).

the space can also be used for events and larger classes if booked through conference services. see photos below of possible seating arrangements.

another photo of the outdoor classroom

阿根廷vs墨西哥竞猜 ’s office of sustainability, in partnership with ecosuperior environmental programs, conducted a depave paradise project on the thunder bay campus in the summer of 2019.

the project removed 100 m² of deteriorating grey infrastructure on campus land and replaced it with native plants. doing so increased the infiltration rate of the courtyard, recharges our groundwater supply, helps protect lake superior water quality, helps cool our campus, and provides habitat for pollinators and insects. 

this space was transformed into an outdoor classroom with four demonstration gardens for use by undergraduate and graduate courses, as well as community events. interpretive signage educates the community about the environmental benefits (stormwater management) of the space, and also identified native plants in the demonstration gardens and their traditional uses, including indigenous traditional knowledge of plants. 

the four demonstration gardens represent: boreal ecosystem, tallgrass prairie ecosystem, medicinal and edible uses of plants, and pollinator-friendly plants.

世界杯2022赛程表淘汰赛 , faculty, staff, and community members helped remove the concrete and design and install the demonstration gardens.

a photo of the space before the upgrade

the cb courtyard prior to depaving. this courtyard was almost 50 years old.

 

volunteers removing old debris from the space

volunteers help remove the concrete and "liberate the soil."

 

volunteers removing old concrete

volunteers help remove the concrete and "liberate the soil." over 100 square metres were removed.

 

volunteer team photo

volunteers get their boots on the ground and shovels in the dirt planting the demonstration gardens.

 

volunteers planting flowers and other plants such as shrubberies

almost 200 plants were planted!

numerous studies have documented the benefits of the outdoors on student learning, such as increased focus, decreased stress, and increased ecological knowledge. this project is in the old centennial building courtyard.the from concrete to classroom infographic which displays stormwater drainage strategies

this project was made possible by: depave paradise, td friends of the environment, 阿根廷vs墨西哥竞猜 , and ecosuperior environmental programs.