Field Study: Evergreen Brick Works
Prior to the Field Study I had no idea that this wonderful oasis in Toronto existed. I was curious to learn what the Evergreen Brick Works offered and what I can teach to my students. The juxtaposition between the brick factory, and the flora and fauna was fascinating. The industrial aesthetics among the luscious green trees and birds chirping brought to the forefront the ability for nature to coexist with human innovations. This relates to EcoJustice Education where we need to recognize and re-value varying practices, traditions, and knowledge from cultures and communities worldwide (Lowenstein, Martusewicz, & Voelker, 2010). Through discovering our environmental commonalities in terms of our relationship with land, water, air, and living things we can achieve mutual well-being and sustainability that benefits all of us (Lowenstein et al., 2010).
The field study began with the reiteration of the significance of water. With the incredible map with plants representing the waterways, it showed how much water is available to us in Southern Ontario. The availability of water does not mean we should be wasteful, rather respectful and conserve it. The theme of water continued throughout the field study with the flood plains, man-made pond, and water cistern. The flood plains reminded us the respect we need towards water. We are not powerful enough to manipulate water power. The man-made pond demonstrated that we can do better and bring life back to a once desolate land. Lastly, the water cistern showed how important it is conserve water and small actions it can also make a big difference. Connecting to EcoJustice, teachers and students refer to their local places to evaluate what activities, beliefs, and practices contribute to living systems, and which ones are harmful (Lowenstein et al., 2010). The examples mentioned above are great discussion starters for students to have in terms of the positive actions towards our local community.
One of the memorable parts of the field study was the Sumac trees. My whole life I have seen these trees but I did not know what they were. Learning about their possible uses and how they are native to the land. The fact they taste similar to lemons was interesting and got me thinking about the the movement to buy local and in-season foods. I do not think the majority of people know the possibilities with Sumac. It is important to learn from people who are indigenous to the land and know the plants that thrive here.
In the future I am enthused to bring my students to Evergreen Brick Works. It is a fun and active place to capture the interest of students. Throughout park students will be able to engage in full sensory and kinesthetic activities. In addition, using the EcoJustice Education framework, students will engage in “(1) identifying serious problems in their communities, (2) analyzing the roots of those problems in larger socio-economic and cultural system, and (3) creating localized, healthy relationships with mentors and with each other in the context of our immediate ecosystems” (Lowenstein et al., 2010, p. 103). Moreover, my role in this field study would be guiding inquiry, letting questions emerge from students, and being a co-learner with my students (Lowerstein et al., 2010). This can be achieved with observation notes on the different trees and learning about the the origins, and what it offers to us and what we can offer to that tree, as demonstrated with the Sumac trees. Another activity would be our relationship with the land. We can look historically at the uses of the land, and what we are doing now. It can extend to other former and current industrial areas in Ontario and in Canada, and inquire why this continues, and what we can do once the industrial use is used up.
Ultimately, this field study brought forth the relationship between humans and nature. Regardless of age, everyone can appreciate the beauty and innovation of this land. I look forward to sharing a "place where the world can experience sustainable practices that enable flourishing cities of the future." to my future students (Evergreen Brick Works, n.d.).
