Updated: March 4, 2009

Update January 2009

Students gained community hours for voluntary work by helping in the Stephen Lewis Diversity Garden. Beginning in September, students enrolled in Ms Durst’s Tech Design class and members of Mr. Ellis’ Green Team met on Tuesdays and Thursdays during lunch or after school to dig flower beds, mulch, and water recently purchased and planted materials. Work in the garden will resume in April. Students interested in earning community hours by working in the Diversity Garden should contact Mr. Ellis.

Thanks to the TD Friends of the Environment for their generous support to the Diversity Garden. For the second year in a row this organization has granted us $2000.00 towards purchases of garden materials. Additions to the garden included ornamental grasses, lilacs, serviceberry trees, cedars, amur maples and native red maples.

Update June 2008

The "Diversity" garden has been designed by staff and students at Stephen Lewis Secondary School. The garden represents diversity in all facets: diversity of cultures; both plant and human; diversity of eco-systems; diversity of the environment. The Diversity Garden will be an outdoor classroom that has a diverse variety of plant types, along with a naturalised area. Much of the material has been donated. The Region of Peel has donated compost, The City of Mississauga has donated mulch and the Credit Valley Conservation Authority has donated plant materials. Particular mention should be made to the generous support of the TD Friends of the Environment. For the second year in a row this organization has granted us $2000 towards our purchases of garden materials. Through their support this year we were able to purchase materials to plant a windscreen on the north and west sides of the garden.

What has started as a small group project has grown. As students see the garden taking shape they are becoming involved and interested in much more than just creating this one garden. They are beginning to understand the environmental impact we have on our community and the planet. The Diversity Club members work on the garden after school while different classes pitch in to help with digging and planting. Ms Harris' ESL students, Mr. Sawicki's Science students, Mr. Ellis’s Green Team, and Ms Durst's Technology students have all contributed to creating this wonderful space.

The garden is taking shape. The process of creating a wind break to protect the garden from the north winter wind continues. We have installed a series of trellises and begun to plant perennials. We would like to plant a variety of drought resistant perennials along with a variety of bird loving shrubs and trees.