ARTHUR FORD PUBLIC SCHOOL
The Nature Park found its way to Arthur Ford Public School in the late 1980s as a result of its then principal, Thom McClenaghan. When McClennagan came to Arthur Ford Public School as Vice Principal in 1981, he was struck by the immensity of the campus. He also realized how much of the campus was virtually unusable because its natural state was usually wet and marshy. Th
e thought occurred to him that such an area would be an ideal place to put a children’s garden, like that which Froebel believed in. Building children’s interest and knowledge of the environment today, would help develop a respect for environmental issues facing them in the future. GROUNDBREAKING
When McClenaghan became Principal of Arthur Ford Public School in 1983, he approached the Arthur Ford Home and School Association with his idea. Sue Epstein and a number of other members were immediately interested and undertook the project. Much talent and energy was poured into the project by the students, staff and parents of Arthur Ford students in the next few years. The Arthur Ford Nature Park groundbreaking occurred in October of 1988 with Ontario Premier David Peterson helping two Kindergarten students (Jenna Denstedt and Jeff Peter) plant a tree, and was officially opened in June 1992. The Arthur Ford Nature Park was the model for this type of undertaking. No other school in the province had ever undertaken such a project to link education and nature together, right on campus. The Arthur Ford Nature Park truly was a pioneering venture, much ahead of its time.
