Photos submitted

Prince George, B.C. – No, classes weren’t cancelled at Westwood Elementary School today.

Rather, that vehicle-free parking lot was the school’s way of promoting Earth Day.

“Today marks a very special Earth Day for Westwood,” says community school coordinator Erica McLean. “We have a lot of special events going on and it’s been an entire school initiative.”

She says it includes a walking school bus and a special tree planting initiative.

“The Industrial Forestry Service has wonderfully donated tree seedlings to our entire school. So at the end of the school day every student is going to get their tree seedling to plant somewhere special.”

Students plant seedlings

McLean says the day will conclude with a school-wide clean-up, noting it’s all about inspiring a greener future.

“Absolutely, it’s all about making movement right now because it’s going to take a lot of collaboration for us to get this done today but we are going to do it and that’s going to be the most valuable teaching for them.”

Walking school bus