Renowned artist Robert Bateman visited the school that bears his name recently to talk about the environment and how young people can make a difference.

Bateman visited Robert Bateman High School in Burlington to talk to the school’s Environmental Activist Team and to recognize their achievement as a four- time gold-certified Ontario EcoSchool. Ontario EcoSchools is an environmental education and certification program for grades K-12 that helps school communities develop ecological literacy and environmental practices to become environmentally responsible citizens and reduce the ecological footprint of schools.

Bateman also had lunch at the school's restaurant, Pangea, where student chefs prepared a menu based on some of his favourite foods including roasted tomato filled with organic quinoa and prosciutto and coconut curry with chicken and quinoa. 

In the afternoon, Bateman spent a few hours with the senior art students and created a painting with them. The next day, Bateman took Bateman Environmental Activist Team members on a hike along Mount Nemo and then for lunch at the house he built on the Bruce Trail. They ended the day with another hike along the Bruce Trail. 

“It was a truly amazing and unforgettable day,” says Melissa Hickey, English/Special Education Resource Teacher at Robert Bateman High School. “We hope the students learned a new appreciation for the nature that surrounds them.”