2010 News
Students keep it local at Environmental Youth Day
Over 280 students in grade 5 got hands-on experience learning about their local environment during Environmental Youth Day on January 13. The students came from 9 schools across the City of Kawartha Lakes to the event held at the Kawartha Lakes Boys and Girls Club in Lindsay.
 |
Grade 5 students from Bobcaygeon Public School connect to the web of life |
“We had a great response from the local schools,” said Tamara Tucker, the Stewardship Lead Technician from Kawartha Conservation, which hosted Environmental Youth Day in partnership with the City of Kawartha Lakes. “The hands-on activity centres made it a lot of fun for everyone. This is the first time we’ve held an event of this type in this area, and it was a huge success.”
Activity centres were run by representatives from various environmental organizations, which included the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters, the Ontario Forestry Association, Durham Sustain Ability, the City of Kawartha Lakes and Kawartha Conservation.
In one of the activity centres, students reached into rich soil produced by worms that decompose kitchen waste. This compost system was presented as one of several ways to reduce the amount of trash piling up in our local landfills.
In another exercise, participants learned about the connections between trees, wildlife, water and sunshine in our local forests, by creating a web of string.
At other centres, students explored how water moves through the ground to our private and municipal wells and how to protect it; the impact of invasive species on our local natural environment; and how conserving energy benefits our environment.
“The City of Kawartha Lakes has a magnificent environment that includes all kinds of wildlife in our lakes, rivers, wetlands and forests,” said Angela Porteous, Public Education Officer, Solid Waste Services - City of Kawartha Lakes. “It’s important that kids learn about the environment where they live, so they can take care of it now and in the future.”
Environmental Youth Day was made possible through the Blue Canoe project, which is funded by EcoAction Community Funding Program, the City of Kawartha Lakes and the Region of Durham.