T
oday’s youth didn’t create today’s environmental mess but they’ll be cleaning it up. Inspired by teens such as 16-year-old activist Greta Thunberg of Sweden, School District 47 students participate in clubs, environmental change teams, take action, and join marches calling on leaders to act on climate change. As awareness increases around the world, students in Powell River are doing what they can to clean up the planet, encourage conservation, protect the oceans and bring the issue of climate change front and center. “It’s an undeniable reality that even in a place as beautiful as Powell River it’s apparent that we are choking on our own waste,” says School District 47’s Sustainability Education Coordinator Karin Westland. “People are paying attention to what kids have to say. Adults have to be accountable and step up.” Climate scientists agree that we are in an era of climate change and that conditions are deteriorating. Northern ice packs are melting, animals are suffering, dramatic and dangerous weather events are becoming more frequent, and global food security is being threatened. The lives of our students are impacted by climate change now and will be into the future. The Eco Change Operation (E.C.O), a student led environmental change team (formerly Destination Conservation), provides a “Made in Powell River” solution to environmental challenges by bringing in local leaders to speak with students and lead workshops about energy conservation, solar cooking and waste reduction. Every school has its own E.C.O. team tackle the year’s chosen issue. In years past, themes have included waste reduction, water, energy, transportation, and food. Last year’s topic was waste reduction; fibre artist Amber Warhol taught upcycling clothes while IT expert Corey Matsumoto spoke about how to reboot technology. “The making-do era has been revived as a creative environmental solution,” says Karin. Over the years, E.C.O team initiatives have included incentive programs for using reusable water bottles, school-wide sewing and felting projects (such as using old clothes to make reusable grocery bags or to refresh old clothes with felted accents), composting, gardening, making a cob wall, and many upcycling projects such as making old crayons into new crayons and old cards into new Christmas cards. E.C.O. teams have also worked to not only improve recycling infrastructure at schools, but also to educate their school mates about issues related to waste and plastics in our oceans using events such as litterless lunches and waste audit competitions. Meanwhile at Brooks Secondary School, Teacher Jonathan Dyck, also President of the Environmental Educators’ Provincial Specialist Association, along with Teachers Willow Dunlop, Ryan Barfoot, Graham Cocksedge and other teachers, educate and support students and their clubs, such as the Brooks Environmental Club or the outside-of-school Youth Go Green. Grade 11 students Madison Penrose, Charlotte Danks, Jordyn MacKenzie, Maddie Burt and Jordana Pangburn were among the 100 students who joined Climate Action Powell River and participated in the climate action march in September. Students say school support has been key. Jordana says the letter Dr. Jay Yule, School District 47 Superintendent of Schools sent out in September saying he supported students who wanted to participate in the climate action march made them realize that their voices were being heard and they are being taken seriously now. Brooks students also joined Coast Mountain Academy students for their Harwood Island beach clean-up last spring and will do so again next year. “We did a clean-up at Willingdon Beach with the Environmental Club on
Earth Day,” said Charlotte. Student interest in the environment is growing. Last year, the newly formed environmental club had three members; today it has more than 30. It’s impressive what the environmental club has accomplished in such a short time. “We have Meatless Mondays in the cafeteria now,” said Jordana. Students are also active politically with ten attending the all-candidates’ debate prior to the federal election last month. Armed with questions, they wanted to know if candidates could take money earmarked for the pipeline and use it for alternative energy. They arranged for a showing of the Cowspiracy film at the Max Cameron last spring and for a panel of speakers including MP Rachel Blaney, environmentalist Lesley Thorsell and student activist Annika Krowitz. The club will be showing the Salish Sea documentary for students at the school on November 13 followed by a question and answer. After attending a cultural assembly for the “3% project” (3percentproject.com) organized by Jonathan, students came away with specific ideas for taking action. “We don’t have proper recycling at the school,” said Charlotte. There is recycling for paper, cans and compost but they’d like to see full five-bin recycling stations. Although Teacher Willow Dunlop uses five bins in the Food Studies program, it only works because she has taken it upon herself to make sure it does. “We’d like to see the whole school get on board,” she says. So far, Culinary Arts and Food Services are the only parts of the school that compost. It’s not yet available in other classrooms, hallways, or the cafeteria. Teachers are always trying to promote more outdoor learning and draw parallels between what happens in the classroom and the community. “We’re working with teachers to find more ways to make the curriculum more connected to our local area and our relationships with Tla’amin,” said Jonathan. Curriculum changes mean educators can take core competencies and articulate them as something foundational to the student learning experience with environmental and social responsibility, added Willow.
Our eco visionaries:
SD47 Students
Want to learn more? Contact us. School District #47 4351 Ontario Ave 604 485-6271
www.sd47.bc.ca
POWELL RIVER LIVING • november 2019 •
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