Saskatchewan

I Thought I Saw A Tweety Bird

2015 Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada

Jocelyn Lalach from St. Edward School is passionate about birds and is sharing that passion with others! Birds are an integral part of our watershed. Indeed, without them, many functions that they provide would no longer exist. Jocelyn explored the benefits of healthy bird populations and their benefits to the South Saskatchewan River Watershed such as reducing insect populations and seed transportation in the river valley.

Birds provide many benefits to our local watershed! Through transporting seeds in the river valley, Student winning photo saskatchewan student action project birds help new native shrubs grow and root in the riparian area providing wildlife habitat and other ecological services. The riparian area is the zone along river or creek banks close to the water. This zone needs strong and healthy shrubs to help keep pollutants out of our water ways. Plants in the riparian area slow down water and help it infiltrate and filter through soil and root systems before entering our watershed. This process reduces the amount of runoff entering our water ways and helps to prevent pesticides, fertilizers, and other pollutants from entering our watershed. As an added benefit, these shrubs and their root systems provide structure for the soil along river and creek banks which prevent erosion. Lastly, birds eat insects. The healthier our bird populations in our watershed the more insects they eat and the less pesticides we use to control them ourselves!

Jocelyn developed a curriculum based program called “I Thought I Saw a Tweety Bird” that educates students in grades 2 and 3 about the different types of bird species found in the South Saskatchewan River Basin. She developed a bird unit that is available online here: http://ycojchill.wix.com/birds-unit with all the necessary tools for teachers and students to learn about the importance of birds to their watershed. Jocelyn has left her website up online for teachers to access the curriculum material.

Xeriscaping our School

2015 Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada

Manothri Malikarachichi and Sadie Simpson from Montgomery School focused their project on implementing a xeriscaped landscape at their school as a pilot project to educate students and their community about the benefits of using drought-tolerant plant species in place of conventional water consumptive landscaping techniques.

Xeriscaping has many benefits and helps our local watersheds in a number of ways. By planting with native and drought tolerant plants you are reducing how much outdoor water is used in your home. These plants require much less water than conventional lawn and gardens. Some native and drought Student winner photo xeriscaping our school student action project tolerant plants only require the intermittent rain that falls through Saskatoon’s summers!

Xeriscaping is also beautiful. It provides pops of colour and beauty rather than the monotonous green patches of conventional lawns. Once a xeriscaped landscape is installed and established, there is little work needed. There is no need for excess watering, the use of pesticides, fertilizers or gas for mowing! All of these inputs on our lawn and gardens impact our watershed because they can wash into our storm drains and into the river harming sensitive aquatic habitat. But, with a xeriscaped garden, this doesn’t happen because those inputs are not needed.

The students worked with their school to install a xeriscaped landscape in their outdoor classroom area. They are hoping to receive neighbourhood support for long term maintenance in partnership with the school.

S.T.O.P. – Storm Sewer Trash Only Pollutes

2014 Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada

Justen Saini from Greystone Heights School in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, proposed the idea of using informational brochures to educate Saskatonians on the proper ways and appropriate locations to dispose of household hazardous waste products. In his proposal, Justen made the connection between improper dumping of pollutants into Saskatoon’s storm drains to the lack of convenient hazardous drop off locations in the city. He emphasized that the current drop off location at the Sasktel Centre in the north-end of the city and its changing drop off times made it difficult for many citizens to access its services. This, therefore, increased the likelihood that citizens would look for alternate ways to dispose of wastes such as used oil, household chemical products, unused fertilizers, pesticides and other types of wastes. These
alternative ways often meant right into Saskatoon storm drains! Justen advocated for there to be another hazardous waste drop of location in the east-end of the city in order to reduce the cases of hazardous waste disposal into storm drains. Justen also proposed that his informational pamphlets be included in the City of Saskatoon’s utility bills and in the City of Saskatoon’s educational programs and informational booths. These brochures would make Saskatonians aware that any wastes that enter storm sewers proceed directly into the South Saskatchewan River. His brochures also outlined the operating hours of the Sasktel Centre drop off times and location.

Following his verbal presentation at the 2014 Caring for our Watersheds final competition, Justen Saini was invited by City Councilor Charlie Clark to make a presentation in front of City Council. On May 4, 2014 Justen Saini made a presentation to the City of Saskatoon Council advocating the recommendation to establish a new hazardous waste disposal location for the east-side of the city and to include his educational brochures in the utility bill and in City of Saskatoon educational programming. Following his presentation the City Councilors made a recommendation for another drop off location to be considered for the 2015 season. Currently, the City of Saskatoon is working with Justen to include his STOP pamphlets into the City of Saskatoon educational material and utility bill.

Insect hotels: Accommodating Biodiversity

2014 Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada

Alana Krug-McLeod from Aden Bowman Collegiate in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, proposed the idea of improving the South Saskatchewan River Watershed through increasing insect biodiversity. Her proposal was to build three separate Insect Hotels in Saskatoon with educational signage and an associated website that explained the benefits of insect biodiversity and the importance of habitat provision like Insect Hotels for improving nearby aquatic ecosystems. Alana explained in her proposal that “…insect hotel typically consists of a solid structure or frame filled with organic and inorganic materials, a formation that serves to provide habitat for insects.” The types of material such as bricks, bamboo, drilled logs, bark affect what varieties of insects check-in at a given hotel.

Once built, insect hotels attract creatures such as lacewings, ladybugs, and mason bees. Alana explained at the Caring for our Watersheds final competition that these beneficial insects eat aphids and other destructive pests, pollinate plants so they can bear fruit or vegetables, and serve as decomposers of organic material. Alana felt that Insects Hotels could not only increase local biodiversity but also provide the opportunity for uniquely engaging her community to learn about insects and potentially inspire them to build their own Insect Hotels.

Alana worked with the community to build and install three separate insect hotels across Saskatoon; one in a private yard, one at the Varsity View Community Garden, and one at Aden Bowman’s joint school and community garden.

On August 26th, Alana met with members of the community garden to construct their insect hotel. People of all ages participated with volunteers ranging from a four year old to seniors. Together volunteers and members of the community garden built a beautiful structure, which a smaller group of volunteers was able to fill, seal, and mount the next morning.

On August 27th, Alana met with a group of students from Aden Bowman Collegiate to harvest and weed the raised garden beds and to install and fill the insect hotel. Everyone was energetically engaged, and the insect hotel was easily secured in a south facing location beside the raised garden beds. Two students agreed to be contacts for the Insect Hotels and to report on what types of insects take up residence and to monitor the longevity of the structure. After the Insect Hotel was installed some of the students talked about making insect hotels for themselves and as gifts for others.

The third insect hotel was built by Alana and her mom with materials remaining from the construction of the first Insect Hotels and donated materials. It was installed in her family’s front yard in the Varsity View neighbourhood, where it attracts the attention of passersbys who often stop to see or taste what is growing in the garden. Alana has expressed interest, capacity willing, to work with other interested groups in Saskatoon to build more Insect Hotels and continue to increase aquatic and insect biodiversity to improve her local watershed.

Pharmaceuticals in our Water

2014 Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada

Maggie Reid from Greystone Heights School in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, proposed the idea of putting up posters at her local neighbourhood grocery stores and pharmacies to inform and educate Saskatonians on the proper way and appropriate locations to dispose of pharmaceutical products. In her proposal, Maggie made the connection that when you turn on the tap and fill your glass with water, that water may still have traces of medications and pharmaceuticals in it.
In Maggie’s research she found that although waste water treatment plants can remove many chemicals and foreign materials, active drug compounds are not eliminated and can collect in our rivers, lakes and ground water. When these chemicals collect in water bodies they have the potential to impact the fish, wildlife, and other organisms living within aquatic ecosystems. Expired or unused pharmaceuticals have certain chemical properties that may disrupt the proper function of hormone systems and can be attributed to causing fish to change sexes from male to female during sensitive stages of development. This has consequences for breeding and maintaining healthy fish populations in our rivers and lakes. Not to mention, we drink this water ourselves! This was a problem that Maggie felt strongly about.

She discovered that people still currently flush un-used medications or pharmaceuticals down the toilet in order to keep their children or pets from ingesting them. Maggie felt the solution to this problem was to raise awareness. If people knew that the South Saskatchewan River that they loved was becoming increasingly filled with chemicals from the improper disposal of pharmaceuticals, they would think twice the next time they went to flush their pills down the toilet! She discovered that there was an easy alternative available for the safe disposal of these items. All peopled needed to do was return expired and unused pharmaceuticals to their local pharmacy where there are policies to safely dispose of them. Maggie took action to implement her project and received permission to put up posters at Extra Foods’ pharmacies and the Coop pharmacies within her neighbourhood. The posters communicated information in a fun and simple way through graphics that Maggie drew by hand. The participating pharmacies were delighted to put up Maggie’s posters and were happy that she was taking the initiative to improve her watershed through the Caring for our Watersheds program!

International Rain Barrel Giveaway

image1-2 Rain barrels are designed to collect water, but one distinctive rain barrel designed by students at Daysland School in central Alberta is garnering just as much attention as it is water.

Butterflies, toads, dragonflies and other flora and fauna help depict a healthy watershed on a rain barrel designed by 20 students from grades five to 12 at Daysland School. It also helped the classroom win $1,000 through an international rain barrel giveaway and art contest sponsored by Nutrien’s Caring for our Watersheds (“CFW”) program.

Pick Up the Poo!

2013 Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada

Benjamin Gresty and Jaxon Lalonde are enrolled in the Eco-Justice environmental and adventure program at St. Edward School. Their proposal for the Caring for our Watersheds competition looked at the problems to the river and surrounding area caused by the failure of people to pick up after their pets. Chances are, if you are a dog owner, you have done the dirty deed of not cleaning up after your dog once or twice. Many people think this is not a big deal. Some even feel that dog waste can act as another kind of fertilizer. This is not the case! When dog waste washes into our local water ways it has negative effects for our South Saskatchewan River Watershed.

When dog owners don’t clean up their dog’s poop, it Student photo - pick up the poo student action project can leach into soil and with it, harmful disease causing micro-organisms like round worms, E. Coli and Giardia that can live in dog feces. This puts children who play outside and adults who garden at risk of these infectious organisms. If dog waste is washed into the storm drains it ends up in lakes, rivers, streams or marine water. People can accidentally swallow its bacteria and other disease-causing organisms while swimming or playing in the water. It can even contaminate ground water!

Dog feces contains nutrients like phosphates and nitrogen that encourage the growth of algae and aquatic plants and is also known to carry terrible diseases such as Whipworm, Hookworm, Tapeworm, Parvovirus, Beaver Fever, Salmonella, and E.coli. Said nutrients and pollutants have caused a major algae growth and pollution problem in Lake Winnipeg, giving it the title of 2013’s most threatened lake.

Jaxon and Benjamin decided to clean up dog feces in a local park and hand out bags to dog owners to raise awareness about how dog poop can affect our watershed

To further spread the information about the problems of dog waste, the students started a “poopagenda” poster campaign in off-leash parks, at bus stops and on lampposts. They have also started working with the City of Saskatoon to have permanent signs installed to educate the public about the potential harm caused by unscooped waste. Picking up the (dog) poo is one small and simple step to a much cleaner watershed!

Kickstart Change

2013 Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada Student Class photo student action prject kickstart change

Alana Krug-McLeod from Aden Bowman Collegiate in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, proposed the idea of using Kicksleds to help protect the Saskatchewan River Basin by encouraging a change in attitudes towards transportation. “Kickstart Change” aims to popularize a healthy, sustainable, versatile, alternative transportation mode (kicksledding) while promoting winter activities and building useful skills amongst youth. Kicksleds take their inspiration from various places: dogsleds have traditionally been used in northern regions of the world, and even penguins from the south that waddle and then glide on their bellies.

The three phase plan involved building kicksleds, organizing a winter festival, and establishing sustainable transportation infrastructure. The first phase of this project ran from September to December 2013 and involved introducing the concept of the Kicksleds to the Aden Bowman Collegiate industrial arts class who then became involved with the design and building of the kicksleds. These students gathered outdated and damaged skis, reusable wood and metal to use in constructing the kicksleds. The Aden Bowman Collegiate Eco Club awarded donated prizes for the most innovative, efficient, compact, and eco-friendly kicksleds designed and produced by the students.

Alana then approached the ScienceTrek class at Montgomery School as a partner on this project. The ScienceTrek Program is an accelerated science program that combines outdoor activities with intellectual and social awareness-building. ScienceTrek partners include Alana Krug-MacLeod from Aden Bowman Collegiate Institute, who initiated the project, and WeShare, who helped fund the project. After attending the EF Global Student Leaders Summit: Environmental Conference in Costa Kickstart Change Students pushing sled Rica in April 2013, Alana received an EF Student Leaders Summit Prize, which included a grant from WeShare. This grant from WeShare was used to fund the project. Many other unofficial partners (parents, community members, teachers and administrators) worked behind the scenes and alongside the students to make this project a success.

The attached pictures showcase the various styles of kicksleds that were built by the ScienceTrek and Aden Bowman Collegiate industrial arts students as well as pictures of the students using the kicksled outside for recreational purposes. Montgomery School, with Alana’s help, put on a winter festival where the kicksleds were unveiled. Interestingly enough, some of the students that participated in Alana’s project have now entered the 2014 CFW competition and have placed in the top ten finalist groups for this year’s competition.

Project Penguin

2012 Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada

Alana Krug-McLeod from Aden Bowman Collegiate in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, proposed the idea of developing an educational and entertaining program that will encourage individuals to understand and protect vital water sources – both locally and internationally. Project Penguin is set up to provide individuals new reasons to care about the environment and new ways to join others to make a difference. It is important to learn why everyone’s everyday actions matter and how to make changes that prevent harm and that will do good.

To undertake this informative program, Alana decided to set up a number of geo-caches. The materials contained within the geo-caches included sample cards and decorated “penguin” eggs. The cards and eggs were created with the assistance of the art club.

An educational DVD containing videos and information shorts was then created and distributed to schools.

GreenLemon

2012 Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada

Kyle Cousins with the EcoJustice program at St. Edward School in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan developed a wonderful idea about how to help protect the watershed. Kyle’s idea was to create an environmentally-friendly and chemical-free all-purpose cleaner that would be simple enough for people to make in their own households. He chose to make a chemical free cleaner for his watersheds project because when you’re cleaning and you use a chemical-based cleaner and some of the cleaner goes down the drain, it will eventually end up polluting the watershed. However, if you use a chemical-free cleaner, then you don’t have to worry about chemical-based pollution coming from that cleaner. Greenlemon (lime) photo student action project

The benefits of using a homemade cleaner greatly outnumber the disadvantages. First off, it will save you money because cleaners at stores can be quite pricey, but when you make your own, the ingredients are much less expensive. Next, GreenLemon is environmentally friendly because without chemicals there is no chemical pollution. Another advantage to making your own cleaner is that you can use the same bottle over and over again, thus you will not need to get a new bottle every time. This will reduce the amount of plastic that either needs to be recycled or might find its way into the watershed or landfill. As well, since GreenLemon has no chemicals, it is safer for children and pets, as well as adults.

Kyle created a blog to help share his cleaning solution in addition to including the recipe at this school and his school newsletters.

GreenLemon Cleaning Solution- 4L Recipe 3L of Water, 3 cups Vinegar, 1/4 cups Baking Soda Add 15ml of Lemon Juice to every 1L of solution at time of use