2014 Peguis First Nation, Manitoba, Canada
In 2013, Lake Winnipeg was named the most threatened lake in the world. For students at Peguis Central School, water quality is an especially important issue. These students live near Lake Winnipeg, and along the Fisher River which feeds into the lake. Kayla and Kelly are learning how nitrates and phosphates could affect the lake.
“Our project is to conduct scientific testing on the Fisher River to see whether it is a significant contributor to algal blooms, which have occurred on Lake Winnipeg.”
This project is part of a multi-year initiative that the school is taking to look at the Fisher River, and determine how it relates to Lake Winnipeg. The goal for these students is to obtain ten-years of data, so they can see if and how the water quality changes over time. Next year, Kelly and Kayla will be mentoring younger students at their school so that the project can carry on once the girls graduate. Thanks to Nutrien, they were able to purchase a new test kit to continue their research!