Dryden High School Green Teams

The video that Envirothon Team members created for the youth session of the conference:

This year’s current Envirothon topic is, with some indication from this post’s title, “Groundwater.”  What an awesome issue to learn about!  Groundwater is the source of our freshwater.  It is filtered by soil particles and sustains rivers, wetlands and lakes.

On our recent trip to Thunder Bay for a conference, our team had the opportunity to learn from professors at Confederation College about groundwater, as well as other Envirothon topics: soils, wildlife and forestry.

Members of the Envirothon Team attended the 1st annual Sustainable Communities in the North Conference held in Thunder Bay on February 25 and 26, 2010.

“It is necessary that all the people of this region are given a forum to celebrate our strength and character and to feel safe and comfortable enough to take the long, hard and honest look at the challenges we face in an era of great uncertainty.” – Alex Boulet, SCN Chairperson

(The main issue that was addressed was Peak Oil and sustainability of our future).

Communities will be more secure in the future, environmentally and economically, if they become more adaptive and resilient to change.  Solutions were discussed during the youth forum and were shared during the visionary session.

The Green Eagles and Envirothon teams would like to wish you a happy holiday and New Year.  We wish that you will try to make this holiday more sustainable/earth friendly.

On Friday December 18th, members of the Envirothon team constructed an Inukshuk in front of the Dryden High School.  Blocks of ice were created by freezing coloured water (Olympic colours: blue, red, yellow and green) in old diaper wipe containers.  These containers are in the shape of large lego blocks and have been re-used as toys over the past seventeen years.  They have served yet another purpose!

This Inukshuk was created in support of the Dryden Olympic Committee celebration plans.

In this picture from left to right; Alison Gamble, Mr. Mitchell, Ms. Spence, Mrs. Boone and Michelle Arseneault

The Envirothon Team, accompanied by Mrs. Boone, went on a field trip on November 17, 2009.  The team explored a local trapline with Dwaine Brown, President of the Dryden Trapper’s Council.  The focus of the trip was to observe and learn about wildlife habitat; members of Envirothon had an awesome time. The team agreed that one of the highlights of the trip was standing on top of a beaver house, learning about beaver living patterns.

Looking at a lynx.

The team!

The Green Eagles would like to thank all classes for participating in the waste reduction week trivia. Seven classes scored perfect! Now that you are more informed about the impact of your waste, we hope that you will become a more conscious consumer.

Waste Reduction Week Trivia Results
6/6 = Seven classes
5/6 = Six classes
4/6 = Five classes
3/6 = Three classes

Awesome!

About WRW

Waste Reduction Week aims to inform and engage Canadians about the environmental and social ramifications of wasteful practices. It strives to educate, engage and empower Canadians to reduce, reuse and recycle waste.

Visit the Waste Reduction Week in Canada website.

The program’s educational resources and “take action” messaging empower all Canadians to adopt more environmentally conscious choices. Waste Reduction Week in Canada further provides information and ideas to reduce waste in all facets of daily living, creating the solutions to the many environmental challenges we face including climate change, water pollution and preservation of natural resources.

Waste Reduction Week in Canada. October 19th - 25th.

The Vernon Nature Area is a unique area that links three very diverse vegetation zones found within Canada.  Five kilometres of designated trails acquainted the DHS Envirothon Team with the transition zone between the Boreal Forest Region, the St. Lawrence-Great Lakes Forest Region and the Prairie Grasslands.

The Vernon Nature Area.

The Vernon Nature Area Trails. Awesome hike!

I think that I shall never see
A billboard lovely as a tree.
Perhaps, unless the billboards fall,
I’ll never see a tree at all.
~Ogden Nash, “Song of the Open Road,” 1933

This Wednesday September 23rd, the Envirothon team will meet in room 107 at 11:30 am sharp and then head off into the outdoors to do some tree identification.  Come and join us to learn how to distinguish between a pine and a spruce and how to name many other types of trees!