Biosphere Reserve Teams Up With Park West School Division
Riding Mountain Biosphere Reserve, in partnership with Parks Canada and Friends of Riding Mountain Park, have teamed up with elementary schools in the Park West School Division to bring kids back to nature in the form of a three-day trip.
On the first morning of the 2nd annual grade six trip, 71 kids from schools in Park West School Division set off in the Lake Audy area to search for hidden clues pertaining to the wildlife around them.
“It’s like a treasure hunt and a race crossed with survivor,” described Britney Hamilton, a grade six student from Russell Major Pratt.
The students used GPS units from Friends and the Biosphere Reserves’ Caching Riding Mountain GPS Program who also run the annual GPS Adventure Quest, do school and community GPS workshops and rent them to park guests.
Following the programmed coordinates, students broke off into groups of three. “It’s better and more fun than sitting inside and looking at pictures of wilderness in books, I like learning this way,” says Nick Harper, a student from Birtle Elementary.
Jen Tyttle teaches a grade five and six split class in Birtle. It’s her second year attending the Park West School Division outing and she says that the students are “very proficient with the interactive technology”. And it’s true. The kids caught on immediately, racing off to the shoreline or deep into the trees and tall grass.
She says the students really enjoy the trip to the Riding Mountain area because of the hands on learning and outdoor atmosphere. “It reaches all students. In class not all the students can seem engaged at all times, but out here they really are.”
On day two, Riding Mountain Biosphere Reserve and Friends of Riding Mountain National Park set up an archaeological dig for the kids at a former “kill site” (a valley where bison would’ve been herded to be hunted more easily) near Gorge Creek.
By examining these placed “artifacts” the students learned about the people and animals that lived in the park thousands of years ago, including giant sloths who snacked on the tops of trees and beavers the size of picnic tables.
“Because it’s from the past and there are stories that go along with each object, I think it’s important to learn about archeology,” says grade six student Harry Hodgins from Shoal Lake who helped “discover” some historic blue and green glass.
The kids worked on small plots of land called units, brushing away soil and shale to uncover animal bones, glass, and pottery.
Garret Rubeniuk from Major Pratt wasn’t afraid to get his hands dirty, as he enthusiastically sifted through soil to find projectile points. “You’re active, doing more, it’s really like a big experiment. You get to walk through outside and touch everything instead of looking at a piece of paper. You can actually do things…you learn how people survived.”
Biodiversity Day
To celebrate International Day for Biological Diversity which was on May 22nd , Riding Mountain Biosphere Reserve enlisted the help of five students from Erickson Elementary School.
Biodiversity Day
To celebrate International Day for Biological Diversity which was on May 22nd , Riding Mountain Biosphere Reserve enlisted the help of five students from Erickson Elementary School.
On May 20th, utilizing chalk, and artistic talent they created a 45 by 14 ft biodiversity-themed mural, which passersby can view in the driveway of the Riding Mountain Biosphere Reserve Office, located at 61 2nd Street NE, in Erickson, Manitoba.
The students wanted to create an art project demonstrating the diversity of plant and animal life encompassed in the only Biosphere Reserve in Manitoba.
But the project had one main requirement; that it wouldn’t harm the environment in any way and leave no lasting effect. Grade five student, Kieran McKay chose deep blues and greens to draw the Earth and that he “thought the project was cool”.
Chalk was the chosen medium, as it would wash away leaving no trace of pollution and a clean slate for the next mural.
The United Nations proclaimed May 22nd The International Day for Biological Diversity to increase understanding and awareness of biodiversity issues. On top of this, 2010 is the United Nations’ International Year of Biodiversity.
Executive Director of Riding Mountain Biosphere Reserve, Valerie Pankratz says it is important to recognize the diverse eco-systems and our own biodiversity issues within the area: “Valuing our surroundings, and taking care of them is an integral part of educating our youth, especially in our region.”
UNESCO designated Riding Mountain Biosphere Reserve in 1986. Its mission is to foster and encourage a sustainable community based regional economy, with high biodiversity, landscape, and social values.
