News Item

April 28, 2011

News item – Cowichan Valley schools help protect Earth: Cobble Hill, Ecole Mill Bay and Quamichan involved

Stories about how Cowichan Valley students and staff are learning and teaching about our precious planet and the fragility of our environment frequently cross the district website news desk. A recent batch include a project at Cobble Hill elementary about the importance of looking after local waterways; eco-actions at Ecole Mill Bay that won a top provincial award for the school; and incredible leadership in energy reduction at Quamichan middle school.

Multi-hued wooden fish now adorn the fence at Cobble Hill following a much anticipated Stream of Dreams project (www.streamofdreams.org) – an eco-education program that introduced all 280 students at the K to grade 5 school to the local watershed and the streams, including Shawnigan Creek, that flow through them.

“We learned how we could all help take care of water. The project’s legacy is the Stream of Dreams fish mural left on our school fence,” explained principal Karen Petersen. She said that every student and many staff painted a fish to contribute to the mural. Teachers Sandra Haig and Bonnie Griffiths sponsored the program.

“The program’s goal to help our school community learn how to conserve and protect water resources and to inspire behavioural change for environmental protection really reached our students,” the Cobble Hill principal said.

Stream of Dreams eco-educators conducted a two-part workshop for each class. First came a discussion with students by a science instructor about local rivers and streams and how students can help take care of waterways. The second part presented by an Art instructor guided students through the process of painting colourful wooden “dreamfish” to contribute to the mural or ‘fish on the fence’.

Cobble Hill staff organized and held a Tacky Tourist Family Dance in February to raise over $1500 for this project and the school’s PAC donated the balance of the costs (over $1000). Parents also volunteered during the project. Gordon Smith of Cowichan Woodwork donated the wood and cut the fish shapes.

Somenos elementary was also involved in the project this year following participation in previous years by Alex Aitken, Koksilah and independent school Queen of Angels.

“This was a fabulous experience for our students blending two curriculum areas of science and art; the legacy of the fish on the fence will last for many years,” principal Petersen added.

Meanwhile, Ecole Mill Bay students learned earlier this month that their school was one of 10 elementary schools in the province to win $1000 in the third annual BC Green Games, Science World’s province-wide contest that rewards students’ eco-actions.

“The Roots & Shoots Club at Mill Bay successfully educated their school about issues such as idling, eating locally grown food and protecting native species of animals such as the barred owl. Students made their own fair trade organic chocolates and raised money to build a well in Zambia,” said Science World’s Amanda McCuaig.

Further north at Quamichan teachers Ian Low and Suzanne Holley were named the district’s energy champions for March.

“The electrical savings that Quamichan has been able to achieve throughout the electrical savings program is truly amazing,” said energy manager Brian Branting.

With participation from the whole school Quamichan has had an average electrical savings of 45.5 per cent since we started this program, the district’s BC Hydro-sponsored energy manager added.

Under the program run in conjunction with BC Hydro, schools and other sites are evaluated monthly based on their electrical energy savings compared to last year.

“The savings at Quamichan is a good example of what a true team effort can achieve,” said manager Branting.