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Kids across Basin to celebrate Earth Day
Celebrated around the world, Earth Day falls every year on April 22. It is a day to celebrate the Earth, our home. The theme of this year’s Earth Day is ‘It’s Our Turn to Lead.’ And the kids participating in Wildsight’s Beyond Recycling program have taken this to heart.
Since the fall, they’ve been on a journey to discover the impact of their lifestyles—product choices, energy, waste and consumption—and how their everyday actions affect the health of the planet.
Beyond Recycling is a 22-week, classroom-based program for Grades 4-7, delivered in schools across the Columbia Basin. Action-based and solutions-focused, the goal of the program is to inspire and empower youth to take a leadership role in making positive environmental and behavioural changes in their homes, schools and communities.
Jaquelyn, a Grade 7 student and participant said, “I totally feel that this program has made me look at waste a different way. I realize now what can happen to our earth if we don’t take care of it.”
For Earth Day, these inspiring students have planned various activities to celebrate all they’ve learned—Trash to Treasure recycled art projects, local ‘real’ food potlucks, flower planting and the creation of posters to be placed around the community, challenging us to reduce our ecological footprint.
The sustainability issues we face today can be overwhelming. But these students have learned that change is possible; it begins with small everyday actions.
Denovah, a student and participant said, “I think the best part of the program is how we make a difference. If we try, we can change the world. We have ideas to change.”
Wildsight wishes to recognize the Columbia Basin Trust, Government of Canada, BC Hydro, Fortis BC, Regional District of the Central Kootenay and Waste Management Inc. for their generous support of this program.
Lead image: Students at Kootenay Orchards Elementary School in Cranbrook will do a ‘Trash to Treasure’ art project and will be presenting their creations for Earth Day in the school foyer. They are also planning on doing a garbage clean up at Idlewild Park.
