Youngsters Entertained and Informed Through Watershed Adventure
Thanks to a partnership between South Nation Conservation and the Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry County Library, this summer youngsters across the region have been discovering how to protect turtles at risk, how bugs contribute to the ecosystem, and the surprising variety of the local fishery.
To date, some 165 students have benefited from the library presentations in branches from Morrisburg to Maxville. SNC summer students have presented the programs while the branches supplied craft materials.
Outside the library network, the curriculum-based, one-hour “Watershed Adventure” programs have been delivered to several hundred other young people this year.
“It’s part of our ongoing initiatives to reach watershed residents starting with the youngest,” said Allison VanLoon, SNC Communications Assistant. “Like everything else, for it to have a long-term impact, the conservation message is best introduced early on.”
So successful has the programming been that SNC is seeking to partner in Watershed Adventure with other groups and municipalities. For further information, contact Allison, 877-984-2948, ext. 249, or avanloon@nation.on.ca.
“If the interest in there, it’s free for the asking,” VanLoon pointed out. “There’s a hands-on component and it appeals to children of all ages.”
SNC offers 10 different adventure packages such as “It’s a Bug’s Life”, “Totally Turtles” and “Fishing Frenzy”. Each presentation delivers an overview on how watersheds or drainage basins work and how pollution can enter and interfere with the natural order.
“It’s a Bug’s Life” zeroes in on insect species, their characteristics and what they can tell us about the health of watercourses. “Totally Turtles” singles out six species-at-risk turtles in Eastern Ontario, showing how to recognize them, understand their habits, and how to help conserve them. “Fishing Frenzy” plunges into the multitude of fish species in the South Nation system, including the invasive ones.
“It might be the most informative hour your child will spend this summer,” VanLoon concluded.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Allison VanLoon, 877-984-2948, ext. 249.
Avanloon@nation.on.ca