The Comox Valley Regional District is planning to empower the next generation to help protect and care for the valley's watersheds.
Connected by Water is a multi-year education program that will help educate and inspire Comox Valley students to "instill a deeper understanding of how all individuals play a role" in protecting the natural resource.
鈥淚t鈥檚 incredible how much wisdom young learners share to the educators about how to care for interrelated systems like our watershed,鈥� said Zoe Norcross-Nu'u, CVRD Watershed Protection Coordinator. 鈥淭hey really see the importance in a good relationship with our drinking water and all the natural systems that surround it, and that鈥檚 very encouraging.鈥�
The program was developed to build capacity, community and connection around watershed protection and conservation efforts. The program looks at what makes a climate resilient watershed, and what makes it possible for people to have access to safe drinking water. Resilience looks at how the water system is able to respond and adapt to climate change impacts.
"In the Comox Lake watershed, climate change is impacting winter precipitation and freezing levels (rain / snow dynamics), summer droughts, and the health of plants, animals and ecosystems," the regional district's website says, adding that fostering a connection to place, keeping water sources clean, protecting natural ecosystems, building forest and creek resilience to extreme weather like atmospheric rivers and droughts, preventing wildfires, and conserving water when needed can all go towards protecting the vital resource.
The district has created specific educator tours for students in grades 2 through 11, which provide shared knowledge about the watershed鈥檚 history and identify the interconnection of the natural system within our community. Students are engaged in the classroom, on-site adjacent to the watershed, and through tours of the Water Treatment Plant.
"By empowering the next generation with knowledge and fostering a sense of responsibility, the CVRD remains committed to ensuring the long-term sustainability of the Comox Lake watershed and the communities it serves," a release from CVRD says.
Teachers who want to inquire about school visits and other educational opportunities can email engineeringservices@comoxvalleyrd.ca.
