BORDEN-CARLETON - Bundled against the frosty October air, Amherst Cove Consolidated student Dylan Brander hurried over to the plant his nature walk guide had just pointed out.
Dylan quickly pulled out a phone or iPod from his pocket and started snapping pictures of the scraggly little green plant.
“I want to show my mom and dad,” he said, proudly.
Dylan was one of about 40 students from the Borden-Carleton school who spent Friday morning getting a first-hand education on nature by visiting the town’s Noonan Marsh.
“It’s interesting,” said Dylan regarding what he was learning.
“There’s a lot of plant life – animals. You don’t know what they are, it’s a mystery.”
Despite the school being walking distance from the marshes, Friday was the first time the facility had organized an excursion to them. Grades 5, 6, 7 and 8 students participated this year, with younger grades on the agenda for 2018.
Principal Randy Gallant contacted the South Shore Watershed Association (SSWA) to facilitate a tour of the marshland.
Kellie Lockhart, manager of SSWA, jumped at the chance to help.
“We’re always looking to further education and work with the school systems,” she said.
The Noonan Marshes are adjacent to the town’s sewage lagoon and only a few feet from the Confederation Bridge Toll Plaza.
Various wildlife and watershed groups have worked over the years to protect the area, which is a mix of salt and fresh water marshes.
The students crossed paths with various species of birds, insects and amphibians during their outing.
Their guides from SSWA, including Connie Doerksen, the Seven Mile Bay representative, explained how to look for signs of animal life, the various medicinal uses some plants and dangers associated with others. They also talked about trash dumping that is apparent in the area and how it can impact the soil and water quality of the habitat.
Many of these kids have grown up with the marshes and woods almost in their back yards, but have never visited them, let alone learn about how they contribute to their own health and that of the overall environment, said Doerksen,
“It’s important to bring kids out in nature and learn about it. (The plants are) all food or medicine and it’s all important for us to understand in the circle of life how we’re all connected. Without this we wouldn’t have water,” she said.
To find out more about SSWA, go online to www.sswa.ca. SSWA is also looking for more members in the Seven Mile Bay area as there are few members from that region. Anyone interested can contact Doerksen at [email protected].
@JournalPMacLean
