School Water Stewards
NANAIMO & AREA LAND TRUST
School Water Stewards
The SWS program was created by The Nanaimo & Area Land Trust Society (NALT) to help foster a culture of stewardship in students by providing them with opportunities to learn about and interact with local freshwater resources and their associated ecosystems.
What is the School Water Stewards Program?
The program was piloted in SD68 in the 2020/2021 school year, thanks to eager collaboration with teachers at syuẁén’ct Elementary School (formerly Coal Tyee Elementary School) and Nisaika Kum’tuks Elementary Centre. Since then we have expanded into SD69 and are delivering lessons to 39 classes in 13 schools. We are excited to improve and expand the program in subsequent years.
The program offers Core Lessons and Stewardship Capstone Projects. Core Lessons are curriculum-linked lessons that provide a basis for understanding freshwater stewardship, nature and our place within it. Stewardship Capstone Projects provide students opportunities to take their stewardship education one step further and complete a stewardship action (e.g., invasive plant species removal, amphibian monitoring).
Who is it for?
SWS is available to Elementary Schools and Teachers within School District 68 & 69. If you are interested in having your class participate or have any questions, please email NALT’s School Water Stewards Coordinator.
Already Registered?
If you have already registered your class with the Stewardship Coordinator and received your password, go ahead and start booking your lessons for the School Water Stewards program.
The 2022/2023 year of the School Water Stewards program was made possible thanks to the Regional District of Nanaimo – Drinking Water and Watershed Protection Program
School Water Stewards
Learning, working & protecting together
Ms. Barritt-Flatt Grade 6-7
ECOLE HAMMOND BAY This class of water stewards have learned how to identify native and invasive plants and even helped plant native species near Walley Creek to help restore the forest and riparian area!
Ms. Mathieson Grade 2
SYUW̓ÉN̓CT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL Ms. Mathieson’s class of excited water stewards helped us mulch some freshly planted native species in a riparian area near Northfield Marsh.
Ms. Hooyberg Grade 2
FRANK J NEY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL Ms. Hooyberg’s class of eager water stewards helped with some in-stream restoration on Walley Creek. They helped remove debris that was preventing the creek from flowing naturally!
Ms. Weiss Grade 2-3
ARROWVIEW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL Ms. Weiss’s class of budding water stewards learned how natural materials help filter the water around us and has an effect on water quality.
Ms. Rae Grade 4-5
ARROWVIEW ELEMEMENTARY SCHOOL Ms. Rae’s class did an excellent job identifying native and invasive plant species near their school.
Ms. Edgar Grade 2-3
ECOLE HAMMOND BAY Ms. Edgar’s class have become excellent water stewards who learned all about watershed health and how we can protect the water around us!
Ms. Tye Grade 4-5
SYUW̓ÉN̓CT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL Ms. Tye’s class helped out with 2 stewardship projects near Northfield Marsh! They helped restore a riparian area by planting native plants, and helped collect data for an ongoing amphibian monitoring project.
Ms. Kilshaw Grade 2-3
ECOLE HAMMOND BAY Ms. Kilshaw’s class of water stewards loved doing microscope explorations! They had the chance to look up-close at both native plant materials and live aquatic macroinvertebrates!