In May of this year, URLA sponsored grade 3 and 4 students from Rideau Vista and St. Edwards schools in Westport to attend a full-day nature classroom at Foley Mountain Conservation Area.
The RVCA outdoor environmental education program provided the students with interactive experiences that are designed to help them understand our natural world and their relationship with it.
I attended part of the first day with the St. Edwards students and was in awe of what I saw and heard.
As I entered the park,, I could hear little voices enthusiastically yelling out “We found it,” “It’s under a rock,” and “What’s in the box?”
They had already started an orientation exercise where, in groups of 2, they were tasked to find boxes full of insects and bugs using handheld GPS.
The students enjoyed many activities such as how to survive in the forest by learning how to build a shelter and collect rainwater from the forest canopy.
The students were rewarded for a hard day’s work by learning how to build a fire and then they cooked a tasty snack.
I reported back to the URLA board on how the well-organised RVCA program had full student participation and that we should continue to sponsor this annually.
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