Poundmaker students explore wetlands

Some children watch intently as snails perform a water ballet, while another youth exclaims “I just touched a leech!” For Ducks Unlimited Educator Heidi Juul, that’s what outdoor classrooms and initiatives like Project Webfoot are all about.

“Wetlands are in trouble,” she said. “And part of our program is outreach to children who can experience these types of wetlands. We have field trips and class presentations, and the kids have a lot of fun.”

June 16th was a fun day at the North Battleford Goose Project for Grades 5 & 6 from Chief Poundmaker School. Getting their hands dirty was part of their learning through Project Webfoot.

It is a Canada-wide collaboration between Enbridge Pipelines Inc. and Ducks Unlimited Canada that teaches the value of wetlands by bringing children and wetlands together. “Wetlands are some of the most diverse ecosystems that we have,” says Juul. “Yet over 70% of wetlands have been lost in some areas of Canada.”

As a major sponsor of Project Webfoot, the support of Enbridge allows students from almost 30 schools in all parts of Saskatchewan to attend field trips. About one third of the schools are from First Nation communities.
“We think it’s a wonderful program,” said Jamie Honda-McNeil, manager of Aboriginal Affairs at Enbridge. “It offers children an opportunity to get out in the field and experience wetlands, and nature, firsthand. We are very pleased to be a corporate sponsor of the event.”

All parts of Project Webfoot are curriculum based, notes Barbara Hanbidge, Saskatchewan Education Specialist for Ducks Unlimited. That means the project matches teachers’ requirements in meeting the Saskatchewan Science Curriculum.

“What we hope,” she added. “Is that if people learn about wetlands and how important they are, then in the long run this will result in conservation of wetlands.”
For Miss Sarah Thompson, one of the teachers at Poundmaker School, the project is a great opportunity for the children.

“It’s hands-on learning and outdoor education, and they love being here.” She noted that exploring marshes and wetlands is something many of the children don’t do every day. “A lot never have the chance to use binoculars or catch dragonflies,” she says. “This is a good opportunity to do so.”

The Poundmaker students were able to explore parts of it in three different ways, each with a list showing pictures of what they might see. The Nature Hike was a chance to examine the bounty of plants and animals.

Bird Watching from the tower with binoculars showed them what happens with the ducks, geese, and other wildlife. Critter Dipping let them see everything from mosquito larvae to spider mites, with some even getting a chance to touch a leech.

Located on the southwest edge of the city, the North Battleford Goose Project has been in place since 1974. It is approximately 136 acres in size, and is a collaboration of Ducks Unlimited and the North Battleford Wildlife Federation.