During the week of May 15, 2006, Bob Benmore's Grade 5/6 class from Sechelt Elementary School travelled each day from their school to the Iris Griffith Centre to participate in the Lagoon Society's Nature School Program. Toegher with Nature School Coordinator, Georgia Ohm, and Teacher Liaison, Gillian Kydd, Mr. Benmore planned the weeks activities to match the interests and curriculum needs of his students, and to expand upon subjects they had been exploring at school.

The week at Nature School was filled with many adventures. Students enjoyed forest walks and lengthy periods of time observing nature and sketching and writing in their journals. They built dragonfly bird bafflers to deter birds from flying into the Iris Griffith Centre windows. Local artists June Malaka and Solveigh Harrison introduced the students to watercolour painting and sketching. Georgia Ohm, shared her knowledge of animal bones and animal adaptations and forester Tony Richmond taught about local trees. Lisa Pew facilitated a tracking activity and students made plaster casts of animal tracks and played track twister. John Field helped the students to clear a trail in the Nature Reserve and Dianne Sanford helped the students to carry out a pond study.

Sechelt Nation Members, Dionne Paul, Rita Joe, and Andy Johnson, performed a welcoming ceremony for the students. Dionne introduced the students to the traditional First Nations shalal game and Rita took the students on a medicine walk.

The Lagoon Society would like to express its deep gratitude for the generous contributions of all of community volunteers, parents and teachers that helped make the week at Nature School such a wonderful experience for everyone involved.

CLICK ON THE PHOTOS BELOW TO VIEW LARGER IMAGES

Bob Benmore's class	Bob and class
June Malaka teaches watercolour painting	Watercolour painting in the forest
Watercolour painting	Student enjoys the sunshine
Scott draws a painted turtle with Gillian Kydd	Landon observing
Andrew immersed in nature	Parent Marg was with the class all week and kept her own journal
Parent observing	Observation time
Michael Jackson speaks to the class	Bob leads sharing time in the Centre
Student enjoys the sunshine	Nature School Assistant Kari Evelyn
Andy, Dionne and Rita begin with the Sechelt song	Dionne teaches the shalal game
Rita Joe talks about using cedar	Drumming during the game
Dionne & Andy showing edible salmonberry branches	Tony Richmond and Douglas fir
Dragonfly painting	Forester Tony Richmond teaching
Eva painting her dragonfly	Hard at work
Rubber animal tracks in plaster	Tracks activity
Art activity	Georgia shares her knowledge of bones
John Field supervises trail building	Bob and Mohammad Sametz
Many hands cleared the trail	Iris Griffith Centre from the wetland area
Immersed in nature

VIEW PHOTOS OF OTHER NATURE SCHOOL CLASSES

Nancy Benmore's Grade 2 class from Roberts Creek School

Bev Craig's Grade 2/3 class from Roberts Creek School

Nature School Mural at Roberts Creek School

Joan Wilson's Grade 6/7 class from Davis Bay School

Youth Enjoy Hands-on Learning (Coast Reporter Dec 1, 2006)

Visionary Educator Wins Award (Coast Reporter May 20, 2006)

Roberts Creek Students Discover Nature School (Coast Reporter Nov 18, 2005)

The Lagoon Society is very grateful to the generous contributions of the many private individuals, businesses, foundations, community groups, corporations, and government agencies that make up our many sponsors. We gratefully acknowledge the financial assistance of the Province of British Columbia.

Ruby Lake Lagoon Nature Reserve Society
RR#1 Site 20 C16
Madeira Park, BC, V0N 2H0
Phone/Fax: 604-883-9893
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it